Dippy back on this ad...

Meowy Catkin

Meow!
Joined
19 July 2010
Messages
22,635
Visit site
144923_all_rounder_horse_3_yrs_15_2_hh_bay_middlesex_photo_1.jpg


That is not going to improve with age.
 

SophieLouBee

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 May 2010
Messages
927
Location
West-mids
Visit site
Just saw her on HM, poor little dear, probably end up being ridden in a saddle that doesn't fit (I don't think you could fit a saddle to that back).

I don't think any amount of topline could improve that either. :(
 

PonyFeet10

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 September 2010
Messages
858
Location
Cheltenham, Glos.
Visit site
Surely that cannot be a 3yr old? What on earth has someone done to make the poor thing like that? :(

She would have been born like it. There's no way a person could deform a horses back like that by 3 years old unless the spine had been broken - If so the horse wouldn't still be standing today lol.

It looks like she has been born with a quite severe swayed back, she would be ok to be ridden by a light rider (IF you could find a light saddle to fit her!) but I wouldn't want to use her as a competition horse. Personal opinion, not everyone would agree! :)
 

gracey

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 July 2010
Messages
710
Visit site
:( aw god love her, i don't hold out much hope for her future, i hope that i'm wrong though! she has such a kind loving eye .. if i win the lottery tomorrow i will buy her and just let her *be* :(
 

navaho

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 April 2009
Messages
1,311
Location
West Wales
Visit site
There used to be a famous show jumper years & years ago with a really bad sway back, i did try googling it but couldn't find it, all i could find was a a post on Newrider about it, it makes the horse in this ad look positively normal, so as long as someone is prepared to make sure they get a saddle fitted properly it seems there is no reason she cant have a normal life!
http://newrider.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=113005
 

ruby1512

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 December 2010
Messages
193
Visit site
Forgive me for being harsh but are these people stupid or something? all that rubbish they have put in the ad and it's clear to see for any body with common sense that the poor little filly has a big problem!!! grrrrrrrr
 

PogoPumpkinBecky

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 September 2010
Messages
215
Visit site
how can her back be like that at 3!

this is my friends horse at 27:

picture.php


and this is my friends yearling, he got trampled in the field when he was really young and his mother abandoned him, so my friend took him on, he will never be able to do anything but be a companion but he is the sweetest little pony!

picture.php
 

Honey08

Waffled a lot!
Joined
7 June 2010
Messages
19,005
Location
north west
Visit site
It would be interesting to see her in another three years time, with a lot of condition and muscle on her. Obviously she would always have her problem, but she's at that age and stage where they look their worst, and if she cribs too, is obviously a nervous type. I guess thats just my soft side coming through, but it would be nice to think it could improve!
 

miss_bird

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 August 2006
Messages
2,933
Location
where ever my horses are
Visit site
I have a 2 year old that has a back that is bad but no where near as bad as that, he got pneumonia out in the field, and whilst down think the other youngster was kicking him to get up as he had 2 traumas on his spine and stifle popped out.
So mine not born with it, but hers is fair bad i would feel to guilty to ride her and i weight 8stone wet
 

babymare

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 June 2008
Messages
4,081
Location
cheshire
Visit site
mmmmmm i just have my head in hands at the horse world at moment - 41 yrs of being withthe gorgeous beautiful horse - yep always been muppets always been cruelty but now sorry its bad so bad - im getting to point where im embarresed to say "im horsey" pure stupid muppets out there :(
 

Clippy

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 December 2008
Messages
859
Visit site
The ad comes across as condescending to me. Do I know so little as to believe that mare could pass a vet as a ridden horse?

They're just hoping someone with a bit of money and no knowledge or common sense will come along and believe what they say.
 

gwenllian

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 October 2010
Messages
98
Visit site
she is sway backed, it is not cruelty or anything anyone has done, she would have been born like that, i have seen a few thoroughbreds like this, one a friend had used to event, another jumped like a stag, although not the ideal and a conformation fault, i am sure she is not doomed.
 

riding_high

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 September 2009
Messages
1,146
Location
somerset
Visit site
poor thing, but saying that there was an article in a horse magazine last year (i think) about a guy who bought a horse and had a saddle specially made to fit it, the horse had an even bigger dip that the one in the ad and he goes show jumping on it, once the saddle is on you can't see the dip as much. but he did say that no one wanted it because of the dip however the horse passed a vetting and competes regularly. he also said that it took a long time to find someone to make a saddle to fit and cost alot of money but so worth it.
 

Clava

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 May 2009
Messages
1,590
Visit site
she is sway backed, it is not cruelty or anything anyone has done, she would have been born like that, i have seen a few thoroughbreds like this, one a friend had used to event, another jumped like a stag, although not the ideal and a conformation fault, i am sure she is not doomed.

I had a tb mare with a similar back (but she had more depth of body and probably slightly less dipped), I had her over 20 years with no problems and she jumped anything. She was bought for me from ascot sales as a 3 yr old when I was 13, I still miss her.
 

jackobear

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 July 2007
Messages
197
Visit site
My cob has a sway back...had it since I bought him 10 years ago when I was aged 17 and he was 6! I didnt know any better then and had him on loan first so was in love!

Anyway he has been a fab little all rounder! Got him an Albion GP specially adjusted by Albion so it so has a 6 inch seat. They took a real interest in him as he was such a funny shape. You cant be fussy about what saddle you have mind.

Also had a fancy french saddle fitter come to the yard and he pointed at horse across the yard and shouted "that horse is from my textbook, I never seen one in real life"

Anyway here is a pic of him hunting last year aged 15 and he is still going strong...

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/galleries/v/Hunting/cheshire-farmers-draghounds/DSC0292.jpg.html

So moral is, with a caring owner, they dont have to be written off!

I will try and find a pic with him without a saddle on. Although he is a lot chunkier than a TB so dont know if that helps with saddle fit!
 

Daytona

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 August 2008
Messages
3,201
Visit site
There are three types of sway backed: The first, seen in newborns, is quite rare and associated with neonatal contracture or contracted foal syndrome. The second is conformational fault, usually forming between 12 and 18 months of age and effects less than one percent of the general horse population. The third develops later in life, as the soft tissues that hold the spine in place begin to soften and create sagging (usually seen in broodmares).

Sway backed horses (technically referred to as lordosis of the spine) tend to draw attention (and not the good kind), but the condition is far from the kiss of death to their performance careers (in most cases). Many go on to lead successful careers in and out of the show ring without hindrance from their conformation fault.

Copied of google ;-)
 

Orangehorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 November 2005
Messages
13,204
Visit site
There was a sway backed horse at the Hartpury demo with Monty Roberts that was a succesful show jumper (it was there for a loading problem). He did address the "not perfect conformation" issue, and added that he had come across sway backed horses that had been good racehorses.

There was a famous picture of a horse with the MOST peculiar conformation which included sway back and ewe neck, which had competed at dressage and other competitions a long time ago.

I wouldn't choose to buy one, but it isn't necessarily anything that the owners have done, it was born like that.

There are some breed lines of horses, one in the Morgan world, where the offspring are prone to sway back, but that can be down to too much work too early.
 

tallyho!

Following a strict mediterranean diet...
Joined
8 July 2010
Messages
14,951
Visit site
Thanks faracat!!! I was looking for that article last week to show a friend.... Will save now so I don't lose it again!
 
Joined
10 March 2009
Messages
7,682
Visit site
This is noothing !! A horse of my acquaintance has a much more severely dipped back than this, it looks as if he is going to fold in half ! He was born with the condition and has competed successfully in Advanced dressage. The saddle fitting for him is an art form.
 

Twirly

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 October 2004
Messages
197
Visit site
I know of a hunter mare with a way worse sway back than that - Owners say she's the safest thing on the field as you couldn't fall off forwards or backwards! She's never had a problem out hunting, will go all day and jumps anything you point her at.
 

leah_x

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 February 2011
Messages
304
Visit site
I used to work on a racing yard and we had a horse with a back just like that, it caused him no pain and it wasn't a problem using an exercise saddle on him. He turned out to be a brilliant pointer in East Anglia.
We also have a horse with a severe sway back where I work now, probably worse than all the pictures I have seen, but he's still here galloping flat out around his field having a good buck, doesn't seem to do them any harm. Obviously we wouldn't dream of riding him though with a back the way his is.
But that 3yr old doesn't seem bad, if in the right hands, it shouldn't be a problem...
 
Top