>>> The owner had been ill and had two big high dessert pens of nearly >>> untouched mares and colts. She said she was a nice mare, other than >>> that she had sickle hocks . She felt that sometimes that wasn't a bad >>> thing in a dressage horse because it made it easy for them to get their >>> hind legs under them.
Yeah, I know, some "faults" aren't necessarily so bad in some disciplines as in others, and remember, my vet told me that our Mac would probably be ok as a light-use trail horse. Back to sickle hocks in dressage horse, I have to comment that they are also a group that tends to have bone-spavin more often that some groups. I guess we get down to the ethics of using a horse whose fault may make it easy for them to do a sport initially, but that may eventually lame them. TWH were bred for a while (and maybe still are) to be sickle hocked for the same reason, to exaggerate that overstriding. But...is that really overstriding? Or is it using a conformation trait to "cheat"? Whatever, a lot of TWH don't stay sound for long, so I'd hate to use them for role models. I think all of this too complicated for this list though - we have enough of our own ethical dilemmas to sort through, without getting into those of the rest of the equine world. More to the point of Icelandic horses, gaited horses don't generally have serious potential as dressage horses, so I don't think that should color how we look at things in this breed. I don't think sickle hocks or cow hocks get much attention in this breed, and considering this is a breed known for having a high incidence of bone spavin, that worries me. The FEIF just a couple of years ago instituted a rule that stallions have to be x-rayed and proven bone-spavin-free before they are evaluated. They don't lose registration or anything if they aren't clear, but it's noted. I think that's all well and good, but I'd prefer for people to be thinking about the CAUSES of bone-spavin, and the easiest way they can do that is to learn about the conformation and activities that increase its risk. After all, five-year-old horse could x-ray clean, but his conformation could make him come down with it immediately afterwards. If bone spavin weren't common in this breed, I'm not sure I'd keep bringing this up. But, it is, and it rankles me that people tout the system as being so valuable, when manes and tails get as much attention as legs. I've never known a skimpy mane and tail to cause a horse pain. Karen Thomas, NC
