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  Discussion on Weak hind pasterns - problem or not?
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Posted on Monday, Aug 6, 2001 - 9:20 pm:

My friend is looking for a horse for her 9 year old daughter. We found what appears to be the quintessential family horse, 11 year old Arab/QH gelding. We watched 2 inexperienced children tack him up and ride him. He lowered his head for the halter and was a PERFECT gentleman the entire time. We both rode him and found him to be extremely obedient and responsive - neck reins smoothly and went into a lope from the walk with only a bit of leg.
The only faults we can see are these: his hind pasterns are quite low, almost parallel to the ground and he interfered a bit. I couldn't see exactly where and how he is hitting himself, but we could hear it every few strides. The question, finally, is this? How much of a problem if any are the weak (or lax) rear pasterns? This horse will be used for light trail riding. It is possible that the little girl may want to do a bit of jumping with him over the next few years, likely just small baby hunter stuff. Does this make the pasterns more of a problem? No horse is perfect, but this little girl is heartbroken over losing her aged Arab gelding to severe arthritis. We want to make sure that she doesn't end up in a similar situation.
About the interfering, how much of an issue is this? My horse does and my farrier works on it with some improvement. I only trail ride occasionally and I'm not bothered by it. I do check him regularly to see that he hasn't hurt himself. He hits the top front of his hind feet with the bottom of his front toes.
Thank you,
Pamela Towne

Posted on Monday, Aug 6, 2001 - 11:09 pm:

Hi, Pamela,
The horse sounds like a dream horse for a child.
We can never make sure that a horse isn't going to die. So many times I have people say to me, "Oh, we don't want to get an old horse,(or a horse with some physical deformity due to age or an accident) because we don't want to have the horse die." Many good family horses are passed up and sent to auction because they are older or have some need for special care. Twice this winter, I had friends who had young horses that died due to illness and accident. Age is no guarantee.

That said, the hind leg formation sounds like the horse either stands way under himself in the back, or may be post legged with a suspensory ligament problem. The horse is forging when he hits his fronts with his hinds. Rolling the toes on the fronts and squaring off the hinds and adding heels to his hind shoes can often remedy forging in a horse. His forging makes me think that his conformation may be less than ideal.

Have a vet check out the hind end conformation to be sure the horse is sound. I have had a couple of horses with the conformation you describe. One is a great dressage horse and can really use his hind end and round his back. He also does 2ft jumps with no problems. He is a great lesson horse.

Sound, sane, quiet kid horses are not easy to find, but it sounds as if you may have one there.
Holly

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2001 - 5:35 pm:

Your farrier should be able to do a lot more for you with the simple problems that you describe. It sounds like your horse's toes may be long. A rolled toe would shorten the breakover. This is a very common procedure and my farrier doesn't charge for it. Do you try to shoe your horse every 8 to maybe 12 weeks depending on hoof growth? If you let it go longer, the foot overgrows and forging can occur because the shod hoof cannot wear normally.
As for the horse you are looking at, only a vet check can tell. However, in 1970, I purchased a 14.1 HH paint gelding. He was short coupled, underslung with long, low pasterns ( not to mention spooky, green, skinny, barn sour ), and my nine year old niece would settle for nothing else. He was eight years old and had a ruined mouth. WE figured we'd bought a lawn ornament, but, he was only $150. By 1974, he was Pony Hunter Champion, English Pleasure Horse Champion, English Trail Horse Champion, Pony Hunter over Fences Champion, in three different show circuits in two different states. All this when color was frowned upon in the English show ring. He continued to be a formidable opponent until 1983 when my niece, now grown, left for college. At that point, he became my lesson horse and a very wonderful mount for my sister and I. He died in May of 2000, euthanized due to two large lipomas obstructing his intestines. His only illness was the morning of his death, and he was NEVER lame. His rear fetlocks were slightly arthritic but not enough to hinder him. He was ridden 3 to 4 times a week at the walk, trot, and canter until 4 days before he died. At 38 years old. On the necropsy ( we had an extensive one done ), the arthritic changes were, for his age and usage, minor.
If the only worries this horse presents are the back leg and pastern problems ( which only a vet can estimate )good, regular shoeing should take care of it. The wise, kind, forgiving animal is worth far more than the pure-bred, high-strung beauty.

Posted on Monday, Aug 13, 2001 - 7:11 am:

Hello Pamela,
I don't completely disagree with Holly's and Elizabeth's assesment of the DrOpped fetlocks behind. The problem is that we are seeing more horses with a progressive degenerative disorder of the hind suspensories that frequently present with DrOpped fetlocks early.

As they suggest this may be an acceptable fault and this horse a good choice when all the factors are taken into account but as recommended above a good exam with particular attention paid for lameness and swellings in the supporting structures behind. Concerning the interference, there may be much that can be improved, but on the other hand maybe much has already been done, have your farrier assess this and see if he thinks there is room for improvement and you should still assess the horse on can I live with this if this is the best it is going to get, Just in case.
DrO
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