Swayback in a 2 year old..how noticeable?

[loulabelle]

I had a comment today that my rising 2 year old is swaybacked and I just wondered if he was how noticeable would it actually be on a constantly growing younster?
Admittidly he is very bum high (currently 2 inches higher than his withers) and he has had 2 big growth spurts in the year I've owned him (going from 12.3 to 13.3 in that time). His withers always seem to take an age to start levelling up and and once they get near his bum then shoots up again.
Its not something I have ever considered him as to me he just looks out of proportion like most youngsters do but I've now started to worry myself
The pictures below are of on pretty even ground, his still bum high in both but they are the best pictures I can fine where he is standing anywhere near square. (sorry if they are massive just though it would be easier to tell if I didnt reduce their size)

 

[Spring Feather]

It is often around the 2 year old stage that lordosis shows itself more readily. I know there haven't been too many studies done on lordosis but what there is out there tends to have the viewpoint that swaybacked horses can live a life comparable to horses with good backs. You have to be careful with choosing a saddle which will take the riders load more evenly, rather than just buying an off the shelf saddle which could cause problems as it bears down on just a few certain points on the back.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Have you got any photos of when he has been fairly level. The first pic doesn't look too bad but the second does look really out of proportion. I assume given the coat the second one is older than the first tho, so he is more in proportion now than he was then?

 

[loulabelle]

It is often around the 2 year old stage that lordosis shows itself more readily. I know there haven't been too many studies done on lordosis but what there is out there tends to have the viewpoint that swaybacked horses can live a life comparable to horses with good backs. You have to be careful with choosing a saddle which will take the riders load more evenly, rather than just buying an off the shelf saddle which could cause problems as it bears down on just a few certain points on the back.

The thing is my friend hasn't seen him since before christmas she has made the comment as every time she has seem him he has been noticeably bum high, all I see whe I look at him is an out of proportion younster which I 'm hoping others will agree

It is good to know if it is the case that he will still be rideable tho

 

[loulabelle]

Have you got any photos of when he has been fairly level. The first pic doesn't look too bad but the second does look really out of proportion. I assume given the coat the second one is older than the first tho, so he is more in proportion now than he was then?

Yeah the first picture is early last year and the 2nd picture later on in the summer. There is probably about an inch difference in bum and wither at the minute although I cant seem to find any recent pictures where he isn't in a rug or on un even ground

 

[Aarrghimpossiblepony]

I think the person who said that was talking out of their swaybacked a*se.

Why do horse people do this to other horse people? Make some pronouncement about what they think and months/years later when proved wrong will have completely "forgotten" what they said and you still hear them spouting to somebody else.

Found this interesting article.

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/anatomy/swaybacks_081205/

I don't know if your horse is swaybacked, but I am pretty sure the person who said he was to you, doesn't either.

 

[Spring Feather]

The thing is my friend hasn't seen him since before christmas she has made the comment as every time she has seem him he has been noticeably bum high, all I see whe I look at him is an out of proportion younster which I 'm hoping others will agree

It is good to know if it is the case that he will still be rideable tho

You'd have to look it up but there used to be an old nagsman way of working it out where you put some duct tape running from withers to point of the croup. Then you measure down to the dip in the back. I don't remember the exact figures but it's something like if it's more than 2 inches (which it looks like it easily is with your horse) then you are looking at a horse with lordosis. The old method was to measure this area regularly to give an idea of just how much of a swayback the horse was likely to end up with.

I don't breed cobs, I breed AQHAs and WBs, and none have dips like you are seeing with your little guy. As I say, you need to check up on all the ins and outs of swayback as it's been years since I've done any reading about it, but from what I know, most don't have any (or many) problems in the ridden world.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Yeah the first picture is early last year and the 2nd picture later on in the summer. There is probably about an inch difference in bum and wither at the minute although I cant seem to find any recent pictures where he isn't in a rug or on un even ground

He's a really lovely horse, what height do you expect him to make? I hope he levels up.

 

[Vanner]

first picture just shows a lovely youngster that is just up at the bum, second one does seem to show the start of swayback. However, you are better to ask your vet if you are worried.

 

[loulabelle]

I think the person who said that was talking out of their swaybacked a*se.

Why do horse people do this to other horse people? Make some pronouncement about what they think and months/years later when proved wrong will have completely "forgotten" what they said and you still hear them spouting to somebody else.

Found this interesting article.

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/anatomy/swaybacks_081205/

I don't know if your horse is swaybacked, but I am pretty sure the person who said he was to you, doesn't either.

Thanks you, I will have a read of the article, I totally agree I wasn't worried until today to me he is just a growing youngster, but now she has said it I'm beginning to question myself

 

[AmyMay]

Yes it's pretty pronounced in pic 2. Hopefully he'll even out though....

 

[loulabelle]

You'd have to look it up but there used to be an old nagsman way of working it out where you put some duct tape running from withers to point of the croup. Then you measure down to the dip in the back. I don't remember the exact figures but it's something like if it's more than 2 inches (which it looks like it easily is with your horse) then you are looking at a horse with lordosis. The old method was to measure this area regularly to give an idea of just how much of a swayback the horse was likely to end up with.

Ill have a look online to see if I can find out the figures, although I do wonder if they would be accurate on a horse so young as as you can see from the pictures depending on where he is with his growing then the dip seems more/less prominent?

 

[Echo Bravo]

He's still growing so he will go bum high then withers and as a 2 year old he won't stop growing until 5, to me he's just wither high at the moment, some horses do have very high withers, as I know my old TBH was measured 16.3hh but it was his withers were so high, as really he would have measured out at 16hh.

 

[loulabelle]

He's a really lovely horse, what height do you expect him to make? I hope he levels up.

Thank you...so do I...I'm hoping he will make around 15hh

 

[loulabelle]

Yes it's pretty pronounced in pic 2. Hopefully he'll even out though....

Yeah I though I would show a picture that seems to show it more prominent, I hope so too

 

[Spring Feather]

Ill have a look online to see if I can find out the figures, although I do wonder if they would be accurate on a horse so young as as you can see from the pictures depending on where he is with his growing then the dip seems more/less prominent?

Yeah that's why they measure it on a regular basis, just like a weight-tape, as it then gives you an indication of what is actually going on, rather than just going by sight alone. Once the horse gets a little older you may see signs of shrinkage in the calculations, but if you don't then it will give you an idea of how much of a swayback the horse may end up with once fully matured. At this age, cobs are often very off kilter with their bums shooting up, and it doesn't help that your boy appears short-coupled so makes it more noticable, but even so the dip there does seem rather extreme for a 2 year old. I wouldn't panic though, it doesn't usually cause a problem for doing most riding activities

 

[loulabelle]

He's still growing so he will go bum high then withers and as a 2 year old he won't stop growing until 5, to me he's just wither high at the moment, some horses do have very high withers, as I know my old TBH was measured 16.3hh but it was his withers were so high, as really he would have measured out at 16hh.

Yeah I fully expect him to be out of proportion, I buy all my horses as youngsters and they have all developed differently, just makes me wonder if you could actually tell as a 2 year old....I guess time will tell

 

[loulabelle]

Yeah that's why they measure it on a regular basis, just like a weight-tape, as it then gives you an indication of what is actually going on, rather than just going by sight alone. Once the horse gets a little older you may see signs of shrinkage in the calculations, but if you don't then it will give you an idea of how much of a swayback the horse may end up with once fully matured. At this age, cobs are often very off kilter with their bums shooting up, and it doesn't help that your boy appears short-coupled so makes it more noticable, but even so the dip there does seem rather extreme for a 2 year old. I wouldn't panic though, it doesn't usually cause a problem for doing most riding activities

Thank you for all your advice, will certainly look into this I am hopingit doesnt effect him being able to be ridden if it is the case but my husband is a keen driver so even if he couldn't be ridden he would probaly then jsut be broken to harness so atleast he would have a job to do

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

I think it 2 inch difference between withers and bum. His back does look a little dipped but tbh he is a growing youngster so there is more than enough chance he will even out. Dont stress yourself too much. Swaybacked horses can and do have normal ridden careers.
My first pony, now 33 is swaybacked and always has been. She has taught hundreds of people to ride and is still going strong. Shes like a hammock to ride bareback

 

[TuscanBunnyGirl]

when my 2 year old was growing she had a pretty dipped back but now at 3 she's levelled out a lot.

 

[loulabelle]

I think it 2 inch difference between withers and bum. His back does look a little dipped but tbh he is a growing youngster so there is more than enough chance he will even out. Dont stress yourself too much. Swaybacked horses can and do have normal ridden careers.
My first pony, now 33 is swaybacked and always has been. She has taught hundreds of people to ride and is still going strong. Shes like a hammock to ride bareback

Thank you...looks wise I don't mind if he is swaybacked thats no issue to me and it is good to know that I would still be able to ride him if he doesnt even out