# Low pasterns - I need advice on buying a horse



## henia (28 September 2017)

Hi everyone, I just joined this forum 

I have a huge dilemma, I hope you can help me out. Almost a year ago I had to say good bye to my great 27yo horse. Now I decided it's time to find new horse for next 20 years. But it appears to be a difficult task. I don't want a sport horse, I just look for an ordinary, healthy horse to do some basic dressage, maybe little jumping and long trails (I mean few days in mountains). After few horses that I visited I found nice mare, which has great character. Her overall conformation is also not bad. But my problem is her pasterns and hind legs, which are very stiff. I spoke with physiotherapist (she didn't see the mare, we just spoke on the phone after I had sent her videos and photos) and she said that indeed this horse have lower pasterns than normal, hence her stiffness in hind legs. For recreation riding the mare is ok, but for sport she would advice against buying a horse. So everything should be ok, but I'm still worried to use horse which is not properly built. I don't know whether I'm too picky, or her legs are indeed not good and might be a problem in ten years. Any opinions on a horse will be a great help for me. Below you can find some pictures of the horse and videos:

Photos when she stands:

http://imageshack.com/a/img922/4775/Fhbhhd.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/5466/qJKz52.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/9437/otSgrA.jpg

Photos in movement, which extremely worries me:

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AsT7Oqap2k9egf8CEGss89UkYrYWFw

Videos in movement:

https://vimeo.com/235322405

https://vimeo.com/235322123

https://vimeo.com/235898814

I don't think I would be considering this horse if not her great character  She is lovely, quite wild, but lovely  I would be really grateful if you could advice me on that


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## hopscotch bandit (28 September 2017)

Her feet aren't great.  Her heels are very low and she might have PSD (proximinal suspensory desmitis) which affects the suspensory apparatus. Desmitis means inflammation. this can be caused by unbalanced feet, bad confirmation i.e straight hocks, and the ligaments over time get stretched. Symptoms get worse on a surface. .Rehab involves shockwave, anti inflammatories and PRP among other things. Symptoms - changes in gait, poor performance, evasivness, Prognosis is guarded. Put simply I would avoid at all costs


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## Midlifecrisis (28 September 2017)

Not an expert by any means but front leg movement would make me leave her well alone.


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## ester (28 September 2017)

She looks very straight behind too, which makes them more inclined towards PSD, I wouldn't purchase without scanning and even then I probably wouldn't purchase.


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## Pinkvboots (28 September 2017)

Not only does she have low pasterns they are also long and she is over at the knees on both fronts , I also don't like the way she stands behind the white hind leg is camped under and out in 2 of the pictures, I had a mare with slightly long pasterns and she ended up with a ridden career ending injury at 12, it's something I always look for and wouldn't buy another.


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## ycbm (28 September 2017)

I don't think she is over at the knee, if anything perhaps a touch back at the knee. She seems to have at least one scarred knee which is confusing things.  But she appears to have over developed tendons in the front legs, they look very thick. And with the dropping pasterns I would be suspecting DSLD, also known as ESPA. I would not buy her unless she was very cheap.


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## Casey76 (28 September 2017)

She has long toes and low heels on all four feet, so I would also be concerned about navicular.

Tied in at the knee on both fronts, coupled with being over at the knee on the near fore.  This coupled with the thickened tendons at the fetlock could indicate that she has already had a tendon injury, or that she could be very susceptible to tendon injuries.

Based upon leg conformation alone, I would step away from this one


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## henia (28 September 2017)

Thank you for so many replies! You all advice me against this mare, and I think this will be also my decision. I just wanted to be super sure, because character of this mare is the best that I've seen. Thank you for your help


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## TheMule (28 September 2017)

I wouldn't buy this mare, she is not confirmed in a way conducive to soundness


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## AdorableAlice (28 September 2017)

Just by looking at the state of premise would make my mind up, let alone such a poorly conformed horse.


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## hopscotch bandit (29 September 2017)

yes I thought that too.  Zooming around through the thick mud isn't going to any assist with any leg problems either.


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## KautoStar1 (30 September 2017)

It's a no from me too


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## henia (4 October 2017)

Thanks to your advices I decided not to buy that horse. So I started looking for a new one and found 4.5 yo mare. I think I have bad luck with low pasterns, because I think she has the same problem. However, her pasterns seem to be shorter, but still with bad angle. However, she moves really nice for me. I wonder if her pasterns may be because of her terrible hooves. From talking with the owner, I understand that no one ever did her hind hooves... Could you have a look at short video and few pictures? I will be very grateful 
Pictures:
https://ibb.co/jbTpqb
https://ibb.co/jo2FVb
https://ibb.co/f1ZJiw

Zoom for her terrible hooves:
https://ibb.co/hznhAb

And short video of movement:
https://vimeo.com/236809785


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## ester (4 October 2017)

I think there is something really quite nice about her. We have different ideas about terrible hooves, I don't think they are too bad but also suspect her stance would improve for a trim. I don't see anything that would worry me.


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## Pearlsasinger (4 October 2017)

I can't see your video but I  agree with you about her feet - they don't match!  And she looks rather hunched in the photo where she is showing her right side.  She does look rather pretty.  If she is near enough to you, I would ask your farrier to have a look, to see if he thinks her feet could be improved.


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (4 October 2017)

Like this little mare!! 

Even though (obviously) a big gangly and leggy at the moment, she is actually quite nicely put together and I'd expect her to be a nice comfy ride as it looks like you'd have plenty up-front. Think when she's developed a little more and got a bit more shape she'll be a little beauty. 

Don't see anything in the feet that a good farrier couldn't sort out TBH. Currently looks a tad in the rough due to obvious lack of TLC but it wouldn't surprise me if she's a rough diamond and the sort that will probably turn out to be a good-un.

(Edited) couldn't view the movement footage which was a shame.

Nice little mare, but I'd be cautious and get her vetted before purchase (as I would with anything).


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## ester (4 October 2017)

I will clarify my lack of terrible is because I hang out in places where you see really really bad hooves.


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## Pinkvboots (4 October 2017)

I can only see 2 pictures the video won't play her feet don't look that bad the toes just look a bit long so correct regular trimming should sort that out.


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## Leo Walker (4 October 2017)

I like her!


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## henia (4 October 2017)

Here you can find the same video on youtube, it should work now  https://youtu.be/A650Otim580
And thank you for quick replies


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## DabDab (4 October 2017)

Oh she's nice  

Her pasterns look fine to me. I will usually accept all manner of ills when it comes to front feet, but steer clear of bad back feet on a youngster. However, hers don't look too awful, and the rest of her is nice enough that I'd probably take a gamble. 

Do you know why nobody has ever trimmed her back hooves? Does she not pick them up?

ETA: just seen the video, she moves quite close behind for something of her build, which could be the cause of the odd shaped hooves. She may well strengthen up out of that


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## Meowy Catkin (4 October 2017)

I also feel much more positive about the grey.


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## henia (4 October 2017)

DabDab, yes, she does not pick up her hind legs, only front, so these are better. I asked the owner to pick up also hind legs and he said that he never tried and it seems that he is quite afraid of her. He is actually her third owner. He said that he does not have time to work with her. Also the previous owner didn't have time to work with her...
This is one of the moments that worries me: https://ibb.co/ntBRow


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## Meowy Catkin (5 October 2017)

That looks fine to me as she is moving and has her weight on the hind leg as the other hind leg is in the air. The pasterns do change in angle as the horse moves as they are essentially shock absorbers. Short, upright pasterns are not a good thing either, you want a happy medium in length and angle. It's how they look when she is stood square and has her weight even that is pertinent really.

If photobucket hadn't died I could show you lots of unflattering photos of my grey who has nice conformation really, but catch an awkward moment and they can look awful.


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## Andalucian (5 October 2017)

She looks fine to me, nothing that correct care won't fix.


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## FfionWinnie (5 October 2017)

She looks / sounds quite a handful!

Feet wouldnt bother me tho.


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## tallyho! (5 October 2017)

Nothing wrong with the feet - just not been trimmed for a while. Pasterns look fine. I like her - seems a normal 4.5 yo. Why does the last photo worry you? That back hoof is just very long. She's well put together even though she sounds like she needs some manners.


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## Pinkvboots (5 October 2017)

henia said:



			Here you can find the same video on youtube, it should work now  https://youtu.be/A650Otim580
And thank you for quick replies 

Click to expand...

watched the video she is a really nice horse and moves really well


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## henia (6 October 2017)

Thank you for your help  My main concern were her pasterns, but if you say that this is normal, then she will have good trim and hopefully after some time the problem will be solved. She definitely needs some manners, but I think after some work she will be great companion for next years  
When my father saw the video of her, he said that this is a reincarnation of our previous horse  from the character

So I decided to take her  Tomorrow I will call the owner to discuss details. I'm so excited


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## ester (6 October 2017)

Fab, she looks like she could do with an upgrade!


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## Meowy Catkin (6 October 2017)

I hope you have many wonderful years together.


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## henia (31 July 2019)

Hi again! I decided to post here, because I want to thank you all for helping me with my decision  Because this decision was based mostly on your replies here. I hope it's ok!

It's now over 1.5 year since we are together  She turned out to be extremely independent horse. She didn't live with herd before and she didn't have best manners so she learnt how to live on her own. Herd issue was fixed when I put her for few months to a herd with 30 years old mare who taught her life. She also turned out to have umbilical hernia, so she had to go for a surgery in the beginning and had half a year rehab, but now she is completely healthy. Her independence is actually pretty nice thing, she is not very buddy sour although she has some great relationships in her herd, and she is not scared by almost anything when we go for trail ride. Her independence works against me when she has different opinion on some things, but she values my opinion more and more often 

So this is us now! I am super super grateful to all of you for your advice!


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## Gloi (1 August 2019)

That's lovely


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## Pinkvboots (1 August 2019)

Great update thanks for that I am so glad it's worked out for you both she looks so much better


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## Red-1 (1 August 2019)

It is lovely to get an update, too often you don't hear anything further. 

She did look quite characterful, it is also lovely to see you have provided what she needed emotionally and worked with that.


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## Meowy Catkin (1 August 2019)

She really is beautiful and a complete character, it sounds like you have become a great partnership.  Sometimes the horses that it doesn't go completely smoothly with (eg the hernia) turn out to be the ones that you really 'click' with in the end. 

Best wishes for the future.


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## Goldenstar (1 August 2019)

Nice horse, enjoy your selves


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## Leo Walker (1 August 2019)

What a beautiful horse! You sound like you are perfect for each other


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## tallyho! (1 August 2019)

Sheâ€™s beautiful! Looking happy and relaxed... all the best to you both xx


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