Cortez
Tough but Fair
...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?
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.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.
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.
That it is sound unless you ask it to do any work , then it breaks.
If a horse is hobbling round a field it isn't field sound
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.