problems caused by conformation faults

[hopo]

Hi all. I just wanted to ask, what are your experiences of problems youve had with your horses caused by conformational faults. Can be anything. Maybe you bought a horse for a specific purpose, i.e jumping but some conformational fault meant you had to stop jumping because it was damaging the horse. Or have you bought horses with specific conformational traits to suit specific purpose? I mean bone structure, angles etc. Or maybe you have found certain problems on different horses cropping up caused by the same conformational "faults". Any info much appreciated. Thanks

 

[LadyRascasse]

I brought a horse last year as an all rounder, he was fab we were having great fun jumping 1.20m at home competing in hunter trails etc. I changed jobs and could no longer afford him. So he went on loan, several months he went lame. Had a work up last week and it turns out the bones in his lower legs aren't straight which has caused problems within the leg. I can't explain it well so I won't try but it's potential life ending for him which is very sad as he is an amazing horse

 

[Arniebear]

My ex national hunt boy was very straight in the hocks, sadly i lost him last yr to significant suspensory damage from his racing days, vet said his conformation probably made it alot worse than the initial injury

 

[Goldenstar]

Twice I have forgiven a horse the fault of being slightly pidgeon toed because of their temperaments both times it caught me out I won't be doing that again .
I owned one horse with a low set on neck and she was a fab horse who did very well but it made her dressage hard for her so now I avoid that and croup high horses I would not even look at them.
I don't like horses with poor back conformation they start with a huge disadavantage .
You can buy horses minor weaknesses if you develop them well they are fine no horse ( that I could afford anyway ) is perfect .
So it's a question of thinking how will this horse fit in to my system .

 

[hopo]

Hi all. I just wanted to ask, what are your experiences of problems youve had with your horses caused by conformational faults. Can be anything. Maybe you bought a horse for a specific purpose, i.e jumping but some conformational fault meant you had to stop jumping because it was damaging the horse. Or have you bought horses with specific conformational traits to suit specific purpose? I mean bone structure, angles etc. Or maybe you have found certain problems on different horses cropping up caused by the same conformational "faults". Any info much appreciated. Thanks

I brought a horse last year as an all rounder, he was fab we were having great fun jumping 1.20m at home competing in hunter trails etc. I changed jobs and could no longer afford him. So he went on loan, several months he went lame. Had a work up last week and it turns out the bones in his lower legs aren't straight which has caused problems within the leg. I can't explain it well so I won't try but it's potential life ending for him which is very sad as he is an amazing horse

Ah im very sorry to hear this was there any way of spotting it before hand, did his legs look normal on the outside. Had he always had it unnoticed or did it develop? Do you know what caused it. Sorry for all the questions, i hope you dont mind. Just trying to learn more. I am very sorry though x

 

[hopo]

My ex national hunt boy was very straight in the hocks, sadly i lost him last yr to significant suspensory damage from his racing days, vet said his conformation probably made it alot worse than the initial injury

Im sorry for your loss Gotta say, id be worried buying an ex racer because of the damage racing does. Did straight hocks cause too much strain on his ligaments for racing?

 

[hopo]

Twice I have forgiven a horse the fault of being slightly pidgeon toed because of their temperaments both times it caught me out I won't be doing that again .
I owned one horse with a low set on neck and she was a fab horse who did very well but it made her dressage hard for her so now I avoid that and croup high horses I would not even look at them.
I don't like horses with poor back conformation they start with a huge disadavantage .
You can buy horses minor weaknesses if you develop them well they are fine no horse ( that I could afford anyway ) is perfect .
So it's a question of thinking how will this horse fit in to my system .

What happened with the pidgeon toed ones. Was it very minor pidgeon toe? The low neck one, is that because she had trouble holding herself up and wanted to be more on the forehand? When you say croup high, do you mean higher than withers? And why? Thanks!

 

[EffyCorsten]

My loan horse has long sloping pasterns so he finds steep hills very difficult so you have to get off and walk him down and he can't be jumped. But I still want to buy him even though he will likely have issues later on in life but he's my best friend. I've always been pretty cutthroat when it comes to poor conformation but there's always one that will get you, I love him to death and I'm a fool!

 

[Arniebear]

Im sorry for your loss Gotta say, id be worried buying an ex racer because of the damage racing does. Did straight hocks cause too much strain on his ligaments for racing?

Haha i didnt want an ex racer either!!! Yeah its put strain on tendons and ligaments add that to the high level of work at a young age and the outcome is generally not good

 

[hopo]

My loan horse has long sloping pasterns so he finds steep hills very difficult so you have to get off and walk him down and he can't be jumped. But I still want to buy him even though he will likely have issues later on in life but he's my best friend. I've always been pretty cutthroat when it comes to poor conformation but there's always one that will get you, I love him to death and I'm a fool!

Haha i know what you mean, sometimes it just doesnt matter! And if you only want to hack its not so much strain. Does he only find it difficult downhill?

 

[hopo]

Haha i didnt want an ex racer either!!! Yeah its put strain on tendons and ligaments add that to the high level of work at a young age and the outcome is generally not good

Ah, did you not mean to get him? Just sort of happened?! Would you say he would have been alright if he hadnt raced even with his conformation?

 

[EffyCorsten]

He doesn't cope as well as others uphill but it doesn't bother him but he's very careful in deep mud so.I think he finds balance a bit harder. He needs a very balanced sympathetic rider and he goes wonderfully we are a good little team but I am constantly worrying about his future his confo is very bad he's 8 now and I honestly don't know how long his ridden life will last and I have no idea if he will make old bones. He has a bit of a starch intolerance too so can't have lovely summer grass or yummy treats. He breaks my heart

I have to add he's totally sound and very happy in life and we work closely with the farrier to make sure it stays that way but I wouldn't ever recommend anyone buy a horse with such poor confo go with your head and walk away before you fall in love. Far too much worrying, heartache, limitations and money.

 

[LeannePip]

conformational wise mine isnt horrific and is acctually quite nice to look at but she is quite straight through the stifle becaus eof this she has locking stifles which now seem to be causing more problems - just about to start investigations :/

 

[hopo]

He doesn't cope as well as others uphill but it doesn't bother him but he's very careful in deep mud so.I think he finds balance a bit harder. He needs a very balanced sympathetic rider and he goes wonderfully we are a good little team but I am constantly worrying about his future his confo is very bad he's 8 now and I honestly don't know how long his ridden life will last and I have no idea if he will make old bones. He has a bit of a starch intolerance too so can't have lovely summer grass or yummy treats. He breaks my heart

I have to add he's totally sound and very happy in life and we work closely with the farrier to make sure it stays that way but I wouldn't ever recommend anyone buy a horse with such poor confo go with your head and walk away before you fall in love. Far too much worrying, heartache, limitations and money.

Aw poor boy! Thats sad for you both, must make things hard. Do carrots, apples contain much starch? I didnt think they would. Thanks for the advice, ill make sure i have a clear head when buying. I dont suppose you have pics of his pasterns?

 

[hopo]

conformational wise mine isnt horrific and is acctually quite nice to look at but she is quite straight through the stifle becaus eof this she has locking stifles which now seem to be causing more problems - just about to start investigations :/

Oh no! We have a pony who has this. Hes had it since young. Hes about 5 or so now and he barely gets it. Gets it more in cold weather or if hes stood round lots. Once walking hes fine and hes ridden. He just sort of grew out of it. He is quite cow hocked. How old is yours? Iv heard you can have op done but was worried about risks

 

[EffyCorsten]

Aw poor boy! Thats sad for you both, must make things hard. Do carrots, apples contain much starch? I didnt think they would. Thanks for the advice, ill make sure i have a clear head when buying. I dont suppose you have pics of his pasterns?

Very sugary. I feed him a very low sugar/starch diet to keep him from scouring but getting weight and topline up is damn near impossible. I will go and some pics now for you.

 

[Izzwall]

My first horse had the worst conformation I have ever seen, was never suitable as a first horse and almost killed me a few times (used to blind bolt on a busy road on the wrong side!) but managed to sort his issues out with a bit of help and he turned into the most gentlest horse, fab ride and was my best friend. He then started bolting again so had the vet out where he was diagnosed with possible kissing spines caused by his sway back. He then started getting problems in his hind legs as his hocks were very straight, so I had to make the hard decision of putting him to sleep. He was such a gorgeous horse and I still miss him like mad. Plus you don't see many Irish draught x thoroughbred palominos very often! He was only 14 years old....



Hope the pics work!
If not here's a link
http://s1145.photobucket.com/user/Izzwall/media/image_zps78b35cd3.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
http://s1145.photobucket.com/user/Izzwall/media/image_zps421b8283.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

GrayMo is slightly upright through his front legs with longer pasterns than you would normally be happy with. As a racehorse he did both front tendons - one once the other twice, the second time of which he blew the tendon in half so he now has a banana leg but he is a show horse so will never need to jump huge jumps again. He also wont get to go for yeehaas across the beach or round stubble fields but he likes being a ponce lol!

 

[EffyCorsten]

Sorry about them being sideways they uploaded to my profile like that :/

 

[EffyCorsten]

GrayMo is slightly upright through his front legs with longer pasterns than you would normally be happy with. As a racehorse he did both front tendons - one once the other twice, the second time of which he blew the tendon in half so he now has a banana leg but he is a show horse so will never need to jump huge jumps again. He also wont get to go for yeehaas across the beach or round stubble fields but he likes being a ponce lol!

He is handsome! Looks very tall.

 

[hopo]

My first horse had the worst conformation I have ever seen, was never suitable as a first horse and almost killed me a few times (used to blind bolt on a busy road on the wrong side!) but managed to sort his issues out with a bit of help and he turned into the most gentlest horse, fab ride and was my best friend. He then started bolting again so had the vet out where he was diagnosed with possible kissing spines caused by his sway back. He then started getting problems in his hind legs as his hocks were very straight, so I had to make the hard decision of putting him to sleep. He was such a gorgeous horse and I still miss him like mad. Plus you don't see many Irish draught x thoroughbred palominos very often! He was only 14 years old....



Hope the pics work!
If not here's a link
http://s1145.photobucket.com/user/Izzwall/media/image_zps78b35cd3.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
http://s1145.photobucket.com/user/Izzwall/media/image_zps421b8283.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

Hes very pretty! Did you have him long?

 

[hopo]

GrayMo is slightly upright through his front legs with longer pasterns than you would normally be happy with. As a racehorse he did both front tendons - one once the other twice, the second time of which he blew the tendon in half so he now has a banana leg but he is a show horse so will never need to jump huge jumps again. He also wont get to go for yeehaas across the beach or round stubble fields but he likes being a ponce lol!

He looks sweet! I like his face. Blimey, both tendons! Do you find with upright pasterns it can be more jarring?

 

[hopo]

Sorry about them being sideways they uploaded to my profile like that :/

No problem. I see what you mean, they are quite steep!

 

[Arniebear]

Ah, did you not mean to get him? Just sort of happened?! Would you say he would have been alright if he hadnt raced even with his conformation?

erm think naivety on my part tbh!!! he was advertised as an irish x i went i saw him i rode him i fell in love with him, he came home! i didnt vet him, i didnt even see his passport until the day he arrived.... bit of a give away when it says gallop on the front of it in big letters!!! but all i can say about him is he was the most forgiving horse ive ever had the privilege of owning and i may not have had him long (18 months of which 9 of that was off with injury) i gave him the best last 18 months of his life! he was fat happy and not being passed from dealer to dealer. so i learnt my lesson and will also vet check and passport check before a horse comes home with me! but i dont regret any of it and he didnt cost me that much!!

 

[hopo]

erm think naivety on my part tbh!!! he was advertised as an irish x i went i saw him i rode him i fell in love with him, he came home! i didnt vet him, i didnt even see his passport until the day he arrived.... bit of a give away when it says gallop on the front of it in big letters!!! but all i can say about him is he was the most forgiving horse ive ever had the privilege of owning and i may not have had him long (18 months of which 9 of that was off with injury) i gave him the best last 18 months of his life! he was fat happy and not being passed from dealer to dealer. so i learnt my lesson and will also vet check and passport check before a horse comes home with me! but i dont regret any of it and he didnt cost me that much!!

Haha i see. Just one of those things. You were obviously meant to have him to end his days happy and looked after and you learnt from it for the future! Nice way for him to live his last months, you obviously loved him

 

[Izzwall]

Hes very pretty! Did you have him long?

I had him 2 years, had him pts in 2009, he also had an abnormally large rib cage so no matter how much weight he had he always looked ribby which meant I got labelled the horse abuser of the village!
He looked like two different horses glued together!
Will try posting pics again, hopefully this time it'll work!



Can anyone tell me how to load pics again? I used to know how to do it but it looks like HHO have changed the way you do it since the last time I did it!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

He looks sweet! I like his face. Blimey, both tendons! Do you find with upright pasterns it can be more jarring?

Yes he rides like a jackhammer! He does have lovely long floating paces when he isn't being a twit so it's 50/50 which horse you get but that's just him.

He is 17hh but quite narrow.

 

[Gloi]

My beastie's front legs have some deviation at the knee, making him a bit knock kneed. This causes him to plait a bit and wear the outside wall of his feet a lot more than the inside which has caused a lot of problems with shoes wearing out really quickly. I have him booted or barefoot now and his feet have adapted to some extent putting down thicker walls on the outside.
Although it looks like it would cause problems he's been regularly ridden for over 20 years now and has never had any lameness that wasn't caused by fighting or standing on nails. He's 25 now and still fit as a flea.

 

[hopo]

I had him 2 years, had him pts in 2009, he also had an abnormally large rib cage so no matter how much weight he had he always looked ribby which meant I got labelled the horse abuser of the village!
He looked like two different horses glued together!
Will try posting pics again, hopefully this time it'll work!



Can anyone tell me how to load pics again? I used to know how to do it but it looks like HHO have changed the way you do it since the last time I did it!

My mum had that problem. Had a ex race horse with bad legs who couldnt have too much weight on and he was a big horse. Kept getting hassle! And lol weve got a little pony and he looks like hes got different parts from different horses! Hes quite small but has a cob size head, short neck same length as his head, big body, scrawny legs! But i think hes handsome!

 

[hopo]

Yes he rides like a jackhammer! He does have lovely long floating paces when he isn't being a twit so it's 50/50 which horse you get but that's just him.

He is 17hh but quite narrow.

Haha bet that hurts trotting on roads! I suppose it also depends how they carry themselves affects it. He is very good looking