Hobday and suitability for eventing

[Cloudcomet]

Hi!
I’ve found a horse that I would like to buy for my daughter to event, but he’s had a hobday operation, would this put you off? Apparently it was successful and he has show jumped since.
I’d love to hear peoples experiences before we go any further!
Many thanks

 

[ihatework]

No it wouldn’t necessarily put me off, but you are right to ask and question it!

Lots of top competition horses (and racehorses) have had it done but equally it doesn’t have a 100% success rate either.

Things to consider:
1) Showjumping is less intensive (aerobically) than eventing. So I'd suggest you have the horse dynamically scoped as part of the vetting, to double check current function
2) Wind related issues will be excluded from insurance. If this is going to end up costing you £, the most likely scenarios will either be a worsening of the collapse which might mean a tie-back needed, or inhalation of feedstuff leading to infection.
3) Cosmetic stuff such as sounding a bit noisy when cantering, or coughing a bit more
4) Stable management - best fed from the ground and travelling with hay etc best avoided.

I had a horse that had dodgy wind, he had a hobday, then had a tie-back. Still sounded like a steam train but on scope was functioning well. We evented him well/competitively at Novice/2* but it was probably the main reason we sold him on - we thought the step up to I/3* and the relative fittening work required for that might well break him - so we sold him as a schoolmaster for which he has done a cracking job, and continues to do so in the same home 4 years later. It impacted his value but it did not make him worthless, he was still a 5 figure horse.

 

[Cloudcomet]

No it wouldn’t necessarily put me off, but you are right to ask and question it!

Lots of top competition horses (and racehorses) have had it done but equally it doesn’t have a 100% success rate either.

Things to consider:
1) Showjumping is less intensive (aerobically) than eventing. So I'd suggest you have the horse dynamically scoped as part of the vetting, to double check current function
2) Wind related issues will be excluded from insurance. If this is going to end up costing you £, the most likely scenarios will either be a worsening of the collapse which might mean a tie-back needed, or inhalation of feedstuff leading to infection.
3) Cosmetic stuff such as sounding a bit noisy when cantering, or coughing a bit more
4) Stable management - best fed from the ground and travelling with hay etc best avoided.

I had a horse that had dodgy wind, he had a hobday, then had a tie-back. Still sounded like a steam train but on scope was functioning well. We evented him well/competitively at Novice/2* but it was probably the main reason we sold him on - we thought the step up to I/3* and the relative fittening work required for that might well break him - so we sold him as a schoolmaster for which he has done a cracking job, and continues to do so in the same home 4 years later. It impacted his value but it did not make him worthless, he was still a 5 figure horse.

Thank you so much for your detailed reply, that’s so helpful!

 

[SEL]

I've got a pony whose had a hobday. You do need to be careful with your feeding from the ground to avoid food in lungs.

I still think she doesn't have the stamina I'd expect given how much we do, but it's a million miles better than pre op.

 

[ycbm]

I think you need to make sure that the horse can gallop for several minutes, but that will be difficult if he's not fit enough to do that test. I would buy one with a tie back but I'd be worried that a hobday alone isn't going to have done enough to assist the openness of the airway to event, just removed the excessive noise. I think I would want to see his larynx under exercise on a scope.
.

 

[quizzie]

What level of eventing are you thinking about?….lower levels likely to be OK….top levels…unlikely!

 

[Cloudcomet]

I've got a pony whose had a hobday. You do need to be careful with your feeding from the ground to avoid food in lungs.

I still think she doesn't have the stamina I'd expect given how much we do, but it's a million miles better than pre op.

Thank you! Do you have to feed hay from the ground? Can they have a net while travelling?

 

[Cloudcomet]

I think you need to make sure that the horse can gallop for several minutes, but that will be difficult if he's not fit enough to do that test. I would buy one with a tie back but I'd be worried that a hobday alone isn't going to have done enough to assist the openness of the airway to event, just removed the excessive noise. I think I would want to see his larynx under exercise on a scope.
.

Thank you! We’re taking him xc schooling tomorrow so we’ll get more of an idea of his stamina then, but you are right, he’s not currently fit enough to gallop for several minutes.

 

[Cloudcomet]

What level of eventing are you thinking about?….lower levels likely to be OK….top levels…unlikely!

Thank you. Well it won’t be top levels but definitely hoping to get up to novice

 

[ester]

Thank you! Do you have to feed hay from the ground? Can they have a net while travelling?

This was the undoing of my friends horse, hay in the lorry which led to an acute pneumonia situation which then also revealed a lot of chronic stuff going on in his lungs due to food inhalation over the years. He evented to BE100/novice and did come back from the pneumonia for a time at a lower level.

 

[Cloudcomet]

Oh that’s not good! Poor thing

 

[SEL]

Thank you! Do you have to feed hay from the ground? Can they have a net while travelling?

No - you really do need to be careful. I have fed haylage once on a long journey as less particles but even then we had a few big coughs to start with

 

[ycbm]

Thank you! Do you have to feed hay from the ground? Can they have a net while travelling?

I think this depends very much on the horse and the severity of the operation. Mine had a tie back and laser hobday, which in theory should be worse than a hobday alone for choking on food. He was fed from the floor at home but I always travelled him with a net and never had a cough. He did, though, die four years later from other causes so I don't know if he would have stayed trouble free.
.

 

[Cloudcomet]

No - you really do need to be careful. I have fed haylage once on a long journey as less particles but even then we had a few big coughs to start with

Thank you! Really good information to know

 

[Cloudcomet]

I think this depends very much on the horse and the severity of the operation. Mine had a tie back and laser hobday, which in theory should be worse than a hobday alone for choking on food. He was fed from the floor at home but I always travelled him with a net and never had a cough. He did, though, die four years later from other causes so I don't know if he would have stayed trouble free.
.

Thank you, it’s really good to know these things. I will be asking lots of questions

 

[lannerch]

My ex eventer ( now retired due to navicular) had a hobday and tie back when he was 5. It never affected him in any way , except he has a very hoarse neigh and could cough on warmup without this you would never know he had had it done .

 

[ester]

I think this depends very much on the horse and the severity of the operation. Mine had a tie back and laser hobday, which in theory should be worse than a hobday alone for choking on food. He was fed from the floor at home but I always travelled him with a net and never had a cough. He did, though, die four years later from other causes so I don't know if he would have stayed trouble free.
.

Don’t know which friends horse had tbf, it was undisclosed at purchase. He was 14/15 when he had his 2 week horspital stay and the accumulation was identified.

 

[Cloudcomet]

My ex eventer ( now retired due to navicular) had a hobday and tie back when he was 5. It never affected him in any way , except he has a very hoarse neigh and could cough on warmup without this you would never know he had had it done .

Thank you, that’s good to hear

 

[paddi22]

the one i had with a hobday that I evented for donkeys years. I did feel he was pushing it for anything over 1 10 courses, and i was very conscious of hilly events. i really had to watch what forage he got, any dust would set him off coughing. as he aged, the muscles around the hobday get lax and he ended up getting lung infections as he was aspirating food. he is still working away but i really minded him and i def didn't push him the way i would push a horse without the breathing issue. he was much better living out 24/7. when he was stabled at night we had issues with coughing when warming up and nasal discharge all the time