Excessively Sloped pasterns in potential eventing horse?

[hlarson29]

I am interested in buying this 5.5 year old OTTB. He was only raced 5 times and has no prior injuries (that I am aware of). He is way overdue for a trim, but it looks to me like his pasterns are very long and thin. I am looking for a horse that can possible go up to intermediate level, but I worry that his pasterns may predispose him to injury. Am I just being paranoid? I definitely plan on getting a vet check if the owner and I can come to an agreement on price, but his price does depend in part on his legs.

Any advice on his legs would be greatly appreciated! I do not want to get a horse that would get injured down the road due to their legs! Attached are the links to the pictures.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/144062116@N08/

[Highflyer]

Is that the only full body shot you have of him? He does look like his pasterns are quite long in it. It’s taken from a pretty unflattering angle, so it’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on, but he doesn’t look like a great UL prospect from it. I’d be curious to see what he looked like in a better photo. There are a lot of nice, relatively inexpensive OTTBs out there, and if you feel like they are overly long/ sloping in real life I would keep looking.

[Lusoluv]

This horse looks like he has long pasterns and he toes out. NOT a good candidate for taking lots of stress and strain. I would not select this horse as an upper level prospect at all. Sorry

[HappyTalk]

Pass him up. I have a lovely lower level dressage horse with long pasterns that never jumped a day in his life. Retired at age 21 due to ringbone. I can’t imagine an event horse holding up long at all.

[beowulf]

I would keep looking. Looks like a lovely horse but the market is flooded with nice ones needing the right match without sloping pasterns.

[EventerAJ]

It will take some farrier work to get the feet sorted and improve the broken back pastern axis. I would be hesitant to consider those front limbs in an upper level horse. Lower level, maybe. But the ankles already show signs of wear, and coupled with his pastern angles, that worries me. For lower level work, I’d take xrays and go from there. Not a horse I’d take a risk on as resale project or upper level keeper. Resales have to be squeaky clean, and the fitness work for intermediate+ can be demanding on the joints. I don’t want to be overly critical, though, he could be successful and sound in a less stressful job.

[hlarson29]

Thanks so much for the input everybody. It is very appreciated!

[HicksteadFan]

I also would pass him up as an eventer. It’s not the feet or fetlocks I’d be worried about, but the tendons. When the fetlocks hand out behind the feet that much, it puts so much strain on the tendons at the back of the leg. Even just walking around, he’s causing damage (to some degree).

[Winding_Down]

I agree with HicksteadFan. Horse looks at risk for major tendon/ligament injuries.

[hlarson29]

I decided to pass on the horse. I’m going to keep looking thanks again everybody!

[Lusoluv]

It’s hard sometimes, when our heart has gotten ahead of our heads. You’ve made the right decision. Good luck in your continued search. The horse with the heart and healthy body for your goals is out there

[hlarson29]

thank you I really needed to hear that!

[LadyB]

[QUOTE=hlarson29;8875604]
I decided to pass on the horse. I’m going to keep looking thanks again everybody![/QUOTE]

Good decision!

[findeight]

Good choice. I don’t even Event but don’t like to see this in any kind of performance horse, even lower levels or non jumping careers. Serious regular training in any discipline requires a certain degree of basic physical ability starting with a solid base of support.

Its hard, you feel sorry for them, you get tempted to rationalize and make excuses or grab into the idea it’s just bad farrier work. Don’t do that. Always a good idea to take an experienced friend or at least post pics on here for neutral, third party opinions.

[Tumbleweed]

I had one that jumped for a year, injured his check lig, rehabbed injured it again, LL dressage and retired a year later due to ringbone. Pass