Nudibranch
Well-Known Member
Do you think TB types are more prone to leg problems?
Poll about legs!
- Thread starter Nudibranch
- Start date
Eaglestone
Well-Known Member
I said yes, although more 'foot' problems in my case
Apalacia01
Well-Known Member
I thought you were going to ask how many legs your horse has! Mine has 3 normally...two on a bad day...
Haniki
Well-Known Member
I think part of the reason is the TB types are often the competition horses whose legs are put under greater pressure. My old TB is 25 years old and has never had any leg trouble. She raced a bit, teamchased a bit and did alot of long distance riding, hunting and riding club stuff. She is now a happy hacker. She does however have fairly good conformation other than being a little long in the back.
Storminateacup
Well-Known Member
I did a lot of research back in 2001 on factors influencing disease in human bone and found that many of the principles in the development of pathology are also found in other mammals such as dogs and horses
Therefore my opinion is this, the more bone a horse has, the greater the surface area available for wear and tear. Therefore more bone, 9 + = generally speaking,the greater chance for
long term soundness. This is notwithstanding the problems associated with body mass i.e. overweight and poor conformation.
However, TB bone density is generally considered very good, and bone density is important factor in soundness.
TBs often, unfortunately have thin soles - hence problems with concussion but it seems to show up more in crosses than purebred TBs, at least from my experience.
Horses that have huge amount of bone and are not overgrowers of bone in the presence of inflammatory process, may not develop sidebones. Those that produce bone in inflammatory processes may get such ailments as sidebones and ringbone.
Often a lot of unsoundness problems in crosses like ID/TB types due to large bone size (ID factors) and TB characteristics (thin soles).
In humans, people below a certain height, think its about 5ft 4in, are more at risk of getting osteoporosis.
Horses that are very large 16.2 + with low bone size seem to have more lower limb problems.
Seems to me that the best thing for soundness is pick a normal sized horse ( say up to 16.1hh) with the most correct conformation you can find and largest bone size for the type.
( Big legs, lightweight body)
Failing that choose a purebred Arab or TB or maybe even the Andalusian, Spanish types that are bred to run on hard ground. These seem to be built for any job and are the toughest horses I 've ever come across.
Written from the point of a Biologist and a Forensic Archaeologist.
This is only a research based opinion, not fact.
Therefore my opinion is this, the more bone a horse has, the greater the surface area available for wear and tear. Therefore more bone, 9 + = generally speaking,the greater chance for
long term soundness. This is notwithstanding the problems associated with body mass i.e. overweight and poor conformation.
However, TB bone density is generally considered very good, and bone density is important factor in soundness.
TBs often, unfortunately have thin soles - hence problems with concussion but it seems to show up more in crosses than purebred TBs, at least from my experience.
Horses that have huge amount of bone and are not overgrowers of bone in the presence of inflammatory process, may not develop sidebones. Those that produce bone in inflammatory processes may get such ailments as sidebones and ringbone.
Often a lot of unsoundness problems in crosses like ID/TB types due to large bone size (ID factors) and TB characteristics (thin soles).
In humans, people below a certain height, think its about 5ft 4in, are more at risk of getting osteoporosis.
Horses that are very large 16.2 + with low bone size seem to have more lower limb problems.
Seems to me that the best thing for soundness is pick a normal sized horse ( say up to 16.1hh) with the most correct conformation you can find and largest bone size for the type.
( Big legs, lightweight body)
Failing that choose a purebred Arab or TB or maybe even the Andalusian, Spanish types that are bred to run on hard ground. These seem to be built for any job and are the toughest horses I 've ever come across.
Written from the point of a Biologist and a Forensic Archaeologist.
This is only a research based opinion, not fact.
Box_Of_Frogs
Well-Known Member
My friend has a TB who is always having leg problems but it's tendons, not bones.
Baggybreeches
Well-Known Member
I put not sure, when I really meant not really.
I have one TB was is a hard as nails and apart from the odd knock or injury (probably 3 in as many years) he hunts, jumps and hacks on all ground, but I wouldnt run him xc on baked ground.
My other TB is a wuss, he has no pain threshold at all, and has quite flat feet, and so I have decided not to aim him at eventing, he will be a RC or BSJA ride.
That said neither of them is as much trouble as some horses I know (warmbloods, and expensive ones at that!)
I have one TB was is a hard as nails and apart from the odd knock or injury (probably 3 in as many years) he hunts, jumps and hacks on all ground, but I wouldnt run him xc on baked ground.
My other TB is a wuss, he has no pain threshold at all, and has quite flat feet, and so I have decided not to aim him at eventing, he will be a RC or BSJA ride.
That said neither of them is as much trouble as some horses I know (warmbloods, and expensive ones at that!)
Fransurrey
Well-Known Member
I voted no, after comparing them like-for-like with another breed with the same work-load. You will find more TBs with leg problems, but that's because they're still the horse of choice for the more strenuous activities and quite often they're the ones found stabled/turned out for shorter periods. I've known TBs used for hacking/light competitions and they're as sound as the next horse.
conniegirl
Well-Known Member
I must say that compared to my native ponies, the TB is deffinately more accident prone.
with the native ponies i tended to see the vet once a year for vaccines, now i have a tb ive seen the very soooo often. In the first 2 weeks of having him we saw the vet 3 times. He also seems to have absolutely useless feet.
And whilst playing with one of my natives in a flat field he seems to have done some damage to a tendon. and he has also thrown a splint for some unknown reason (not been exercised enough for it to be concussion from road work)
Im not going to have anouther Tb. i'll stick to my native ponies who all have perfectly clean legs (the youngest is 18 years old and has nopt been molly coddled, the oldest is 28 and has been on all PC teams including eventing, mounted games, showjumping and fairly high level dressage) and the only problem ive ever had with thier legs was when one got a kick to a hock in a warm up ring, he recovered 3 weeks later and it has not been a problem since.
with the native ponies i tended to see the vet once a year for vaccines, now i have a tb ive seen the very soooo often. In the first 2 weeks of having him we saw the vet 3 times. He also seems to have absolutely useless feet.
And whilst playing with one of my natives in a flat field he seems to have done some damage to a tendon. and he has also thrown a splint for some unknown reason (not been exercised enough for it to be concussion from road work)
Im not going to have anouther Tb. i'll stick to my native ponies who all have perfectly clean legs (the youngest is 18 years old and has nopt been molly coddled, the oldest is 28 and has been on all PC teams including eventing, mounted games, showjumping and fairly high level dressage) and the only problem ive ever had with thier legs was when one got a kick to a hock in a warm up ring, he recovered 3 weeks later and it has not been a problem since.
amandathepanda
Well-Known Member
TB's tend to be more accident prone but this i think is because they are finer skinned and generally wimpier than native types. Most of the TB's I have had much to do with are retired racers who had it pretty tough on the race track but are sounder than a lot of 'normal' horses. I don't consider the usual scapes incurred in the field to be leg problems, these are just minor injuries and in my book a leg problem is something relating to bones/joints/tendons. Remember a horses conformation can make it more prone to leg problems too - often middle weight types will get nasties like navicular because they have chunky bodies with legs that can't always take the weight of the horse and rider and cope with the concussion caused by a normal working life. I have seen lots of WB dressage horses with degenerative changes in their joints, it isn't just TB types.