Young horse joints cracking?

[emilymorro]

I also posted this in “horse care” but I thought I would also post here to get the opinion of people experienced with breeding, perhaps even the breed.
I just recently bought a four year old Hungarian warmblood. I have the papers to prove that he is four and registered…and I have all of his vet records and lineage. Everything is spotless on paper…but I’ve never seen a young horses legs crack so much when they walk. It’s making me horribly nervous. Someone told me that it was just because he was young and growing so quickly (he’s 16.2/3 and should top out at 17 hands) but I’ve been around other young warmbloods and haven’t seen this…

Is this normal? I really don’t even know what to think of it. He’s moving fine, better every day actually, but the cracking still makes me nervous. Do you think there’s a problem? Should I call out a vet?

[Ibex]

Mine did as a 3/4 year old. I was horrified but she’d x-rayed clean, and my trainer had seen (heard) babies with it before, so we just ignored it and kept going. She was pretty lanky and growthy so not working hard regardless. It disappeared around 4 1/2 I think??

[About_Time1]

I had one that did. She still does somewhat but not as much as she did when younger. She has not been unsound as of yet and she is seven. She is strong and fit and healthy as… Yeah. A horse. I wouldn’t worry too much. My ankle and both knees have been creaking for years upon years and I’ve never had a bit of pain in them.

[Kyzteke]

Ditto what the others said. I have/had an Arab/WB filly who, at ages 2-4 “popped” so loudly at times you could hear her from 20 ft away!

In a total panic I called one of the specialists at Washington State University Vet School. He said it’s just “one of those things” often seen in growing horses, and had yet to see any correlation between “popping” and unsoundness. Most outgrow it.

In the case of my filly/mare (now 10 yrs old), it did resolve. And she has never taken a bad step in her life.