tail swishing

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Kelpie

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So I've been having a little look at buying a new horse and while I'm prepared to travel, generally speaking I'd want to see a bit of video first before travelling particularly far (which I think is fair enough nowadays, given how easy it is to video.....).

However, on quite a few of the video's I've seen so far, I've been put off by some of the horses being particularly "tail swishy" (and not obviously "at" something, as such). My interpretation of that is that the horse is unhappy about something and most of the time I fear it is either the way they are being ridden or a physical issue of which perhaps the rider is unaware. However, I am being too harsh? Should I let that put me off?

You'll excuse me for being particularly paranoid on that but my mare who ended up being diagnosed with PSD would often tail swish and in hindsight it was probably one of her first ways of telling me she was uncomfortable :(

Thanks!
 
There are a few top class horses with the tail swishing habit, a very decent racehorse whose name eludes me at the moment. However, I think it usually points to something annoying the horse. It is also unsightly and can result in lower marks in the dressage arena. One of ours was marked down for teeth grinding and tail swishing - showing resistance was the comment. That horse was lost at 16 and was found to be full of melanoma growths in his gut. He had a habit of furious tail swishing as the leg went on and during transitions.

I would not buy one, it is far nicer to see a softly swinging tail and a supple back. It would worry me I was about to be bucked off after the tail swishing ended !
 
Op I wonder if you have been looking at the same ones as me ?
That's want I have been doing tonight trawling adds one looked great in the stills , cranked up you tube , was gutted when it swished it's tail all the way through the clip.
The odd Swish is fine but not all the time.
 
I bought one and three years later I have just paid out for a kissing spines operation. It's very marked how much less he swishes it now.
 
I had a horse that tail swished and when I watched a video of his sire, Midt-west ibi-light he did it as well, so I think it might be somehow inherited. He was reserve for the Olympics so don't think it is marked down by good judges. I did RC area HT on mine and the judge did comment on it and mark us down because of it - but that is RC.

You can see him doing it in this photo http://varmblod.dk/GB/STALLIONS/Sire of the Year/Midt(x30x)West Ibi(x30x)Light DVE 360.aspx
 
Goldenstar, I bet we have been looking at the same ones!! (and isn't it depressing how many of them do it.......).

I guess there's always exceptions but I'm glad then it doesn't sound like I'm being too picky, thank you for the feedback :)
 
Update on tail swishing ,
Ended looking at the video again ( and again ) decided it was a young big and very green and struggling a bit with the work.
Went for a look he swished a few times always when he was struggling with his balance in his big green canter .
Hes waiting to be vetted we shall see want the vet says .
 
Goldenstar said:
Update on tail swishing ,
Ended looking at the video again ( and again ) decided it was a young big and very green and struggling a bit with the work.
Went for a look he swished a few times always when he was struggling with his balance in his big green canter .
Hes waiting to be vetted we shall see want the vet says .
Click to expand...

Exciting, good luck.
 
Thanks AA he's ID will mature not more than 16.3 five very green , great nature forward and try's hard in his work not show quality but will mature to be ( I hope ) a very nice kind gents hunter and be an understudy for Fatty in a couple of years .
I'll play with him for now .
 
Goldenstar said:
Thanks AA he's ID will mature not more than 16.3 five very green , great nature forward and try's hard in his work not show quality but will mature to be ( I hope ) a very nice kind gents hunter and be an understudy for Fatty in a couple of years .
I'll play with him for now .
Click to expand...

Even more exciting, who is he by.
 
I would view tail swishing in the same way...as an indication that the horse is unhappy about the way it's being ridden - too tight a contact/rein pressure, bit and spurs, etc.

In my experience though, I think you see it more in horses that have a poor 'go' repsonse - that is, the ones' that are tricky to get 'off the leg' and have a poor understanding of leg pressure. Most probably because it tends to be relenting or inconsistent in some when - so the horse becomes desensitized to it, but still objects to this [as you would].

Also, riders tend to need to fiddle with the mouth more in an attempt to get a false outline, when the horse isn't truely off the leg, and of course the horse objects to this, and swishes their tail.

Or, if there is a physical problem of some sort they normally swish to indicate a relutance to 'go' forward.

If I saw and horse that was doing this when I went to view it, I'd definitely think....okay probably not off the leg and what is the rider doing with the front end - why - is it a dislike to how it's being ridden or relunctant to go due to discomfort?

So either way, I'd see it as a problem of GO.
 
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Tonks said:
I would view tail swishing in the same way...as an indication that the horse is unhappy about the way it's being ridden - too tight a contact/rein pressure, bit and spurs, etc.

In my experience though, I think you see it more in horses that have a poor 'go' repsonse - that is, the ones' that are tricky to get 'off the leg' and have a poor understanding of leg pressure. Most probably because it tends to be relenting or inconsistent in some when - so the horse becomes desensitized to it, but still objects to this [as you would].

Also, riders tend to need to fiddle with the mouth more in an attempt to get a false outline, when the horse isn't truely off the leg, and of course the horse objects to this, and swishes their tail.

If I saw and horse that was doing this when I went to view it, I'd definitely think....okay probably not off the leg and what is the rider doing with the front end - why?
Click to expand...

I agree with this ,
With the horse I have waiting vetting it was very apparent as soon as you started riding him he was very forward and the swishing occurred when he was struggling to bend and balance .
He is very focused on his mouth but light and reponsive he tried to understand what you wanted .
I felt nothing that I felt could not be worked with .
I have taken the judgement that providing the vet is happy I am .
He will be produced to be a gents hunter so even if the swishing stays it's not the end of the world ,would I be so laid back if I needed to ride tests on him possibly not.
Visually it's not helped by the fact he has very little tail ,cows have eaten it at some point.
Time will tell.
 
ooh, Goldenstar - fingers crossed for the vetting!

I'm still looking but off to see a nice young TB tomorrow so fingers crossed!

Glad it's not just me being wary of tail swishing though I think you're right Goldenstar, tail swishing doesn't necessarily mean its an unsolveable problem.....
 
Tail swishing ID passed five stage vetting today .
Vet said green weak and very immature but thinks in two years he will look very different .
I took the vet down and brought the horse back with me .
vaccinations tonight
Saddler tomorrow .
Vet for teeth thurs or fri
First physio assessment booked
Here we go again , I am smiling as I say this .
 
congratulations!! :)

Just as a matter of interest, did you also do any x-rays? ...... am thinking about possibly doing them when I find one to buy, as an extra precaution but can't decide really if it is over the top?
 
Kelpie said:
congratulations!! :)

Just as a matter of interest, did you also do any x-rays? ...... am thinking about possibly doing them when I find one to buy, as an extra precaution but can't decide really if it is over the top?
Click to expand...

No I don't X-ray roultinely when I buy.
My view is they are difficult to interpret and as I soon as I buy a horse I consider the money lost I don't ask for them .
However if my vet wanted an X-ray I would have one done.
In this case I took my own vet and the lorry and the cash as I trust her most and happily she agrees with me the horse is green young and very weak and the issues I saw are linked to that.
With vetting I feel it works best when you understand the vets opinion and the vets understands you.
 
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