Lola43
Well-Known Member
I have owned four horses over the last 10 years, and three of the four have been Irish bred ISH/RID, and all three have developed arthritis. Two in the neck and the latest in the hocks. The first two were pts before the age of 10.
Having taken years to get over the financial and emotional fallout from the first two and despite telling myself I would never buy another ID again, I managed to convince myself that I was just unlucky and about a year ago I bought a 7yo unregistered ISH mare.
She has just been diagnosed, at 8 yo, with arthritis in the hocks and PSD. In discussion with my vet, who treated my other horses, I put forward my theory that there was a genetic timebomb lurking in the Irish Draught breeding. Much to my surprise, he agreed with me.
Are there people out there who find themselves with a big, expensive, mare on their hands that may or may not ever be ridden again and decide that despite the genetic implications, in order to claw back some kind of value or purpose, they will breed from her? Thereby perpetuating this genetic predisposition?
I am aware that a lot of people will have many happy years with their ID horses and not have any problems at all, but if three out of three ID horses that you owned became useless, valueless and in my experience downright dangerous as a result of the same condition wouldn't you question it?
These three horses have consumed years of my life and enormous amounts of money and I can't sustain it, so this will be my last horse ever, never mind ID.
Having taken years to get over the financial and emotional fallout from the first two and despite telling myself I would never buy another ID again, I managed to convince myself that I was just unlucky and about a year ago I bought a 7yo unregistered ISH mare.
She has just been diagnosed, at 8 yo, with arthritis in the hocks and PSD. In discussion with my vet, who treated my other horses, I put forward my theory that there was a genetic timebomb lurking in the Irish Draught breeding. Much to my surprise, he agreed with me.
Are there people out there who find themselves with a big, expensive, mare on their hands that may or may not ever be ridden again and decide that despite the genetic implications, in order to claw back some kind of value or purpose, they will breed from her? Thereby perpetuating this genetic predisposition?
I am aware that a lot of people will have many happy years with their ID horses and not have any problems at all, but if three out of three ID horses that you owned became useless, valueless and in my experience downright dangerous as a result of the same condition wouldn't you question it?
These three horses have consumed years of my life and enormous amounts of money and I can't sustain it, so this will be my last horse ever, never mind ID.