Swayback

[BoneHorse]

Hello!

I went to view a horse yesterday who was super sweet and sounds like everything I want. I didn't ride her or see her ridden, but that's the next step... potentially.
She has a bit of a sway back, which is the sticking point for me. I've never owned a horse or really ridden a horse with a back like that. Is it worth it or should I move on? She was very very skinny, but is putting weight on now and is looking so much better, but the back is still a bit dipped.

Google is not really giving me answers, the results vary from "it's fine, it's not a problem" to "any horse like that needs PTS"

Please be kind!

 

[sbloom]

It can be congenital but in the majority of cases it's postural. It would depend on a ton of other factors but without a history showing how she's ended up like that I'd be wary, moving in poor posture is the starting point for many chronic issues and unsoundnesses that we see in riding horses. Weight gain might mask it, too much weight gain will make it worse, but it's about the skeleton and soft tissue and how the horse moves, unless they have photos showing the foal was born like it (and even then it can be down to birth trauma, according to current best thinking).

What do you want to do with the horse? How old? How would saddle fitting look, does the back look short compared to the seat size you need? Sway backed horses are tricky to saddle fit at the best of times, if you're lacking space (and of course otherwise could be at the top end of the weight the horse can carry) then it makes everything (saddle fit, posture, unsoundness) more difficult.

 

[Melody Grey]

How severe is it? Probably wouldn’t be my first choice of horse to get involved with to be honest, but depends on lots of factors; why so underweight? I’d be worried there were issues causing ulcers potentially explaining the poor condition?

Has she been a brood mare? What are her feet like? So many questions!

 

[rabatsa]

I have seen quite a few good horses that when the saddle has been removed they have had a sway back. If the horse is already doing a job and is good at it, will pass a vetting as fit to continue doing that job, then I would consider the horse.

However if the horse has other problems it would be a no.

 

[EventingMum]

My instinct is to be wary but saying that our 3* eventer had one that no end of correct work/bodywork made a difference to and it really didn't affect him or cause problems. That said it did become more extreme once he retired and didn't have the muscle he did when working but still didn't bother him.

 

[SEL]

I would be cautious. I have an ex broodmare who had quite a dip and X rays showed kissing spine. I'm a qualified bodyworker so she gets the right work, but finding a saddle was hard work and expensive.

 

[Orangehorse]

The proverbial piece of string. Honestly, I don't think that many people would buy a horse with an obvious sway back, but those that have bred them would probably break them in and ride them, and many would give long working lives.

I knew one mare that had a terrible sway back, yet she was ridden for years and years and was a good horse and died of old age.

On the other hand when I was looking for a horse my vet wouldn't even go out to do a vetting on a 3 year old with a sway back, basically he said it was a waste of his time and my money. Mind, the seller made no reference to it at all when I looked at the horse - she drew my attention to all his good points and completely ignored his back, maybe she thought I wouldn't know/notice. And then she was very offended when I said I wouldn't be buying the horse!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Is it a true sway back or just a bit dipped due to core weakness because the latter can normally be improved with correct work and posture training.

My Arabi if out if work gets a dropped back because the core muscles get weak and he sags in the middle, I've always managed to improve it though although I agree about saddle fit can be tricky especially as he is croup high as well.

There was a poster on here that bought a bay horse some years back that was very dipped in the back and hollow, she managed to literally transform the horse and posted pictures on here of the transformation it was pretty impressive.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Daughters pony club horse ..now retired at 26..has a sway back. When she was fit and in work it was less obvious and she was the perfect all rounder. Now she is less muscled it is more noticeable but it’s never caused a problem. Having said that I’ve only had one saddle fitter who fitted her with her Kent and Masters GP over a decade ago…saddle fitter retired and the lady who took over said (during a check up) she would struggle knowing how best to find and fit another.

 

[sbloom]

My general approach is flattest tree possible (wide rails usually needed for dropped backs, higher pommeled curvier saddles more likely to have narrow/upright rails) and a curved panel with no rear gusset. Not common and not easy, though @BoneHorse seems to have disappeared...

 

[ycbm]

This is obviously possible, but it's probably also pretty rare.

Nearly 2yrs on...

^ Above is Pepper a week or so after I bought him... I'm just so proud of my boy! In over a year he's come on so much so he's nearly unrecognisable!! I bought Pepper as a 13y/o because he is clever, he never fails to make me smile and knew him before hand, I knew there'd be no nasty...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

 

[LEC]

This thread uses my favourite example - Bonzai H https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/838274/

I think swayback rarely an issue as long as you don’t want to do dressage. I rode one for a bit and it looked terrible but never sick or lame, good little jumper but was never going to do a good dressage test for obvious reasons.

 

[sbloom]

This thread uses my favourite example - Bonzai H https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/838274/

I think swayback rarely an issue as long as you don’t want to do dressage. I rode one for a bit and it looked terrible but never sick or lame, good little jumper but was never going to do a good dressage test for obvious reasons.

Wendy Jago (dressage judge and NLP practitioner and author in equestrian and elsewhere) had a horse called Lolly many years ago. He featured in her early books and competed at least to Medium dressage, he looked worse!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

This is obviously possible, but it's probably also pretty rare.

Nearly 2yrs on...

^ Above is Pepper a week or so after I bought him... I'm just so proud of my boy! In over a year he's come on so much so he's nearly unrecognisable!! I bought Pepper as a 13y/o because he is clever, he never fails to make me smile and knew him before hand, I knew there'd be no nasty...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

Thats the one well done for finding it

 

[Orangehorse]

I have a photo in an old book of a horse with a very bad swayback and all round peculiar conformation. He was ridden and trained to do dressage, but I think it was a project by the trainer just to show it could be done.

 

[JFTDWS]

I’ve seen the horse in question and it’s not a particularly extreme example of a sway back - it could well be postural.

There are other questions about the horse - but there always are with cheap horses in a market like this, and it’s very much in the hack / straightforward work bracket. Horses are always such a gamble.

 

[BoneHorse]

Thank you so much for all your replies! I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner, time got away from me.
I decided to step away from the horse as JFTDWS says there were other things that weren't adding up unfortunately.

Still, brilliant information, thank you! I've read it and it'll keep me informed in case there's a next time