Had a PPE done yesterday and my vet doesn’t love these x-rays - he is recommending walking or low balling the seller. He said it is very extreme for her age. 4 yr old 1/2 Clyde, 1/2 TB
Thoughts or experiences with side bone?
I would pass based on vets recommendation or if I really liked the horse, send X-rays off for a consult.
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Sidebone can be no big deal…or it can linger and be an issue for the entire time you have the horse. It does seem to be more common in horses with draft in them. That is pretty substantial for a 4yo, though. What are your goals? If you want her for any major athletic endeavors, I would pass. At a minimum you’d need to very carefully manage her feet, and at worst you could end up needing to do surgeries for sequestrae if they break, which the larger ones are wont to do.
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Yikes. I’d pass based on vet recommendation TBH that’s not mild. Like someone else said, we sometimes find side bone incidentally on perfectly sound older horses and it isn’t an issue. On a 4YO that’s much riskier - the big ones can break off so easily and require surgery or just bother them forever.
I know a late teens pony with less significant side bone that’s been sound and barefoot forever - only found it last year just incidentally. I also know of a mid teens draft cross with milder side bone that the owner manages carefully, but doesn’t seem to bother him. Again, found later when looking at something else, never had a reason to otherwise xray the feet. To me personally that’s different than finding it on PPE of a young horse, and to this degree.
If you were wanting to jump this horse at all, I would absolutely pass. A low level trail/dressage/flat horse? Maybe… but I’d send the X-rays off to a second opinion first (and if they agree with first vet, I’d pass). Remember no matter how cheap the purchase price, you may end up supporting a NQR horse for the next 20-30 years. If that’s a fine risk and you like the horse…
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I have one with side-bone that has never been lame in 27 years. And I have a 28 year old that has side-bone who has been lame for the last 11 years of his life. I would pass.
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Thank you for your input. I’m thinking I’m going to pass. My vet said he isn’t typically concerned about side bone but that this is pretty extreme for a 4 yr old. I’m wanting to do fox hunting and low level jumpers and she hasn’t been started over fences yet so who knows how she’d hold up to that. She’s not inexpensive either - $30,000
The reason I’m searching for a horse is because my mare tore the collateral ligament of her coffin joint and her future riding career is questionable so I’m definitely not wanting something that is high risk for similar issues.
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My vet was concerned about the amount for a 4 yr old. I’m wanting to do low jumpers and fox hunting so not meter plus stuff but still more than trail riding and pleasure riding. It’s disappointing because I loved this horse but I’m thinking I’m going to have to pass. I’m looking for another horse because my mare tore the collateral ligament of her coffin joint and her future career is questionable so I’m not wanting something high risk for similar issues.
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Oh heck no not for $30k! $3k maybe… if you have the funds and time and emotional bandwidth to risk it on a question mark.
Definitely keep looking, especially for what you want to do.
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Nope, nope, nope.
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No. Honestly this speaks to a horse that never had trims when growing, and I would be concerned other things were neglected/the horse had malnutrition during its baby years.
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For $30k with aspirations of jumping and foxhunting? Absolutely not worth the risk IMO.
Good luck on your search, the right one is out there somewhere! Horse shopping can really put you through the emotional wringer.
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My mare came up suddenly lame after running around like a fool in the pasture in late Dec 2020.
Vet x-rays showed side bone. She came round from that and was sound for another year. Came up lame 2 years ago and has never been reliably sound again.
I remember his words clearly " this is the beginning of the end". Meaning eventually it would be an issue.
She is almost 20 and I have owned her since she was a weanling and she has never ever been lame before this. PASS.
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I have one that’s on again/off again. I would pass.
