That is how I read your post too.
What does your trainer think of this horse and their tail? I am interested (which I think is what you are looking for too) in the answer to the question - if you were judging a hunter class would this tail be a problem?
Does the price reflect that they are less than perfect for the job?
I do agree with the advice that if you are considering moving forward then a very extensive PPE would be smart.
Where would this horse be imported from? All vets are not equal and I’ve witnessed some horror stories unfold with foreign PPEs (which is not to say US vettings are always without drama but the added wrinkle of importing can complicate things). If this is a horse you can’t even sit on and you can be there for the PPE and it’s a vet you don’t know doing the PPE to me these are reasons not to compromise on a horse worth a weird tail carriage that could be a huge vet problem at worst or an annoying thing that will make him non competitive even if it’s not.
And my kissing spine horse went over a decade doing the 3’ hunters before diagnosis and if you would have asked me then I’d have said his tail was a quirk. I was wrong. He was just a do-er. Just because a horse does the job doesn’t mean they’re not working through pain or an issue that will creep up later.
I think what she’s saying (and I agree) is that just because a problem hasn’t been diagnosed doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem there.
If you excuse tail carriage as a quirk and therefore don’t X-ray you will never find evidence of kissing spines causing the carriage. But the failure to find it doesn’t mean it’s not there. And you’ll never find it if you never look.
I mean, if you really like it, do a thorough PPE and make sure the back/tail is checked.
As you are asking for opinions, here is mine: I would not buy a hunter who holds its tail out when ridden, full stop. It’s not worth it to buy something that is automatically a visual problem for some judges. Nor would I buy a horse for ANY use that does that unless I had done my due diligence with a really good PPE. I passed on one amazing (jumper) prospect who held his tail a bit off to the side because there was an even better one at the same barn, but had I decided to go with the first guy I would have made sure the vet knew my concerns and investigated the tail thing.
Just chiming in w this question- IF the tail isn’t indicative of a problem, and you buy him but don’t like him for some other reason, how will it affect your ability to sell him??
There are horses that trot that wy in the pasture and under saddle. Some people prize a tail carrying horse. I always did, but I never, ever, showed hunters.
If he does it at liberty or being longed-no saddle that’s his norm. If that will count against you in the ring, then pass, leave him for someone who will have no problem with it.
This and definitely not to the extreme in the picture. If it were Arab, sure no issue, that’s expected and normal. But “main stream” hunters? Nope, not if placing matters. Even without anything physical, it’s a knock as soon as you enter the ring for probably 90 percent of the judges.
There are plenty of horses here and abroad who don’t do this, why pay to import a horse you’ve never ridden who is coming with an issue already?
Jill Treece from Jetequitheoty on YouTube/ Instagram has a mare that has always swished her tail like crazy whenever she rode. She did eventing on it too and the mare would jump around just fine but would swish her tail like it was a propeller but the mare was always sound. Everyone in the comments would always be like you need to X-ray for kissing spines, but she would always say no she just does that, she’s quirky, she’s not in pain my vet and trainer say she’s fine. She finally X-ray’d the back and turns out the mare does have kissing spines. I have a lot of respect for her because she did admit that she was wrong and she should’ve listened to her horse years ago. But so many people would just continue to ride a horse like that and write off warning signs as quirkinesses without investigating.
I truly believe most horses with KS that bother them go a long long time and do a lot of work before it gets bad enough for them to say no. I think the number that are so bad out of the gate that they’re rearing and bucking from the time they’re broke is small. I think for a lot of them it starts off as a small discomfort they can deal with and they do deal with it for a long time. Doesn’t mean it’s not there though. Horses go through all sorts of pain. They’re prey animals and are bred to please people. Working through pain is nature and nurture to them.
So you said that a high tail is how he travels with or without a rider, and swishes it over jumps. All good.
You also said that this is how he holds his tail from moment one when the rider sits down. So more importantly to me is that he holds it up when carrying weight even whee not moving. That last part is unusual to me. I’d look into it at least.
This is a good point, OP. You should take these two pages full of people saying “Nope, wouldn’t consider buying him” as predictive of your experience if/when you choose to sell.
I’d be concerned that it’s pain, but even if it isn’t, it’s a reason for a judge to not place him at the top. Why start off at a disadvantage going in?
I’m surprised no one has brought up Nautical…Hugh Wiley’s Olympic show jumper. Perhaps OP needs to shift disciplines.
Walt Disney made a movie…“Horse With The Flying Tail”
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. I did think of him. I loved that movieðŸ˜.
Maybe we’re both showing our age.
I was surprised that that the horse Nautical was not the first thought that came to mind or that someone would mention in a thread about a horse that flips its tail.
Everything in OP’s original post says this might be a great horse…not one with a medical issue.
For those who are not familiar with Nautical, the movie is available on Amazon or Youtube. I believe that it was the actual Nautical in the movie.
Here is a 1-minute clip of Nautical and Hugh Wiley on Youtube.
[video=youtube_share;VCS4cxDBXs8]https://youtu.be/VCS4cxDBXs8[/video]
Nautical was a jumper. OP’s answers suggested to me that this horse is for the hunters, is it? Different judging criteria for sure.
True…but as the Brits say, “Horses for Courses.” Why try to stuff a square peg in a round hole.
If the horse has a “natural” way of going that does not fit hunters, maybe OP needs another horse. Or if she likes this horse, maybe OP needs to change disciplines.
OP was asking for advice on buying something. Not asking if she should switch disciplines based on the way her current horse goes. Yeah, the citation to Nautical was a fun bit of history but if OP is looking for a hunter (is she? If not she certainly didn’t correct people who assumed that from her post) a horse like Nautical isn’t going to do that job. So if indeed she’s looking for a hunter I’m not sure how on point that reference to ONE single WEIRD going horse who was awesome is. He was awesome in another discipline. and he’s an aberration, as cool as he was. I mean, yeah Stroller was the bees knees but we don’t use that ONE EXAMPLE as a basis to suggest people buy 14.3 grand prix prospects. An aberration is an aberration.
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