Dishing Connemara - please help

ttt

ttt

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 May 2006
Messages
1,059
Location
Wiltshire
Visit site
I have a 5 yo top quality Connemara. He will make a top ridden, M&M, WHP. He was vetted last September to be sold. He passed a full 5 stage vetting including a flexion test except he was nodding slightly in front and dishing slightly. The vet couldn't find anything wrong with him and said his legs were clean with no heat or swelling. I turned him away over the winter as he was only 4yo. The farrier says there is nothing wrong with his feet, he is not lame and is just dishing. We have started bringing him back into work and he is still dishing. I really need to sell him as I have too many. Is there anything else I can do?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have a 5 yo top quality Connemara. He will make a top ridden, M&M, WHP.

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="blue">Not if he dishes he won't!!! </font>


[ QUOTE ]
He was vetted last September to be sold. He passed a full 5 stage vetting including a flexion test except he was nodding slightly in front.

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="blue">Really
shocked.gif
?? So he passed despite being lame??
confused.gif
</font>

[ QUOTE ]
The farrier says there is nothing wrong with his feet, he is not lame and is just dishing. We have started bringing him back into work and he is still dishing. I really need to sell him as I have too many. Is there anything else I can do?

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="blue"> If your farrier is happy that his feet are correctly balanced, then there isn't anything you can do to correct the straightness (or lack of it) of his gait. </font>
 
Surely if he has never dished up until now, it is not a permanent conformation fault. As you say, he isn't going to fulfil his full potential unless I get him sorted which is why I was asking if anyone could suggest anything else that I could do.
Thanks anyway.
 
Hi I have a 3/4 conne cross TB, bred from a really good quality stallion and have had a couple of issues.

On the dishing front, he passed a 5* vetting as a 4yr old and was checked by well qualified BHS instructor etc etc, I am not sure if his dish was terribly noticeable on purchase but definitely showed up as he started to do more work. He wasn't lame and significantly improved with correct schooling, i.e., being made to use back end properly (he has good conformation but is very slightly straight in the hock!) Connemara's can be quite front end heavy and so it could be as suggested above a balance issue especially if it is in a youngster as they find it hard to use their back end properly, I had a good instructor work with him and did quite a bit of hill work and he stopped dishing.

With time as he grew, we did have a lameness problem and the dishing came back, I was pregnant so he lost a lot of muscle through lack of work, he was diagnosed with a kissing spine which explains it, I think the correct work strengthened him and so he was able to move more correctly and when the muscle tone went his underlying issue came back.

I am not at all suggesting that your horse has a kissing spine, but I think correct schooling will help balance him properly and may well resolve the problem, it is probably just a training issue that will resolve itself over time, but I would also get his back checked to ensure he isn't holding himself incorrectly due to being sore.

My horse had the op and is working well, we have rebacked him and schooled him correctly and he doesn't dish much at all really. He did some prelim dressage last week and got a good score, the judge commented on his beautiful paces and straightness. I mention this to prove that dishing is not the end of the world.

I hope this story has helped and also that your horse finds a wonderful home.
 
I wanted to say thanks for those of you with positive comments and thoughts. I had the 'holistic person' out tonight. As he was dishing in front, I couldn't believe it when she said he had pulled a hamstring! He was dishing to compensate. She has worked on him and I can see a difference already. I now need to walk him in hand for the rest of the week to help free up the muscle. I am so pleased he will finally be sorted. If you have a problem, your vet says the legs are clean, your farrier says the feet are fine, get some-one in who knows muscles!!!
 
Hi - am delighted to read your post, I have a couple of really good back people, a physio and chiropractor and it is only because one of them referred me back to the vet for investigation that we found out Ryan's real problem, this was after 2 yrs of vets telling me he was sound!

Muscles can cause havoc especially if they carry themselves incorrectly due to pain, but the problem can be sorted so am really pleased for you and your horse that this has proved to be the case, hope to goes to a lovely home and does well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top