Spinoff - Blemishes

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Halfstep

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What would you accept, and what would be a no go? Splints? Thoroughpins? Curbs? Capped hocks? Sarcoids?
And would you always expect to pay a reduced price for a horse with a blemish? Or would an excellent competition record and a clean vetting override your concerns?

Just curious really!!!
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I'd really like to know if its totally unacceptable to show a horse that has a splint. Just local shows, my new horse would make a lovely hunter, but he has a splint. Any views please?
 
Some judges showing dont mind splints, some do.
I might accept a splint if the rest of the horse is perfect.
However i wouldnt buy a youngster with any blemishes.
 
I was told that blemishes are only part of the picture showing wise!!

Obviously its important not to be a walking catologue of problems, but if you had two horses and one was miles ahead of the other but had a blemish, it would still be deemed better than a crappy blemish free one (but then I suppose that is obvious really)
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At local level, unless you are surrounded by pot hunters and their perfect steeds (who maybe should not be there anyway) Then everybody is going to have something to pick at.

Otherwise they would all be at HOYS or similar.
 
I think the only 'blemish' I would think twice about is sarcoids as although some are trouble free and respond to treatment some can be really troublesome.
I used to have a very pretty Anglo with quite badly scared legs, with make up we covered them and it never effected her showing. She did have black legs though.
 
I would think twice about sarcoids too. I had a mare who had a nasty sarcoid on her side. It cost a fortune to have treated and left a scar.......but then again it didn't prevent her from doing her job (dressage horse).....

I understand that in show horses blemishes are important. But what about eventers/sj/dressage horses?
 
I wouldn't choose to buy a horse with splints, thoroughpins, curbs or capped hocks. I have no issue with buying some horses with sarcoids as have had a number who have had them and they were pretty simple to get rid of.....of course it would depend on how many sarcoids, what type, where they were situated and how badly affected the horse was with them.
 
My mare has a few blemishes, (tiny splint, tiny sarcoid under her front leg, and scars on her legs from getting stuck in pig netting before i got her) and because my vet (whom i trust entirely)gave her a clean vetting be still bought her.

So if the horse has blemishes but a vet gives it a clean vetting then it wouldn't overly worry me. But then again i don't show so maybe i'm not as bothered as some may be.
 
i'm not too bothered by splints, depending on size, location ans age of horse...
curbs are a no no, and i wouldn't buy a horse with sarcoids or capped hocks, scars depends on size, location and hideability!
at the end of the day it depends on what you want to do with the horse, unless showing at top/county level i don't think blemishes matter too much......
 
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I'd really like to know if its totally unacceptable to show a horse that has a splint. Just local shows, my new horse would make a lovely hunter, but he has a splint. Any views please?

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some judges don't mind, some judges mark down, you'll just have to get out there and try! one of mine has a splint due to galloping around the field in summer - i refuse to wrap mine in cotton wool and have them locked in a box all day....she has been placed in good company splint and all!
 
Interesting how many people say no to capped hocks. They are normally the only purely cosmetic (depending how they have been caused!) blemish. Mine has a wopper of a splint, wouldnt bother me buying another one with one, aslong as was fully checked out. Same with everything tbh!!
 
my old pony had a massive splint on his front fore, and we did workers with him. we won or got placed in nearly all of the whp classes we entered, and he always got good conformation marks even though he is conformationaly challenged (think of a crocodile - short legs long body
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got enough points in 3 months to go to dublin horse show, and that was without travelling the country - we stayed up north!

however, would not buy a horse with capped hocks if i was going to show it - it is considered a major fault in hunter classes. my friend (who bought my pony coincidently for her son
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) has won numerous times at RDS and then her 5 year old who had won the previous year, was placed down the line because of a capped hock!
 
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