Horses that "dish"

SatansLittleHelper

SatansLittleHelper

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Just curious to see if anyone has a horse that dishes?
Is it an issue that can be allieviated by correct schooling? Can it be a really big problem?
I was watching a video of a big Shire x that was around 7 years old...it had no real schooling etc but seemed to be completely unaware of where all of its feet were and dished at the front. I've only ever seen one that dished and she was a riding school horse who didn't seem to have any issues from it :/
 
I have never heard of dishing being improved by schooling or anything else.
I have never had a horse that dishes personally. It is something I always walk away from.
 
Yes it can be and I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't own it!

I viewed a horse a year past Nov and I didn't buy her because she dished horrifically and brushed behind.

I accidentally viewed her again not knowing it was the same horse June 2015 and this time she not only brushed and dished she was apparently unlevel and terrorised too.

So obviously I bought her (ha ha!).

This was in Nov 2014. You can see she paddles her whole shoulder out in this pic.

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I don't have any specific photos to show this so this is just a video still which shows the difference in her leg position. The photo isn't great nor is the angle but I've examined hours of video of her recently and she doesn't do it anything like before. This is after an extensive schooling, physio and strengthening programme over the last 8 months. She also no longer brushes to the same degree and I am hopeful with more work (she is a massive mover and still not in control of her body yet) this will resolve too. She doesn't need boots out hacking now, when I bought her she was causing her own legs to bleed she brushed so badly.

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Now all that said, an older established horse that dishes probably won't change whatever you do, but I would think a very weak young shire may do, with the correct work.

Just cos she is amazing and has come so far:

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Wow...she's GORGEOUS! !!
Thanks for the info. I've been reading up alot on conformation etc and it's fascinating to see how different issues can be overcome with the correct schooling and work.
Your mare looks fab :)
 
It is worth remembering that incorrect movement puts incorrect forces through the limb and foot balance is compromised, however it is very much horses for courses that must be considered when purchasing. A horse that would be doing a lot of hunting and road bashing would not want to dish, be toed in or out badly for instance.

Some horses will grow and strengthen and gradually improve with age. Carl Hester's Dolendo dished spectacularly but it didn't stop him getting to grand prix. I would not touch a badly moving horse but that is just personal preference and trying to avoid future unsoundness.
 
SatansLittleHelper said:
Just curious to see if anyone has a horse that dishes?
Is it an issue that can be allieviated by correct schooling? Can it be a really big problem?
I was watching a video of a big Shire x that was around 7 years old...it had no real schooling etc but seemed to be completely unaware of where all of its feet were and dished at the front. I've only ever seen one that dished and she was a riding school horse who didn't seem to have any issues from it :/
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My late horse dished just on the off fore, she did it all her life and it did not get worst or better over the years or with schooling. The only thing that might have been an issue is it might have been the reason why the laminitis only effected this foot incorrect placement when in contact on he ground.

It was noticeable but not in a major outward movement
 
My first eventer dished, and I mean in a comically exaggerated way! Mum used to say you could recognise George in a collecting ring from a distance by him waving to her, even without her glasses.

He did not improve at all, and was beautifully schooled. He was also sound through to Intermediate BE, and lived a long and healthy life.
 
Minor dishing can correct with training .
Poor farriery can make it worse and good foot balance can all but remove it .
Muscle issues can also cause straight moving horses to swing their limbs oddly giving the appearance of dishing or going Pigeon toed the bigger moving types are more likely to show this type of issue and the physio can help that .
I would not buy a horse with a severe dish I hate it , one of my ID's has a very minor dish on one foreleg as he's become physically more built up and straighter in his training it's hardly visible now .
My first event horse was ,like Red-1's horse, a comical disher she moved so badly you could not work out what the Incorrectness was her legs went in all directions and it looked like she might trip herself up she hunted into her mid twenties while one perfect beauifully correct young horse I bought was a soundness nightmare despite having every advantage in life .
 
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We had a shire cross that dished dreadfully as a youngster. I'm not sure what age he was when it disappeared, I'm certain he moved straight by 7yrs but had been ridden and schooled quite a lot by then.
He never had any problems with his joints or feet.
 
I always thought dishing was only a problem if the hoof is not then placed correctly on the ground, thus causing uneven strain on tendons and hoof structure. If the foot goes down normally, then the dishing is unimportant.
 
SatansLittleHelper said:
Wow...she's GORGEOUS! !!
Thanks for the info. I've been reading up alot on conformation etc and it's fascinating to see how different issues can be overcome with the correct schooling and work.
Your mare looks fab :)
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Thanks. She's growing on me lol. She still has a long way to go but considering I bought her thinking she was crocked physically and mentally, it's now becoming clear not only are all her issues now fixed, but also I've bought the most talented horse I've ever owned, literally by accident! I only bought her out of pity as a second horse to see what I could do with her with the idea of selling her on as a light hack, however she's going nowhere now. :).
 
AdorableAlice said:
Midday ?

The spanish horses all seem to dish. I suppose it is whatever is acceptable to the owner.
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my friends andalusian has a really bad dish to the point that when she is ridden in the school her feet touch the boards around the edges, I didn't know it was common in Spanish horses, you learn something everyday.
 
Yep, my mare dishes (although not severe). I noted it as a feature of her breed (Pottok). Interesting about the Spanish horses as the Pottoks although a very ancient breed are strongly related to the Spanish breeds. Never caused an issue. Very excited to meet her foal due early May too :) eeeee so excited!
 
Goldenstar said:
They says it's supposed to confuse the bulls !
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I'd heard that too but wasn't sure whether my leg was being pulled!

My friend's young Welsh D used to dish when she first got him, not terrible but quite noticeable. 18 months on, with careful farriery and patient, correct work, he's muscled up nicely and it's much less evident.
 
Our most successful SJ dishes (one leg only). He is now 20 and has never been lame. I don't think schooling has really made any difference. The only time it caused a problem was at a combined training years ago when the dressage judge disqualified him for lameness! He won a 1.20 class later that week... He also has incredible stamina and has done several long distance rides.
 
A lot of Spanish horses dish, however they (mainly) dish from the fetlock and not the knee (which is apparently better). And most of them will land with the hoof evenly so it doesn't really cause issues. My Spanish mare dishes but she lands straight and it causes her no issues.
 
Our WB dishes with his near side fore, like a paddle dish. He injured himself as a yearling putting his foot down a rabbit hole,causing a slight pigeon toe. This did not affect his performance but the eye was drawn to the dish. He has developed lower ringbone in the coffin joint in his off fore, likely to have been caused by years of overcompensating for the dish.
 
It's true at one time dishing was sought after in a spanish horse and unless you saw one that dished, it wasn't genuine! Thank goodness that has stopped however, it's still not a bad thing, its just viewed as "flashy".

Dishing is a huge problem if it affects the placement of the palmar hoof angle. Otherwise a bit of hypermobility is completely acceptable.

My mare dishes one foot. She "yoo-hoos" as I call it but that foot is not different to the other one and she has never been shod. Funny though.. if she tanks off at full pelt - there is no dishing! I think it's a poncement that some horse just have.
 
I worked with a young Italian horse that dished. He was eventing at novice level while I was there, and went onto represent Italy at the Europeans the year Zara won it. He still dished, but it didn't seem to hinder him!
 
I wish I could find a Spanish horse that dished! They are steadily "improving" this trait out of existence in pursuit of more sales to people who prefer straight movement (largely residing in the UK :-) The real old type of Spanish horse would fling legs in every direction; my type of horse. I've had many that did this, never a one has had any adverse effects. Horses with a lot of knee action tend to rotate the leg.
 
Thanks for all of the replies...very interesting. Im supposing that the impact the dishing has very much depends on the individual horse and its breeding, age etc?
I didn't know about the confusing the bulls thing either!!! :o
 
I do a lot of dressage writing, it is amazing the number of horses who dish, it is really noticeable whilst sitting in the judges car at C. I reckon the last show at least 50% of the horses had a dish of varying degrees.
 
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