Spindle legs

[Elles]

On this forum I read about the modern Thoroughbred and it's spindle legs.
However when I look at the older pictures of horses in the pedigree query it seems to me that quite a lot of the oldtimers had spindle legs. What is the difference nowadays? Is it that the bodies have become heavier?

[StealingKat]

Spindle legs are not the problem. We have a different set of problems. Over feeding our yearlings to promote rapid growth. Hot boxing for sales prep ( cuz lord knows you don't want a scratch on your babies) Foals naturally develop bone density by ripping around the pasture. It is imperative for proper bone development. and finally our bizarre training of the thoroughbred horse. 23 hours in a stall and 1 hour out.
Think about it. Take and over weight person and have them run a mile with very little training and prep. Snapped ankle from pounding on an over weight body on under developed bone. Not really rocket science. Give me a pasture reared midget to a hog fat, hotboxed, sales prepped yearling anyday! While they look stunning it really is time to think about the horse.....

I am wearing flameproof undies today as I KNOW my opinion is not a popular one.

[Roguelet]

I am wearing flameproof undies today as I KNOW my opinion is not a popular one.

Actually, I'll stand up with you on this one. I agree 100%.

[madelyn]

Wow. I think I must need flameproof undies.

But I agree. Part of the big problem today is the hothousing of foals.

[StealingKat]

Madelyn,
You can get em in bulk at Costco LOL

I had a mare in for breeding this year that just would not breed. She was sooooo fat she had dapples and a crest. The vet came out and looked at her and said all she needs to do is lose weight. I called the owner and let them know that baby was going on a diet. Sure enough she is preggers with very little effort. I think we all need to reevaluate what is considered "pretty" in horses. Fat is costing us money is wasted breeding time and losses in training time. Seeing a couple ribs when a horse rounds a corner might not be a bad idea.

[ArchDandy]

Speaking of raising foals in pasture, how much would you say is adequate for a one mare and her foal, actually I'd love two answers: the ideal ammount of room, and the bare minimum you would be comfortable with.

[madelyn]

I'd rather see 4-5 mares with foals on 8+ acres than to see them cooped up singly in 1 acre paddocks. Ideally, it would also have hills, creeks and trees. Foals start to leave Mom and play with the other foals pretty soon, and start to develop their equine social skills. These are very important if you want a horse who will run with the pack and try to win (spent much more time playing with and competing with horses his or her age than as My Pretty Pony in a stall being groomed by humans). I have an orphan colt who as a short yearling ended up terrified of other horses.. we had to put him out with one other colt, then two, etc. etc. Now he is as bold as brass but if we'd sent him straight to training the only races he could have won would have been when he got the lead and ran hell for leather away from all the other horses.

When they get to weaning age, we break them up by sex - mares with fillies vs mares with colts. Having spent so much time socializing, they don't miss their dam nearly so much. We can sneak the mares out one at a time, oldest foal first.

[ArchDandy]

Wonderful! thanks for all the info, makes all sense to me. I'll see what I can manage as owner of a single mare.

[soundfast]

I only have a single Thoroughbred mare but I have 4 horses. My horses have over 50 acres of running room. My yearling exercises "grandma" who is not actually related to her but she sees to it that the old mare gets some exercise and gets her trotting around which at 33 she would not do on her own. The yearling also "breezes" with her mother sometimes. My stallion runs with them also sometimes.I let the mare wean her. I did not ever separate them. Her mom weaned her between 9 and 10 months of age. They have no stalls they go in and out of the barn whenever they like.

[Elles]

This is our three year old filly, since we got her 1,5 years ago she has been in a field with other horses a lot. When we got her she was afraid of other horses and very thin. She is still growing and has always been rather backward but she is getting there now. We are giving her all the time she needs, no rush. No hothousing for her. She will race very soon but we had a small mishap recently because she had stood in a sharp object. But she has recovered from that now.
http://www.mijnalbum.nl/GroteFoto-NOW6NDZB.jpg
http://www.mijnalbum.nl/GroteFoto-YLBRC4YK.jpg
http://www.mijnalbum.nl/GroteFoto-TDKQZNUI.jpg

[KamiBrooks]

I have an orphan colt who as a short yearling ended up terrified of other horses.. .....if we'd sent him straight to training the only races he could have won would have been when he got the lead and ran hell for leather away from all the other horses.

I have a horse just like this in my pasture. Scared to death of other horses. The only time he won was if he was out front and I swear it was because he was scared to death and running for his life. Poor guy is even afraid of yearlings.... he's S L O W L Y learning that horses won't hurt him, but still can't deal with groups of more than 4 (with him counted in the 4), so he has a single 'buddy' most of the time.

[Elles]

Our filly is very confident now around other horses, she even gets a bit bitchy now and than . Running in a field with other horses has really given her a boost. She is still not fat but she has some nice muscle on her. Not too heavy but she is not a sprinter type but the 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 miles type.

[Mood Swings]

StealingKat - I am surprised you think you would need flame proof undies, I think you are right on the money, 100%