In regards to the news of Totillas retiring due to lameness. The fact that the horse is retired at 15 yrs due to lameness in spite what I would assume to be top level care all of his life makes me wonder about the long term soundness of any off spring.
With no reports of a specific accident do you chalk it up to just the wear and tear of an upper level career or does it indicate to you an inherent lack of toughness or physical vigor? Do you not consider it a factor in breeding choice, or pick the toughest mare line you have or take a pass on a stallion that retired young due to lameness?
Such a significant special case here, this instance is difficult to pin his retirement on soundness alone. This is not the type of horse you bring down to lower levels with age related issues. The value of breedings alone tied in with a never ending paparazzi with eyes and suspicions on him and rider make the decision a good one for the horse.
Yes he received great care I’m sure, like a hothouse flower.
But in many cases, yes soundness of stallion and mare absolutely matters and it should be one of many deciding factors.
I don’t remember where I read it, but apparently the average age of retirement/decline for a high level sports horse in Germany (be they in dressage, showjumping or eventing) in between 11 and 13. So if that is correct, then Totilas has exceeded that. I’ll have to see if I can find where I read that.
When you think about his career, it has been long and hard. Starting at FEI with 7, that means more than half his life was at the pinnacle of dressage sport. I think even with perfect conformation and perfect training, that sort of work would take a physical toll on the horse.
2 observations here:
Totilas has been pushed hard, and IMNSHO, very incorrectly for a lot of years. I would not assume (yet) that his current issue (which is something that could happen to a pasture puff) is related to his genetic soundness potential. Periostitis is inflammation of/around a bone, and in this case, his foot. But it’s also the cause of “shin splints” - it’s really an over-use issue (most of the time).
In this case, since it’s a foot, I would really assume it’s an over-use issue, or a bad step at some point, or something “stupid” like that, as opposed to being conformationally originated.
I think anyone who has followed his career can agree he’s been worked too hard, possibly not managed well (ie lack of good quality turnout over his years - “top level care” still results in horses with badly trimmed feet, too little turnout in the name of “safety” and more, it’s not just about “fat and shiny”) and certainly worked incorrectly a great deal 
Now, that said, while he doesn’t have a great many kids on the ground yet, the ones I have seen are pretty blatantly tied in below the knees, which does not bode well for long-term soundness. It’s less of an issue for a Dressage horse than a Jumper, but it’s still an issue that will predispose them to front tendon and ligament injuries for sure.
When one is looking at a young stallion who retired early due to “lameness”, it’s really critical to look at 2 things - the cause of the lameness (a good deal of them are stupid things like pasture or even breeding-related injuries), and his pedigree’s soundness.
I DO think that some people overlook the long-term soundness issue when they jump on the young, unproven stallion bandwagon just to have a fresh, current name out in front of the foal-buying public.
I know for certain that some MOs do not take their mare’s reason for being retired into account by choosing to breed the mare they “just can’t keep sound”.
I also know that some do care a great deal about the soundness issue on both sides.
I think this is an important topic in the breeding industry period. Not even talking about Totilas as part of long term soundness and his breeding contribution. There seems to be a great deal of breeding happening that isnt considering soundness at all much less long term. I see way to many young horses out there that just dont hold up to any work weather their carefully handled and trained or irresponsable.
Here is a thread I started on this very topic 
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?423573-Long-Term-Soundness-anyone-tracking-this
I think it’s very important to breed for soundness. But let’s face it, this horse is 15 years old (well beyond the age of retirement for racehorses). Any athlete, whether it’s horse or human, can get injured, no matter how healthy they are.
It is, no doubt, very important to breed for soundness.
However, think of the lives of UL dressage horses. It is very unnatural and no amount of top quality care from professionals can change that - they are usually living isolated lives, in small turn outs, limited to no free range, when was the last time you think an UL dressage horse saw the verdant rolling hills of pasture? 15 is a long and very useable career - in different hands he may have gone to be “serviceably sound” as a low level dressage horse…
I’m with JB… Think that what we are now expecting of UL horses is very demanding on their bodies.
I also think his movement is not necessarily a precursor to soundness.
Look at Flexible (19!) or Brunello (17!), Galoubet & his son Baloubet aged well. Dressage, not as familiar with those lines.
Re: T’s movement - I think his current movement was long ago “designed” by way of his, ummm, questionable training LOL I do agree his current movement is not necessarily conducive to soundness. I just don’t think that is his natural, even if it were properly enhanced, movement
[QUOTE=JB;8279536]
Re: T’s movement - I think his current movement was long ago “designed” by way of his, ummm, questionable training LOL I do agree his current movement is not necessarily conducive to soundness. I just don’t think that is his natural, even if it were properly enhanced, movement :([/QUOTE]
The way he moves now is trained, absolutely. There is a video of him someone posted of him circa 2005, where he moves very differently… but even then he is very exaggerated up front and lackadaisical behind. Seems like too much extravagance could really propound the possibility of concussive-induced lamenesses later on.
Yep, that’s so hard to know. Certainly there are genetic ways of moving that will increase and decrease the chances of long-term soundness, both in terms of the discipline. How much? I don’t think that’s really been studied, but it only makes very common sense. It’s then up to the riders/trainers to work with that natural movement and make it better/more efficient/stronger, instead of from an aesthetics perspective. The more the latter is done, the more you’re inviting issues, and sometimes you don’t know whether what you’re looking at is natural and enhanced, or bastardized and detrimental.
I believe there have been at least two incidents of injuries that happened during breeding. I think I heard that one was a mishap involving the mount, but I am not sure if the other injury was a “reinjury”, or something different.
I also believe I heard that at least one of these injuries was to a hind foot - it could very well be the one that is plaguing him now, and it could be that it is the same injury that has plagued him for several years.
As others have said - Totilas has been performing at FEI since he was 7, and at the very highest levels of international sport for what - 6 years now? He is now 15. He owes nothing to anyone anymore in the competition world. I am glad PS finally said “enough is enough”. And I am sure there was a fair amount of risk management in his decision - injury to a hind foot could spell the end of a stallion’s breeding career.
And no, I would not worry about “genetic unsoundness” because a top, top international GP dressage stallion had to be retired at age 15.
And I am not sure he can be compared to Flexible or Brunello. Flexible doesn’t do half as much breeding as Totilas does. And Brunello is a gelding.
