over at the knees

I had emailed about a horse for Rachel that is slightly over at the knees. I have to decide if I want to go ride him or not. He looks good otherwise and seems to have the temperament that I like. What are the consequences of this conformation flaw? What kind of problems come with it?

denise

How old is the horse? Do they know why this has happened? Do you have pictures of this

They said it was just a kcee leaguer thing..."lots of them are over at the knees" However, in further conversation, I have also discovered that he has been sore because they are trying to change his angles because he grows no heel. Someone else told me that alot of horses are not really conformationally over at the knees but will bend that way to stay on their toes to avoid heel pain. Here's his ad:

http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1067569

That horse IS over at the knees, long toes and short heels will increase the look but in all honesty, here is the low down on this conformational default. A slight buck-knee is not very serious and doesn't usually cause a problem. A horse with moderate to severe buck-knees are generally clumsy and have a tendency to stuble *especially with excessive toe length*. Having this fault causes and excess strain on the flexor tendons and on the sesamoid bone. Meaning, these horses are prone to bowed tendons and sesamoiditis. I would really like to see a straight on side view of him so I could better judge how severe he is. I'm looking to see if there are any more pics of him on their site. If you have any extra pics, I'd be happy to look at him for you. email is WLJQuarterHorses@aol.com

that's all i got. they have videos of him on youtube. Just type in demareeqh and all theirs come up. There are a couple of times in there where I thought I saw a tender step so I think I'll keep looking. Feel free to let me know your thoughts

denise

I have stupid dial up, so I can't see the video, but here's my opion... I would pass. He's awfully cheap for a "great young show horse" and in my experience, cheap comes with problems. He definetly IS over at the knees, bad heels don't cause them to buckle over quite that bad. I think you have to look at it this way: You buy the horse, when Rachel really starts to work him to get ready for shows, what if he bows a tendon? Now you're stuck with a lame horse who may or may not be able to show competitively and be pushed because we all know that once they bow, they're likely to do it again. Then, you're stuck with him because no one really wants a horse super prone to injury. If you look at it the other way if he gets sesamoiditis, think about the money for injections and medications and vet bills (either way.). I just know how hard you've been looking for "the right horse" and I'd just hate to see you guys get yourself into something like this that's super prone to medical problems and $$$$ out of your pocket... But, just my 2 cents

thanks. I appreciate the input. I think I'll pass on him.

Generally low heals and long toes will do the opposite.. If the horse already has problems I would not go there.. Too bad for the horse..

I would keep looking as there are plenty of other nice horses out there!

I knew one that was realllly over the knees ended up staying sound (he's 11 now)

but he just happened to be a Lark with a cruddy mind

sorry this one isn't going to work out -- I just know you'll find the perfect one!