Buying a horse with an old SI injury (Hunter's Bump)...

[Clair2014]

Without going into too much detail, I’m looking at purchasing a 4 year-old mare with an old SI injury. She has a hunter’s bump on the right side only and I don’t have any information about how the injury was sustained, as no one seems to know. The mare has been in 8 months of serious dressage training with a professional and I have watched a number of videos documenting her progress along the way…she is making good progress. She is willing and capable and appears sound with three good gaits and a solid leg yield and shoulder-in. Her connection with the bridle varies and she can be look-y but I have been able to determine from the videos that both have improved significantly. In addition, her transitions are very prompt and willing without any sign of reluctance or discomfort.

My budget is limited and temperament is key for me, as I’ve had several injuries that were not related to horses but limit my ability to ride certain personalities. This horse fits the bill in many ways and the price is right so I would be willing to manage her if she would stay sound. The one caveat is that I am an FEI level rider so my expectations of the horses can be high. To watch this mare go, you wouldn’t think she’d have any limitations but I’m definitely leery.

At this point, my vet said I need to have a soundness exam and ultrasound done to determine if her former injury is completely healed. What else would you recommend? What other experiences have you all had with this injury in dressage horses?

[khall]

The one that I knew that had this injury would not stay sound. A gorgeous young Trak gelding. His owner had him euthanized when they sold their farm not wanting to place him anywhere. Kind horse and tragic he would not stay sound.

[netg]

While for general use the injury doesn’t bother me, if it shows a bump still, it means there is a misalignment either present due to the injury and scarring or due to conformation which will continue to be an issue moving forward any time more mobility is needed there. I assume if you’re an FEI rider, you want a horse who can do FEI - and I have seen mobility issues through the SI joint area become huge problems at the upper levels. For anyone with lower aspirations, I’d say vet it to be sure the horse shows no indications of pain and is sound, but for FEI aspirations I would say no go.

[alibi_18]

If I were you, with the limitations you state, I wouldn’t buy a 4yrs old but a more mature horse.

From my experience, SI injuries can become a limitation if you have FEI goals.
At 4yrs old, it will likely need maintenance even if healed. Which means easily lots of $ prior to getting to FEI levels. Dressage is hard on the SI joint.

Maybe a bone scan. But I find it’s quite a lot for a PPE.

[Clair2014]

I should clarify a bit - my primary riding horse died suddenly of Potomac back in May of this year so I am currently without a regular riding horse. I do have a weanling colt coming up but it will be several years before he is ready for anything. My finances really limit buying something older with more training and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if this horse didn’t make it to the FEI, as I have a number of students and she could move on to other things with them down the road. My primary goal right now is to have a regular horse with some talent to ride and bring along in order to stay active in the horse community. I made the comment about being an FEI rider because I’m very serious about my riding and I work the horses seriously but I see now how that was misleading.

[CanteringCarrot]

I basically owned this horse. Bump on one side, injured when younger, etc. It limited his dressage career and I’d never buy a horse with any SI injury (past or present) again.

[teamfire]

Currently own a horse similar. Except I knew when he injured himself, and although I didn’t recognize the damage as early as I should have, it was treated within the year which has helped his prognosis.

He did develop scaring (calcium build up) on one side and although minimal, can be seen with a good eye and felt. He also requires regular chiropractic-like care.

I’m no FEI rider and not training at an FEI pace. But it doesn’t seem to bother him, he can collect quite easily and has no problem pivoting his pelvis. Non related conformation issues have more relevance and his phenomenal loin (despite the old injury, now 7 years past) has helped carry him along.

Mind you, I have no idea what he would have been like without the injury. Maybe a bit more talented maybe a lot more. I’ll never know.

[Tanny98]

Been there, done that, no thanks. If I were that limited in funds I would pass.

[vxf111]

If she was nice enough to be a broodmare I might consider her but not for much more than a broodmare price. Old soft tissue injuries are something I would never intentionally buy in a working horse intended to do any showing/intense work

[Scribbler]

One thing I learned from Deb Bennett’s book is that some conformation is more susceptible to hunters bumps. Especially if the hip joint is in front of the SI joint (long loin, relatively short croup).

On the other hand some horses with short loins and long croups a re just never going to get one, they will break down elsewhere first.

I think that an asymmetrical hunters bump is different in nature from a symmetrical one, and more worrying.

I would not willingly take on a horse with an SI injury, and if I had to, would want lots of images of what was going on back there.

They can be exacerbated by low level riding shuffling along on the forehand as much as by incorrect vigorous training, so putting her into beginner lessons might not be a good solution.

[hatricksmom]

I purchased a horse with this issue when he was 13/14. At 18 years old he is now fully retired as we can’t keep him sound. I have tried everything from massage, PEMF, chiro, back injections and a variety of supplements but my vet and I finally decided there wasn’t much more to be done and so the decision was made to let him live out life as a pasture puff.

[sonestra]

I have a horse just like this. The mare sustained the injury to the right side probably in shipping as a 2 year old. It did not present as asymmetrical, however. We did shockwave, and the SI is now totally healed according to ultrasound and she never palpates sore over that area. However, the bump is still there and according to the specialists, it’s purely cosmetic. I did have a bone scan done after it was healed, and there was no activity shown in that area. It’s not always true that a bump means active inflammation or issue, according to the lameness specialists that did the bone scan. I will say that this horse is still very young and is not training at the upper levels. It’s very possible flexibility issues will emerge over time.

[MaryC]

@Scribbler

I think that an asymmetrical hunters bump is different in nature from a symmetrical one, and more worrying.
.

This. My horse has a symmetrical bump that has presented very few problems (just periodic chiro), she’s schooling PSG with no problem. At the time of purchase, the chiro, vet and massage guy all said that asymmetrical bumps are usually problemmatic. Have the horse vetted and proceed accordingly.

[Farys]

I had a horse with SI issues. He was a big boy so I didn’t start him until he was 5. During that first year under saddle he was off/on lame. By the time he was 6, he was retired. He finally came sound at age 9 and was given away as a companion/trail horse. I would steer clear of obvious SI issues. There are too many nice horses out there to settle for one that you know may develop serious soundness issues in the future.

[Calhoun]

I have a horse that was sore in the SI and poll. Did a SI injection last summer which took 5-6 weeks to see improvement. This Fall the horse started showing signs of soreness again, this time I did one shockwave session on the poll and SI. At first I thought is was a waste of money and 2 months later, it’s been fantastic. The fussiness in the bridle is gone and lateral work has improved 100%. Williness to be through in the back and forward has also improved greatly.

[Clair2014]

Thanks for the thoughtful feedback everyone. I gave this horse a considerable amount of thought and rode her multiple times and had video taken of each ride. She’s really quite lovely to ride and is very well trained. She checks all of my “boxes” so I decided to make an offer to the owner that was just over broodmare price pending a satisfactory veterinary exam. The owner accepted my offer and I did what amounted to the most expensive pre-purchase exam I have ever done in my 30+ year career. In the end, we could not make this horse appear sore in any way, shape or form and all of her imaging was superb. The vet felt very strongly that her SI joints are not sore at all at this time. Honestly, I think the only way we could have been more thorough would have been to take her in for a bone scan.

Of course, purchasing her is a gamble and I know that but I do not have the budget to buy a more expensive horse and she is a nice horse for the money at this time. Hopefully everything will work out. Time will tell… Thanks again for the feedback!

[Guyot]

Best of luck! And of course we would love pictures of your new girl!!

[kiwichick]

Good for you. Hope you got the bargain of the century