Unbacked horse with post OCD surgery boggy hock. Buy or pass?

[fivestrideline]

I’m looking at a young WB as a jumper/Eq prospect for myself. It’s HUGE, and had OCD surgery on both hocks at 2. X-rays are clear as a whistle, but one hock is a little boggy still after full rehab. I am not sure exactly which area the lesions were on.

I’m wondering how much of a red flag that may be? I have not vetted the horse - the seller has been very open - but would want to X-ray everything on this horse to be sure. I have friends with hunters that had surgery and you’d never know, they’re all going around just fine. It’s a very nice horse, dressage and jumper bred, but definitely a giant. I know the giant ones don’t tend to hold up as well, but for a personal 3’-3’6” horse on a light showing schedule (and a budget!) I’m still considering it.

Should I run?

[Smiles]

I’d say you can find young horses without surgery that will have problems in the future. But had this one been working and staying sound I’d say go for it but unback I’d pass. But that just me.

[2DogsFarm]

Is seller open to providing your vet with medical records/x-rays pre & post-surgery?
How old is Big Horse now & how big is he?

Will your budget cover future lameness, possible loss of use?
Showing at 3’6 might be okay. Or not.
Only time will tell.

IIWM, I’d probably keep looking.
But my budget has zero wiggle room.

[ASB_Stars]

I’ve purchased young horses who had OCD surgery. I kept it in th e back of my head as I worked them, but I haven’t had a fail. Check and see what you can find out about who did the surgery and where. Get the records, let your Vet see them, and if there aren’t any red flags, I wouldn’t walk away. A proactive breeder/owner beats a whole lot of other types of issues.

[fivestrideline]

@2DogsFarm

Is seller open to providing your vet with medical records/x-rays pre & post-surgery?
How old is Big Horse now & how big is he?

Most likely the seller will share. I just haven’t asked yet!

He is just 3, currently 17 hands.

[OverandOnward]

Logically — Risk assessment of how likely things don’t turn out well.

Combined with the buyer’s capacity to handle the downside if it doesn’t.

It’s a very personal evaluation of the relative weight of each of those things.

[McGurk]

If it were me; the combo of surgery + boggy hock + size at 3 yo would make it a pass.

One of the three, no problem. Two of the three, I’d have to look very hard at the pros and cons and what else was available in my price range.

There’s also the unbacked piece. You really don’t even know what you’ve got yet, and you already have soundness concerns.

The seller is being open and cooperative about this because she knows it will be a very difficult horse to sell otherwise. Not that there aren’t people who wouldn’t try to sell this horse without full disclosure; but it is in the seller’s best interest in this case to be upfront about the surgery.

[fivestrideline]

@McGurk

If it were me; the combo of surgery + boggy hock + size at 3 yo would make it a pass.

One of the three, no problem. Two of the three, I’d have to look very hard at the pros and cons and what else was available in my price range.

Yeah this is what I was thinking. He’s quite nice, so it’s tempting, but he’s not cheap enough for me to throw caution to the wind. And I really don’t need another retiree/rehab project. Don’t buy a problem, right?

[OverandOnward]

@fivestrideline

Don’t buy a problem, right?

Let me add that to my list of Life Rules … because that is so right.

So often we choose the problems we have in our lives. Maybe we enjoy solving them. But maybe we could skip one or two and be better off.

[PonyApocalypse19]

I would pass based on personal experience of buying a 16.3hh 3yr old with a later in life OCD.
First off, he is only going to get bigger. Mine ended up at 18hh and he was really only done growing when he turned 8. So that’s 5 years of dealing with awkward growth spurts.
Second, a horse that big does carry a lot of weight on their legs even if they’re narrow and thin (my guy is pushing 1800lbs). This will cause more wear and tear on the joints than a smaller horse.
Third, mine had OCD surgery on his fetlock two years ago at the age of 10 and the joint looks like nothing ever happened - haven’t even had to do any maintenance on it yet. With the hock still boggy after surgery I’d be worried about damage to the joint space and asking why there is still fluid - is there cartilage damage that won’t show up on an x-ray?
With a horse that grows that large that fast, it takes a toll on their tendons and joints. I don’t think you’d be buying a problem now (assuming hocks check out), but a couple years from now that probability is much higher. My horse’s greatest weakness is his size!

[fivestrideline]

Yes I think I’m going to pass. But I’ll keep an eye on it, if it gets going under saddle soundly and/or the price drops, I might take a vet out there and see.

[goodhors]

Totally Pass on this horse. We have seen too many “repaired” horses breakdown after purchase. Not willing to spend money on those kind of horses, with our experience watching other folks try using them. We just don’t buy horses with issues.

[joiedevie99]

Nope. Let someone else take the risk putting him under saddle. Once he’s got a year+ of work under saddle, it’s another story.

[Paint_Party]

Yeah, having dealt in the past with OCD surgeries on young WBs, I’d pass mostly because he’s not yet going under saddle in full training. It’d be different if he were, because he would be demonstrating that he can stand up to regular work. But right now you’re looking at a horse whose soundness hasn’t truly been tested. And that boggy hock makes me suspicious of there being some low-grade inflammation and subsequent fluid build up in there.

[Guyot]

Many many horses have ocd surgery and are fine. Hocks are one of the easiest and most common joints to manage. This wouldn’t bother me. Now a 17hh 3yrs old… yeah not for me but I don’t like big horses.

[Zu_Zu]

PASS

Please keep looking ~ be patient ~ your horse is out there ~