Mare's back shape concerns! Roached? Sway? High withered?

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Charla

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Hello,

could someone please tell me how to post photos?

I bought an unbacked 6 year old mare late last year - bred a foal at 4, remained with breeder ever since and left untouched in a field.
When I viewed her, I was wow'd by her movement, and her temperament was just lovely. She's also beautifully bred for showjumping, although is small considering her breeding. She was fat and hairy and I viewed her in a field (no facilities), had a good look at her and couldn't see any issues. Didn't get her vetted. For the price I paid, decided to take a punt.

I sent her off to be professionally backed, she was not a problem, other than a little nervous from such little life experience. She then came home and has been foot perfect ever since. She had dropped a fair bit of weight since she had started work. It was then very clear she had a high wither, but also a bony couple of prominent lumps along the spine towards her hind quarters.

I have had no issues with her ridden wise. She has been a saint. Hacks alone and in company, not spooky, working well in the school, has a fab bascule jump. I haven't done loads over the winter, but will be upping the work load now.
She has really active hind movement and a huge stride for a 15.1/2hh. She's working beautifully in the walk and trot, the canter, she is struggling to collect, however I put that down to lack of muscle and strength to be able to at this stage, especially when the canter is so big.

The more I look at her back, the more I am now thinking she is slightly roach backed. The seller and the guy who backed her, said she had a dipped back from having a foal and then no muscle. However I am more concerned about the bony, prominent spine which curves upwards toward her hind, leading me to think she is actually roach backed as well as high withered. She just doesn't look normal shaped. I have an oesteo out for her tomorrow, so will see what she says. I may well be wrong so am looking for opinions.

If someone could tell me how to post photos, then could you guys give your opinion?

Thanks
 
Got Facebook? Post the pic on there, open it, click on it, press copy, post resulting code between this, no spaces
 
With that success, I shall post the rest!

So the first was her advert photo, the only one showing her back.

Next is one of her after being in work for a couple of months......

30127187_163489081136422_1460479811792177909_n.jpg


Photo I found of her online with her foal (I believe she was a 4 year old here with the breeding at foal grading...
30127698_163489041136426_8023237342302402131_n.jpg
 
My rising 4 yr old looks very similar to your gorgeous girl! I was concerned how short coupled mine was, and she then pulled both front shoes off in two days in the field! A well respected trainer commented how nice it was to see a mare that wasnt overly long in the back, Im hoping he was right lol x
 
I’m glad someone else said this! I thought she was short coupled for a mare who’s had a foal.

What has the saddler said? I would definitely get a saddle fitted.
 
Louby said:
My rising 4 yr old looks very similar to your gorgeous girl! I was concerned how short coupled mine was, and she then pulled both front shoes off in two days in the field! A well respected trainer commented how nice it was to see a mare that wasnt overly long in the back, Im hoping he was right lol x
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Funnily enough my trainer has also commented on how nice it is to see such a short backed mare, as so many are far too long these days! So who knows!
 
There are more people on here that have probably got a better eye than me but just looking at the pic you've be posted, do you mean where the camera is showing lighter patches on her back? I can't really see if she has a slight crest but could it be the rememants of fat pads as she's been overweight? I've had a mare who was very overweight and the fat pads remained behind the saddle for a long time once the weight was dropped and gave her the appearance of a sway back and we had to use corrective pads to make sure the saddle fitted.
 
ester said:
I'd think she has highish withers and slight lordosis (sway) but no reason it should affect her, other than I wouldn't breed her again.

You should probably see this guy, who is 18 and still jumping at a level most of us would only dream of :p

https://www.facebook.com/TarrStepsS...7005898804312/511465855691646/?type=3&theater
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Thanks for your reply. Her foal sold for 15k in Germany - but no, I would never breed a horse. If I wanted a foal, I would buy what I was looking for. Thanks for your advice though.
 
Ruby's Mum said:
Scrap my reply, I can now see more photos than just the first. She's lovely by the way.
Click to expand...

Thank you. They are possibly the worst photos I could find of her to show her in her worst possible light, to gain critical views (I know just how they can be on here lol). I may just post some showing her good points before she gets too attacked! Thanks again :)
 
Her back profile is unfortunate/awkward but there is something about her I really like.
I suppose you will just make best friends with the saddler :D
 
looks like she is doing just fine then, she has a lovely face and the rest of her isn't too bad. The advantage of it being her back is no one would know when you are on her either.
 
One of my Arab geldings has a very similar shape back it looked worse when he was young and weak his 14 now and it looks so much better now it has the correct muscle there, he did have 6 months box rest and it did drop off and everything sort of went south but it came back quite quickly once he was back in work, I am just very aware of saddle fit and check it all the time because of his shape and I don't let anyone over 10 stone ride him.

Your horse looks like she is working really well in the pictures your aware of her shape so your doing the right thing by her I think that's all you can do Really.
 
Charla said:
Haha the saddler is stabled at my yard so on hand for her forever changing shape :)
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Excellent I owned one horse where my oh asked if the saddler was living with us because they where here so often .
I would be doing a lot of pole work on the lunge but moving with the horse so you use the whole school not going round and round in one place .
If you can find a acpat registered Physio with an interest in rehab and polework it would be a great investment to have a couple of sessions with them to show you what exercises to do and what to watch when your doing them .
It’s the back the horse has so you have to educate yourself to make the most of her and develop her to be the best she can be .
The good news is that work Is never wasted you have it in your head to use on all the other horses who come your way .
 
Charla said:
Thank you. They are possibly the worst photos I could find of her to show her in her worst possible light, to gain critical views (I know just how they can be on here lol). I may just post some showing her good points before she gets too attacked! Thanks again :)
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I don’t think there’s any need. General consensus seems to be that she’s a lovely mare and if she were mine I’d accept she’s just a funny shape and be pleased I’d bagged such a bargain! You have a good eye for quality :)
 
Honetsly? She's gorgeous and I wouldn't worry about her shape :D She looks exactly my type! You seem to be aware of her shape and no doubt it will change further as you develop your partnership. Enjoy your pony :)
 
With a bit of good long low work to build up muscle she’ll look better and muscle up more. The worst thing you can do for her is let her get into a habit of head in back down so just make sure you’re aware of how to make her really work from behind and enguage her core. She looks really nice I think you got a gem :) she reminds me a lot of my friends mare who was still competing at 30!
 
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