What does "field sound" mean to you?

Cortez

Cortez

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...because to me it means unsound. And that means lame (or otherwise unrideable), and lame means in pain. So is keeping a horse which is in pain OK?
 
Field sound, to me, means that in the field, or when not stressed with work, the horse is sound.

So, if you took a field sound horse out of the field and trotted it up, lunged it and assessed he would be sound.

I would not expect a field sound horse to pass a flexion test.

To me it means that if the horse is put into a course of work, that it would not stay sound.

Many people though seem to declare their horses field sound when they are blatantly lame! It just does not show while they are walking round the field. I would not do this to a horse.
 
To me, it means sound (without medication) but unable to be ridden, be it behavioural, back issues, legs of glass or what ever. I would not term a horse 'field sound' if not 'sound' ie, showing lameness when trotted. The only exception I would see to this is when the animal is mechanically unsound - I had a gelding with a vast scar tissue lump on the front of his hock so he couldn't actually bend his hock fully, therefore presented as lame behind. He was in no pain, just couldn't move properly - surgery to lop of the mass sorted it. As an aside, it was suggested by a vet that I medicate my 10 yo ISH who had severe KS and SI injury with bute to keep him field sound. I declined and had him PTS - at 10, medicating to keep in a field is not fair.
 
Horses can be mechanically lame tho. I think it depends on the horse and the injury. I see it as sound in the field left to own devices, lame/in pain when ridden/consistently ridden. Like people, it doesn't mean you are in pain all the time, just that strenuous exercise etc can cause the pain. I'm in pain when I run, because of my dodgy knees, but not in pain any other time.
Hard one to answer
 
I agree Cortez with your definition.
No, I wouldn't keep a horse that could hobble or potter round a field, that might well require daily medication to keep it 'sound' till the end of its life.

I PTS my wonderful working cob this time last year as he became lame to ride out, he was 'sound' when pottering across the field but stumbled occasionally, but was lame if he was trotted up properly, was also very stiff if not moving about. Vet diagnosis was that he was 'field sound' but would need a daily bute to keep him like that - I wouldn't keep him on full time medication - he was a horse that lived to work, so he ended his days in dignity early.
 
That it is sound unless you ask it to do any work :p, then it breaks.

Interesting talk with my vet and his new lameness assessment gadget though with regards to where anyone draws that 'sound' line anyway :p especially given the disagreement even among experts with 'mild lameness' - in this study that was 1.5 out of 5 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2746/042516409X479568/full
and as that is the case the 'pain' line would potentially be even more subjective

If a horse is hobbling round a field it isn't field sound :p
 
Comfortable in a field with or without medication. I don't see why people are prepared to give bute to keep a horse in work but say that it is not in the horse's best interests to give bute to keep it comfortably retired in the field. There are also horses that are mechanically lame and do not need bute to keep them pain free in the field. Not all unlevelness means pain. It is up to each owner what they are prepared to do or not do when their horse's ridden life is over. But I hate to see obviously lame horses just left in a field because their owners won't make the hard decision. Good owners know their horses and whether they are happy or not.
 
Red-1 said:
Field sound, to me, means that in the field, or when not stressed with work, the horse is sound.

So, if you took a field sound horse out of the field and trotted it up, lunged it and assessed he would be sound.

I would not expect a field sound horse to pass a flexion test.

To me it means that if the horse is put into a course of work, that it would not stay sound.

Many people though seem to declare their horses field sound when they are blatantly lame! It just does not show while they are walking round the field. I would not do this to a horse.
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All of this, plus the horse should be comfortable moving sideways or in a small circle to open and shut gates and doors, and to have its feet picked out daily. I would consider giving a horse up to one danilon daily to maintain this, as long as the horse was happy.

I genuinely believe that some horses live to work, and are miserable when they are retired, so I take it on a case by case basis, with the horse's best interests outweighing any sentimentality on my part.
 
Red-1 said:
Field sound, to me, means that in the field, or when not stressed with work, the horse is sound.

So, if you took a field sound horse out of the field and trotted it up, lunged it and assessed he would be sound.

I would not expect a field sound horse to pass a flexion test.

To me it means that if the horse is put into a course of work, that it would not stay sound.

Many people though seem to declare their horses field sound when they are blatantly lame! It just does not show while they are walking round the field. I would not do this to a horse.
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ester said:
That it is sound unless you ask it to do any work :p, then it breaks.

If a horse is hobbling round a field it isn't field sound :p
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What they said.
 
As others have said - sound and pain free in the field, in pain or lame if you try to do any work with it.

I would not consider it field sound if it needs medication. Whether it not to medicate to keep it retired is up to their owner, but I'd be wary of anything more than short term pain relief.
 
Red-1 said:
Field sound, to me, means that in the field, or when not stressed with work, the horse is sound.

So, if you took a field sound horse out of the field and trotted it up, lunged it and assessed he would be sound.

I would not expect a field sound horse to pass a flexion test.

To me it means that if the horse is put into a course of work, that it would not stay sound.

Many people though seem to declare their horses field sound when they are blatantly lame! It just does not show while they are walking round the field. I would not do this to a horse.
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This is my take on it too.

A field sound horse to me is one that has lameness issues arise under saddle or being worked but left to its own devices in a field environment without the stress of being worked, is sound
 
I think it's a grey area actually, it's not just a case of lame horses hobbling around fields. Lots of people keep horses with minor ailments (arthritis/navicular etc) in the field (sometimes in light work) yes sometimes they aren't comfortable 100% of the time but it doesn't warrant immediate pts every time. Each case should be taken on an individual basis.

I own a retired pony who didn't return to full soundness after a suspensory ligament desmotomy, we decided to retire him and he lives out on a big hill field with a bunch of geldings - he's happy, bright, good condition, he plays geldings games consisting of rearing and chasing and he always comes running to the gate at tea time. If you were to trot him in a straight line on a hard surface, even without flexion, he would present around 2/10 lame.. so yes he's not "sound" but he's what I would call "field-sound" able enough to live a happy life out in the field, and for anyone watching him in the field he would appear a sound animal.
 
On my mind at the moment because I have one that may retire to the field if the rehab fails.
My vets and I believe mine to be mechanically unsound, because she does not respond to pain relief and is not sore on palpation.
If she trots across the field 'cold' she is unlevel but she doesn't stop trotting, and she will canter round at will.
She can be worked sound by showing her how to move the injured leg. So I actually have a field-unsound horse that can be worked. Go figure.

When the time comes to retire to the field,I will keep her until she no longer chooses to go above walk, or when I see her stop running when I'd expect her to continue.

For me a field sound horse is therefore one that feels comfortable to trot or canter about when it chooses to (not just when the adrenalin is up). I wouldn't keep one going that just crept around like an old man in his slippers.
 
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The Fuzzy Furry said:
I agree Cortez with your definition.
No, I wouldn't keep a horse that could hobble or potter round a field, that might well require daily medication to keep it 'sound' till the end of its life.

I PTS my wonderful working cob this time last year as he became lame to ride out, he was 'sound' when pottering across the field but stumbled occasionally, but was lame if he was trotted up properly, was also very stiff if not moving about. Vet diagnosis was that he was 'field sound' but would need a daily bute to keep him like that - I wouldn't keep him on full time medication - he was a horse that lived to work, so he ended his days in dignity early.
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Agree with the above, my boy became unsound 4 years ago, and was "field sound" as far as others were concerned. I too ended his days it broke my heart but was in his best interests

I do agree there are horses that are pain free if left out in the field to their own devices but show problems under saddle, that to me is what I would call field sound.
 
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Wagtail said:
Comfortable in a field with or without medication. I don't see why people are prepared to give bute to keep a horse in work but say that it is not in the horse's best interests to give bute to keep it comfortably retired in the field. There are also horses that are mechanically lame and do not need bute to keep them pain free in the field. Not all unlevelness means pain. It is up to each owner what they are prepared to do or not do when their horse's ridden life is over. But I hate to see obviously lame horses just left in a field because their owners won't make the hard decision. Good owners know their horses and whether they are happy or not.
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This I have an unsound pony who is on long term medication. She is not pain free as she has arthritis and cushings. (My mum has arthritis and is not pain free either.) I have owned my pony all her life I know her well. I will have her put down when I think she is no longer happy (my pony not my mum).

Pony sees the vet several times a year and I always discuss her quality of life with them. I am not hearing any hint at all from them that her time has come. She is on all medication suggested by the vets and is happy in herself. I still get enormous enjoyment from her and she still enjoys eating, being with my others, being nosy and is happy.
 
I would class my gelding as field sound. he is still ever so slightly unlevel behind, hence he is having an extended holiday until the spring to see what happens-following failed various treatments. arthritis and a bony lump on his hind which was thought to be a fused spavin however then grew again. Was on medication and he improved to a degree and he came off it but this made no difference to his slight unlevelness. He still hooleys round the field, bucking and farting as the mood takes him but he is not sound enough to ride... is he in pain? I do not know, I would hate to think so. He seems chilled and happy. Living out this winter to keep him moving but I will assess as we progress through the winter months and if he worsens, will Medicate up to a point but if he deteriorates to the point where he is on 3 Bute a day again just to keep him comfortable I will look again at what is and isn't fair for him..
 
I class my older horse as field sound. He is perfectly sound trotting across the fields. Occasionally has a good hooly with no obvious ill effects. I have had him for 12 years so I know him well and I know that if he was currently in work he would not be sound. He could possibly manage a walk round the block a few times a week but in all honesty I decided to retire him last year and he is as happy as Larry.
 
my lad is what I would call field sound, or suitable for light hacking only now.
He is sound if blatting round in the field or trotted up in a straight line. though he will likely feel the blatting the next day.
However if you work him and expect circles that are smaller than about 30m diameter he comes up lame behind.
 
I consider my retired hunter field sound. He has bad arthritis in his hocks, the vets are perplexed how he is still sound unridden. He walks, trots, canters, gallops and plays round the fields with the others as well as he did when he was 4, you can also ride him at walk for hours with no problems, however when you start to trot him under saddle he'll go lame in about a week, hence why he's retired. He has more than paid his dues so I'm not going to faff him around trying to get him sound when ridden when he's perfectly happy retired.
 
Define sound to start with!
The way I look at it is sound for purpose. That might mean moderate discomfort that is within manageable parameters for the intended purpose.
Obviously this is highly variable and open to interpretation.
I'm late 30's, a bit wonky, probably wouldn't pass a flexion test and take the odd paracetamol here and there. I'd like to think I'm not ready for shooting just yet!

The vast majority of horses wouldn't be completely symmetrical in gait analysis.
There are many top flight horses that you could easily call 1/10th lame - but then that can take us down a whole other discussion line.

For me field sound means that a horse is comfortable enough for a good quality of life in the field but who would go lame if ridden. The judgement taken by knowing the horse, their mannerisms and having sufficient experience to determine acceptable unlevel was for that individual horse. Multiple shades of grey!
 
My draft horse has bad ringbone and sidebone in 1 front leg (he's got it in the other leg too to a lesser extent). He is probably between 1-2/10 lame at walk and pretty hoppy at trot.

We do the odd plod around the block and last week he decided to embrace his inner racehorse and blat up the bridlepath without warning. I'm pretty sure he felt that the next day even though I did give him danilon with tea. Yesterday he had a canter& mini buck when he was popped in the indoor school while his box was being cleaned. He is still enjoying life.

I consider him paddock sound and so does the vet. If he gets to the stage where he stops being cheeky then I'll have to reconsider. He came in very, very lame the other day and my heart was in my mouth until I dug out the enormous stone he'd picked up.
 
I considered my welsh X, who I lost in June, as field sound. He was sound in walk 100% of the time and trot 98% of the time. The remaining 2% he would look a little lame in trot on very hard ground (after a hot, dry summer). So basically 1 or 2 days a year, if that, he would trot off after his mates and I'd notice he looked a little un level. By the next day he was usually fine.

He wasnt medicated.
 
Field sound to me means sound in normal movement in the field .
Would not necessarily be sound on formal trot up or if lunged etc but sound when free and grazing and would be unsound ridden or would very quickly become so if you worked it .
Field sound means to some people barely able to walk to the gate .
 
Field sound = lame!! a lameness that cant be seen when ambling round a field in its own time. but would show up big time on a circle or a good trot.....
 
Red-1 said:
Field sound, to me, means that in the field, or when not stressed with work, the horse is sound.

So, if you took a field sound horse out of the field and trotted it up, lunged it and assessed he would be sound.

I would not expect a field sound horse to pass a flexion test.

To me it means that if the horse is put into a course of work, that it would not stay sound.

Many people though seem to declare their horses field sound when they are blatantly lame! It just does not show while they are walking round the field. I would not do this to a horse.
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This.

My KS horse was feild sound.....I.e sound with trot ups etc but as soon as you ask for work she wasn't, tired to get you off and went unlevel behind.

She was pts six weeks ago because she became lame in the feild, just 2/10ths but it was enough that I was not going to put her through winter on painkillers.
 
Having a broken toe ATM I'm very lame and dosing myself with painkillers to keep going. Even when that has healed I'm not sound or pain free but thankfully I have a good quality of life, eat well (too well!) enjoy a drink or three and if I take a pain killer or two when uncomfortable I manage to stay mobile and active. The old TB is pretty much the same, I guess, he's got a bit of arthritis in his hocks and has cushings but passes his Vet checks and looks happy in himself. If he looks a bit stiff, I don't have any problem giving him a sachet of bute, just like I take an ibuprofen. He'll trot and canter in the field and looks pretty sound. I've had him a long time and am pretty confident I'll know when the time comes to PTS and we are not there yet. I'm not really sure what field sound means I prefer to focus on quality of life.
ihatework said:
Define sound to start with!
The way I look at it is sound for purpose. That might mean moderate discomfort that is within manageable parameters for the intended purpose.
Obviously this is highly variable and open to interpretation.
I'm late 30's, a bit wonky, probably wouldn't pass a flexion test and take the odd paracetamol here and there. I'd like to think I'm not ready for shooting just yet!

The vast majority of horses wouldn't be completely symmetrical in gait analysis.
There are many top flight horses that you could easily call 1/10th lame - but then that can take us down a whole other discussion line.

For me field sound means that a horse is comfortable enough for a good quality of life in the field but who would go lame if ridden. The judgement taken by knowing the horse, their mannerisms and having sufficient experience to determine acceptable unlevel was for that individual horse. Multiple shades of grey!
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I guess most of us are only 'field sound' but I have to work to look after the 'field sound' horses! I think the horse will soon 'tell ' you when it is in too much pain - he will not move around much, the coat will go dull,he will not eat, his eyes will be dull, he will lose weight and condition etc etc. It all is a question of careful monitoring and common sense. Sadly not much of the latter in the world nowadays!!
 
Red-1 said:
Field sound, to me, means that in the field, or when not stressed with work, the horse is sound.

So, if you took a field sound horse out of the field and trotted it up, lunged it and assessed he would be sound.

I would not expect a field sound horse to pass a flexion test.

To me it means that if the horse is put into a course of work, that it would not stay sound.

Many people though seem to declare their horses field sound when they are blatantly lame! It just does not show while they are walking round the field. I would not do this to a horse.
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I agree with this, we had a pony who after a suspensory injury was field sound. She could hammer round the field and not go lame but if brought into full work would become lame and therefore we stopped jumping, pony club etc (we stopped riding her, vet says she could have a toddle around hacking lightly now and again)
 
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