Over at the Knee and Jumping

[SaturdayNightLive]

As it always seems to go for me, I’ve had a horse more or less fall into my lap. I’m considering whether or not to actually take him on, and I thought I’d reach out to COTH for a little wisdom…

Horse is a very cute 5 year old OTTB. He had a fairly successful racing career and was retired sound about 7 months ago. Basically, the owner just decided to be done racing horses. The horse won his last three races.

I know the breeder, the trainer that started the horse, and the current owner. But I do have one concern…

He is pretty over at the knee. He moves well - big athletic gaits, nothing that would concern me. But I’ve never owned one that was over at the knee and I’m not sure how big of a risk it is.

So, how concerned should I be? Should I pass on him or is it worth the risk?

ETA: I guess I should add what I want to do with the critter - I would hope to do at least some mid-level jumper stuff with him. Consider that board, etc…would be free…

[ElisLove]

Generally being over at the knee (if born that way) is not a real concern both soundness and safety wise. The horse can still lock it’s knees like normal. Back at the knee is more a soundness issue than over at the knee, but I wouldn’t say it’s a safety issue either unless the horse were to suffer an injury upon landing.

[Appsolute]

I have seen some upper level jumpers that were very obviously over at the knee.

I think a vet check would be in order to make sure that there was nothing else going on. Over at the knee + knee arthritis may be a different story than one that is just a bit over.

[k112]

As mentioned above, back at the knee would concern me more.

Plenty of horses are over at the knee and go strong into their 20’s with no issues. I find a lot of horses that are over at the knee jump wonderful up front (great knees!).

[lauriep]

Yup, shouldn’t be an issue. I wouldn’t turn one down if I liked him otherwise!

[JustThatSimple]

I had one severely over at the knee- no concerns- he was an upper level dressage horse before moving to hunter land.

[ByTheBook]

I have recently seen some tragic conformation on high level hunters and jumpers that it wouldn’t concern me in the least, unless he was back at the knee.

[Tha_Ridge]

[QUOTE=ByTheBook;7259768]
I have recently seen some tragic conformation on high level hunters and jumpers that it wouldn’t concern me in the least, unless he was back at the knee.[/QUOTE]

This. The best mover I ever knew was very downhill, over at the knee, and had two old bows. As long as they’re not going to model, it doesn’t bother me.

[rugbygirl]

My old TB is very over at the knee. He retired sound after 7 years pulling chuckwagons, and started an H/J career at 12.

He’s 17, and this year, he brought me to First Level in Dressage when I got too pregnant to jump anymore. He’s a nice mover, not a brilliant Hunter-y jump, but very effective over fences and LOVES to jump.

He has some soundness concerns (maybe due to the knees, but more likely due to having had two pretty demanding careers…general stiffness issues), but staying in a program keeps him in great shape, no injections or joint maintenance.

[King_Creole]

My OTTB is over at the knee. Most athletic horse I’ve ever been on. He’s 23 now and I retired him at 19 due to problems in the back end…never had an issue w/ the front. And he has some very ugly osselets on his front fetlocks. No chips interfering w/ the joints and he stayed perfectly sound.

The highest we showed was 3’6"-3’9" jumpers but he went higher at home.

Good luck w/ your guy, sounds like he’ll be fun! And post pics!

[Jumper_girl221]

My 21 year old TB mare is over at the knee + tied in at the knee. Pictured at 18 and 250 days in foal here…all my other pictures she’s “posed” to hide it lol I retired her at 19 with some hock arthritis (she “could” still be ridden, but not at the level I show and I don’t mind kicking her out in the field to hang out…she’s earned it). Oddly enough she’s now sound in the back end…most likely finally fused, but has arthritis/is slightly off in tight turns on her left knee related to a nasty injury last year….i.e. she tried to slice her leg off and it damaged the joint (graphic)

[URL=“https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/168377_538017273405_6803375_n.jpg”]A better picture of her in her prime so y’all don’t think I was a moron for breeding her.
Her knees actually got worse as she aged.

her two year old filly is over/tied in as well (more then her dam actually) and while its not pretty…it doesn’t concern me as much as my 6 year old that is back at the knee

[joiedevie99]

As long as it’s not severe, it’s not a major problem. The horse may be slightly more prone to soft tissue injuries up front, particularly suspensory. If it is severe, the horse may be more prone to tripping/stumbling.

[AnotherRound]

[QUOTE=joiedevie99;7260453]
As long as it’s not severe, it’s not a major problem. The horse may be slightly more prone to soft tissue injuries up front, particularly suspensory. If it is severe, the horse may be more prone to tripping/stumbling.[/QUOTE]

I actually don’t believe this. It may be true, but I personally don’t believe it is. At all.

[rugbygirl]

Her knees actually got worse as she aged.

Ditto with my guy…at least they LOOK worse.

I also noticed that he did get prone to tripping/stumbling, and learned that fitness is key for him to prevent that.

I think that being over at the knee sort of means that there is a little bit less skeletal support…so muscles need to make up for it a little bit. When he’s fit and getting regular work, the tripping is not an issue at all. This was also not an issue when he was younger.

In his younger days…
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150570469760412&set=a.10150570469750412.438838.609760411&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash2%2F373827_10150570469760412_1112283136_n.jpg&size=313%2C250

I can’t believe I’m doing this, but here’s a photo of us from this year, I’m about 4 months pregnant, he’s 17, and this is a Hunter class at a teeny, tiny little schooling show. He jumps ROUND, although my pregnancy-balance is more the reason I am so popped out of the tack…I stopped jumping after this show. He wasn’t exactly sure what to do with the cross-rail type heights…

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/1000351_10151831033210412_470180671_n.jpg

He’s standing as straight as he can here.
https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/1004860_10151831032965412_2030183595_n.jpg

He was only really limited in height by my ability…he jumped over 3’6" easily, and we still take him over the odd 3’+ fence. LOVES to jump.

[FLeventer]

Yep, my first prelim horse was very over the knee and it got worse as he aged. At 17 he was doing training/prelim (3’3/3’7) after many years of doing it with his prior owner. He runs around novice/beginner novice (2’11/2’6) to this day at 23. He is also a heavy paddler.

He hangs his legs a bit, but he jumps over everything so darn high, that it really didn’t matter. He never hung a leg over a jump and flipped us and was never even close.

My current young horse is over the knee in his left front and I’m not worried. Hope that he turns into a good eventer like my older guy.

[ccoronios]

There is an oldtimers’ saying that goes something like this: “Over at the knee and club-footed - it’ll never go down”

Rode one like that - owner hunted him, he was shown in working classes - never unsound.

[Jumper_girl221]

[QUOTE=FLeventer;7260559]
Yep, my first prelim horse was very over the knee and it got worse as he aged. At 17 he was doing training/prelim (3’3/3’7) after many years of doing it with his prior owner. He runs around novice/beginner novice (2’11/2’6) to this day at 23. He is also a heavy paddler.

He hangs his legs a bit, but he jumps over everything so darn high, that it really didn’t matter. He never hung a leg over a jump and flipped us and was never even close.

My current young horse is over the knee in his left front and I’m not worried. Hope that he turns into a good eventer like my older guy.[/QUOTE]

My mare didn’t have a knees to eyeball jump, but she was pretty clean when challenged (which considering her previous competition experience was at 3’6" and with me was 2’6"-3’ it didn’t happen often (she was my "get back into horses babysitter).

Baby on the other hand…I drool over her jump (what few times she’s offered it…I’ve not formally done a jumping chute to see it so just get what I can snag playing in the ring). She makes it look so effortless… http://youtu.be/9qpVRq_mDDA I can’t wait till she’s old enough to break (and jump!). I bred her to be my 3’6" jumper/maybe play in the hunters/derbys. Definitely an improvement on the dam movement and jump wise.

[Addison]

There is a 20 year old TB in our barn who is over at the knees and has had (and continues to have) a long career showing, hunting and just being a great all around horse. Very sound!

[SaturdayNightLive]

Well, I hope y’all are right, because I’m now the proud owner of an over-at-the-knee OTTB!

Someday I will stop taking on random projects that cross my path… :lol:

[Appsolute]

OooOh! Congrats!! Now we need pictures pictures pictures!