Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

There are so many ways a horse can get hurt, get a twist, colic, etc.,  
that focusing on "maybe he has worm damage" doesn't seem productive.   
I have to agree with Angie - good early care is certainly a plus, but  
just because a horse is thin doesn't mean he should be discounted.

Life doesn't come with guarantees - I bought Caisson because he moved  
well, had great feet and good angles - really nice conformation.  My  
farrier loves his feet and his pastern angles.  My old horse was  
predisposed to long toe/low heel, and gave my farrier fits trying to  
keep his angles up.  First thing I noticed about Caisson was his  
really great feet and perfect pastern angles.....

Guess what - he got diagnosed a couple of weeks ago with "chronically  
enlarged suspensory branches" of both front legs.  Not a strain - it  
is a chronic condition that indicates this horse - vet's couldn't give  
me a reason, as they don't know - can't handle the stress of  
endurance, and the miles of training to get to a ride.

So - no guarantees.  I say - if you like the horse, and click, then  
buy him.

On Apr 27, 2009, at 5:06 AM, rides2far@xxxxxxxx wrote:

> > > > Endurance is a tough sport.  You buy a horse with compromised  
> > > > innards due to bad worming care in his early years and you sentence
> him to an early death.
>
> Yes, and you buy a horse with compromised joints and you may cripple  
> him up so that he has no future. And if I ride a horse that trips I  
> may be paralyzed, and if I don't get the hungry horse he will  
> probably end up being bought by some redneck with a dry rotted  
> saddle and a rusty curb bit. Noticed the horse that died on the  
> Rolex course had a rupture. Figure he got early worming?
>
> I read an article once where a vet school tested for worms at two  
> different sites. One was a breeding farm with lots of horses that  
> wormed every 6 weeks or so. The other was a horse out in a cow  
> pasture who had never been on any schedule at all. The horses on the  
> breeding farm had the highest infestation.
>
> This week I looked at 4 horses. 3 were overweight. 1 was grossly  
> overweight. This one was skinny. Guess which one looked the  
> healthiest to me? The skinny horse's feet were in better condition,  
> he moved better...honestly I think I'd rather get a horse who's been  
> without than one who's dying of overindulgence! I'm beginning to  
> think lush pasture is the biggest threat to any horse's health.
>
> Angie
>
> ____________________________________________________________

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