Straight Hocks - Would it put you off?

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Dyllymoo

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A friend of mine is looking to buy a 15.2hh cob gelding who is lovely, very green but very sweet and loves hacking.

She had him vetted and the vet did say he was great in every other way but to note he had straight hocks which could affect jumping in the future. Vet did say "but he is only for mainly hacking isn't he" and whilst this is true for now friend did say she wanted to do some riding club things with him when he was a bit older.

Vet said it would be fine.

Looking at his ad the seller does say ".... an absolutely brilliant hack and would be super for sponsored rides, beach rides or just trekking through the countryside"....

I might be a worrier but I'm concerned there is something that someone is not saying, i.e. does he have something wrong that makes him just a happy hack that is to do with his hocks?

What would you do if it was you? I don't want to worry my friend but from my rubbish experiences its hard for me to be positive!
 
It depends how straight (presumably not AQHA straight), and the rest of the hind leg really. Quite a lot of cobs are relatively straight behind and do just fine, it can predispose to certain issues but often later along. It isn't something that would particularly concern me but then I'm used to welshies :p
 
Or really straight like this?

4348730031_e74ee4f306_o.jpg


LOL ester, we both went to the post legged QH! :D
 
It's a probability game. A horse with straight hocks isn't guaranteed to go lame or suffer from early arthritis any more than one with perfect conformation is guaranteed to stay sound for its whole career. However, if you buy a horse with good conformation, you're increasing the likelihood that it will withstand the work you're doing with it.
 
Honestly I dont remember looking at them that much so they probably weren't massively obviously straight if that makes sense?

Only photo I took wont upload and isnt great anyway!
 
Now that QH has really straight hocks but generally a bit straighter than ideal wouldn't bother me too much if the overall conformation was OK and the horse moved well. Mr B was a bit straight in the hocks but when I lost him to colic at 17 he was sound as a pound.
 
One of my TB's is a bit straight through the hock and it didn't stop him flying over chase fences (When he remembered to put his landing gear out ...) So no, a little bit straight wouldn't worry me in the slightest. Gray has been one of the soundest horses I have ever had all things considered!
 
I've got a straight hocked mare, who showjumped up to 1.20 and was incredibly fast, although we didn't overcomoete her. Unfotunately, now she's 17, she is lame with arthritis, which is in her hocks and her back. The vets think it's unsurprising, given her conformation.
 
Thanks all. I will climb off my panic box and not stress so much. He is a lovely boy as well so hopefully she will have lots of fun with him :)
 
Regandal said:
My boy also has straight hocks and has had psd.
There’s a study somewhere that suggests a connection between angle of the hock and psd.
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Unfortunately I didn't find this out until it was too late. Of course there could be many factors but it's one I won't risk again .
 
I'm really sorry, since it's already been bought, but I wouldn't touch a horse with too straight hind legs. There are far too many PSD diagnoses being linked to straight hocked horses doing arena work for me to risk it.

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i bought my mare at 15 months and didnt notice that her hocks were a bit straighter than ideal....i just found it was harder for her to take the weight behind when doing dressage, didnt affect her jumping at all, if fact she was a talented jumper....i did lots of riding club level stuff,dressage,sj and xc and she was always sound. i lost her at 24 with a stifle injury and she was still being hacked out at age 23 with no problems.....so unless your friend has higher expectations than riding club level and the vet is happy , all sounds ok...
 
I'm obviously aware of the PSD issue with straighter hocks, and that it will predispose but I think there are also a lot of straighter hocked cobs out there doing ok we just don't hear about it when things aren't broken. Totally understand those who have had issues avoiding though.

I certainly don't think there has been anything unsaid by the buyer in their advert
 
I do think that the issue is straight hocks and arena work, rather than straight hocks per se. Party Politics managed win a Grad National with appallingly straight back legs. It wasn't until we started doing so much arena work that the straight hock issues became so noticeable. But I love my arena work and have cut right down on hacking, so they're a big no for me in a horse to buy.

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ycbm said:
I do think that the issue is straight hocks and arena work, rather than straight hocks per se. Party Politics managed win a Grad National with appallingly straight back legs. It wasn't until we started doing so much arena work that the straight hock issues became so noticeable. But I love my arena work and have cut right down on hacking, so they're a big no for me in a horse to buy.

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That's interesting. I have been told that my mare (post 2) has straighter than ideal hocks by people who know far more about conformation than I do. She's been a very sound horse though (bar a few hoof abscesses) and is now in her early 20's. However most of the work she has done has been hacking.
 
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