Re: Weak Pasterns

[Merryben <Merryben@aol.com>]

In a message dated 5/10/98 10:26:06 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
wfortner@peop.tds.net writes:

<< If a horse has medium to long
 pasterns that tend to flex more than average, would this be a bad trait for
an endurance
 horse?
  >>
I agree that this is not a good trait for an endurance horse, HOWEVER,
Rushcreek Q-Ball had just about the worst pasterns I had ever seen.  People
would look at her and say Wow, what a nice ho.............and about that time
would see her lower legs and the sentence would just trail off.  From the
knees up she was perfect.  However, she was coon footed in front and had a
foot that was just about a club foot in the past.  I got her for free when she
was 5 and about 1/2 broke.  My horseshoer was appalled that I would even
consider riding her let alone in endurance.  But I figured if she started to
have lameness problems I would sell her and she would be a well broke horse by
then.  She ended up with close to 3,000 miles and was never pulled for
lameness.  Actually, I don't think she was ever lame in the front ever.  Her
first and only 100 was the Tevis when I loaned her to Julie Suhr and she
carried Julie to her 20th Tevis finish.  Boy was I nervous.  I didn't want it
to be my horse who blew it.  I think Julie was just as nervous.  Q-Ball was
the only one who didn't think it was such a big deal.  Anyway, there are
exceptions to every rule.  The first horse of my own that I rode endurance was
a Quarter/Morgan cross that I bought from a rent string.  He was extremely
straight in the shoulder and had very short upright pasterns.  Becky and I
showed him western, hunter, jumping [3'9" was the highest] and used him for
lessons and then when he was about 15 or 16 I took him to Drake's Bay for his
first ride.  He should never have been able to do any of the things he did but
we never told him.  I had him 26 years and he was 36 when he died.  It is best
to look for a horse without major faults but sometimes you have to ride what
you have, warts and all and sometimes it turns out great.