Is it worth it to x-ray hocks and stifles on a 4-6 month old?
Others can tell you their thoughts, but I’ve always been taught it’s fairly worthless unless you are seeing some form of unsoundness.
that stinks! I hate the idea of not vetting them
No one said about not vetting them?:no:
You can still vet them, it is just that x-rays are not helpful in foals of that age and most sellers will not allow flexions on horses under 2 years of age. But all of my foals have been vetted. Some even had x-rays done because the buyer wanted that, even though the research data suggest that they are not helpful because things you might see at that age can disappear by riding age.
All of the foals I have bought I vetted, but did not x-ray.
just seems that without flexions and x-rays its a much better buy to get a long yearling
I have bought 5+ foals and never x-rayed or flexioned. I prefer evaluating their movement as a foal (and buying them) vs a long yearling where their growth stage can make them move funky (and look funky).
I have had excellent luck purchasing very, very nice horses as foals who are turning out to be super riding horses. I could never have afforded them when they were older and closer to riding age. But only you can decide what you are comfortable with.
I have only bought one foal and I did not bother vetting it. I don’t think x-rays or flexions are useful at that age. If you want to have a vetting, I would do more of a wellness/physical exam plus have your vet check for any abnormalities in the limbs.
For a PPE? I wouldn’t. Youngest I’ve ever x-rayed was a 2 almost 3 year old.
I’ve never done flexions on even a long yearling. The long yearlings I bought, my vet and I watched move freely. Looked at their conformation. Checked their eyes and listened to the heart (eta: vet checked the bite too–gave a basic physical and looked for things that might cause a problem). That was it.
I agree, all the data I can find supports that it isn’t really worth x-raying until they are 18 months (that is if they are sound, of course). If anyone has heard something different, please chime in!
You can still have their heart listened too and their eyes checked. I know someone who didn’t realize the horse had a messed up bite on their own, but did a ppe on a youngster and it was pointed out to her (I guess it depends on what your ability to spot these things is and also to know if they do or don’t matter).
Honestly, the riding horse I did the most thorough ppe on (and “passed”) ended up being the worst with regards to lameness. It didn’t show up on the ppe, however…
Another, everything I’ve seen and heard has been what you see on a baby may be very different from what is seen at 2. If you did do x-rays, I would be sure you have an expert able to look at them and not just your average vet who does primarily adult x-rays. I would do a PPE and assess eyes, heart and movement and if something looks amiss then x-ray or pass
The vet exam required for insurance (in my experience) usually includes eyes, mouth, respiration, heart, clean-ness of limbs and correctness of movement.
That is probably sufficient for most youngsters. If they are correct, sound fit, with no puffiness or deviation of legs, that is a lot onf info for a youngster. X-rays are not useful on a babe or yearling, generally.
Ditto Sunnydays and Edgewood.
And wanted to add… if there’s a nice 4-6 month old you like, it may well not still be for sale when it’s a long yearling, or it may not be the same price.
I recall a very well respected equine vet (also breeder of Cabana Boy) say that he would always xray a weanling because most OCDs ect form within the first year of life. That also seems to be what the research supports so if you are worried about such issues perhaps xraying is a smart thing to do. On the other hand many issues that show up at this age will resolve naturally by the time they are mature. Just food for thought.
[QUOTE=Forte;5962601]
I have only bought one foal and I did not bother vetting it. I don’t think x-rays or flexions are useful at that age. If you want to have a vetting, I would do more of a wellness/physical exam plus have your vet check for any abnormalities in the limbs.[/QUOTE]
Ditto…I have bought a few. Just check to see they are healthy, and free from obvious conformational defects and health problems!
I second what Sunnydays says. The joints and legs should be clean - no puffiness. The problem with X-rays is that joint surfaces, may show up as blurred - not from DOD, but cartilage, as the bone is still forming at such a young age, especially in the hocks and stifles. Even with puffiness, that may resolve by 11 months on its own - but, that would make me think twice as a buyer.
If the mare has had multiple offspring, especially any full siblings, I would ask about them.
[QUOTE=Donella;5964093]
I recall a very well respected equine vet (also breeder of Cabana Boy) say that he would always xray a weanling because most OCDs ect form within the first year of life. That also seems to be what the research supports so if you are worried about such issues perhaps xraying is a smart thing to do. On the other hand many issues that show up at this age will resolve naturally by the time they are mature. Just food for thought.[/QUOTE]
Yes and no. The most recent research shows that OCD does form during this time frame. However, prior to about 18 months of age you can get self-resolving lesions, hence waiting until at least 18 months of age to do survey radiographs. Generally what you find at that age is what you get. However, even then some things change. I had an 18 month old filly with a tiny flap of cartilage (a “chip”) in one stifle, we think b/c of trauma but who knows. A well respected orthopedic specialist advise that b/c of its size and location and her young age to try a course of Adequan. That is exactly what we did and after the Adequan her rads were totally clean (digital, too).
So my point being is that you can have a weanling or yearling with what looks like an OCD lesion that will resolve naturally, on its own, by the time they are two years old.
That’s a hard one really. As an owner I would like to have xrays earlier than later, if there is a possible issue I’d like to know about it. As a buyer it’s hard at that age to make a definite decision what will be a problem later and what wont.
xrays on a weanling IMO aren’t “useless”, but you do run a risk of seeing something on them that could be nothing or could resolve on it’s own. At that age you would need someone to look at and evaluate the xrays that really knows what they are looking at and has experience reading xrays of a horse that age. The biggest risk would be you would see something that would scare you off and you would miss out on a great horse out of fear.
THere are a handful (or less) radiologists in the country right now that are truly qualified to do survey radiographs on a WB weanling. And the problem is…by the time you sent them out and had them read and evaluated…the foal would be different. They are in a rapid phase of growth at this period and that is THE most difficult (and most often MIS-diagnosed) time in a horse’s entire life.
Oh, and you may NOT flex anything of mine until it is 2.5yrs. Period.
fwiw I cannot for the life of me understand the worth of flexions on any horse.
I bought a OTTB gelding many years ago who never flexed off in his life with me. He had a knee that was literally in 2 pieces.
My Hanoverian mare had flexions done several times a year for several years in my quest to figure out what was going on with her. Never flexed off on a single joint. She had OCD in one stifle as well as being mildly neurological.
I’ve know perfectly sound and in work horses with clean xrays that will flex “off” on both hinds.
I don’t understand vets putting in stock in them. I think they are a joke.
