HORSE SELECTION

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HORSE SELECTION

• Selecting a Horse
• Determining Unsoundness in a Horse

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Owning a horse can be a lot of fun.However
always make sure that you get the last
laugh.Know what to expect and know what to look
for.
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Dont let your horse take you for an unexpected
ride!
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Costs Associated with Owning a Horse

• Purchase Price
• -depends upon age, degree of training, if
  registered
• 450 - 1500 and up
• Tack/Equipment
• -saddle, bridle, bit, halter, lead ropes,
  grooming feeding supplies
• 250 - 2000 and up
• Boarding (2 options)
• -home care (grain, hay, bedding)
• 100 per month
• -full / partial board away from home
  (indoor riding arena, feed, stall cleaned /
  shelter, feed, share work)
• 150 - 350 and up per month
• Additional/Miscellaneous Costs
• -veterinary, farrier
• 400 and up

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Before PurchasingConsider the quality of the
horse

• Blemish an abnormality that does not affect the
  serviceability of the horse
• Unsoundness a more serious abnormality that
  does affect the serviceability of the horse

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What to Look For in Selecting a Horse

• The horse should appear to be Balanced
• A relatively short back and a long underline in
  comparison to total body length
• Long, sagging backs (indicates weak loin) or
  short underlines (can cause gait problems) are a
  problem

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A well balanced horse will appear to

• be proportionately the same length from
• - the point of the shoulder to the heart girth
• - the heart girth to the rear flank
• - the rear flank to the tip of the buttocks
• be proportionately the same height from
• - the top of the withers to the heart girth
• - the heart girth to the ground

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The horse should show quality

• Withers should be prominent and drop evenly
  toward the back
• The head should be clean and refined
• The head should proportionately fit the rest of
  the body

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The horse should be structurally correct

• The horse on the left is camped out (legs set
  back too far)
• The horse on the right is sickle hocked (leg set
  too far under)
• From the rear the hind legs should be straight
  and parallel and show evidence of muscling in the
  gaskin

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• The horse on the left is cow hocked (hocks in /
  toes out)
• The horse on the right is bow legged (toes in /
  hocks out)
• From the front the horse should have straight
  legs, a broad chest, and be well muscled
• The horse on the left is toed out (hooves turn
  outward)
• The horse on the right is pigeon toed (toed in
  paddles)

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• The nose should be slightly dished ears small
• -A Roman nose (left photo) is undesirable
• A ewe neck is when the neck curves downward and
  the throat appears to bulge
• The rear legs should be placed squarely under the
  horse

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• The horse on the right shows a good, straight
  foreleg with large, flat knees
• The horse on the left is calf kneed (knee is
  set too far back)
• The cannon bone should be short, vertical, and in
  proportion to other parts of the leg
• -it should appear wider from the side than
  from the front
• The pasterns should form a 45 degree angle with
  the ground

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• This pastern is too straight
• (will deliver a jarring ride)
• This pastern slopes to much and is weak
• (will be a bouncy ride)
• Inspect the feet and hooves

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• Tap the hooves to see if they are tender
• The horse should have relatively small hooves
  that are widest at the heel
• Contracted feet a contracting of the heel
• -caused by leaving shoes on too long
• Founder (laminitis) causes the hoof to grow
  rapidly
• Ringbone is a bony growth around the coronary band

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• Quarter cracks and splits are caused by dryness
• A bowed tendon causes the back of the leg to
  extend backward
• A capped hock is an enlargement at the point of
  the hock (interferes with normal movement of the
  joint)

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Other feet and leg problems

• Splints abnormal bony growth found on the
  cannon bone
• Ringbone a bony growth found on the pastern
  bone
• Spavin affects the hock (two types)
• -bog spavin fluid fills the depression
  on the inside of the hock
• -bone spavin - bony enlargement on the
  lower front of the hock
• Curb a swelling below the hock on the backside
• Sidebone ossified cartilages just above the
  hoof head

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Other physical problems

• Fistulous withers - inflammation at the withers
• Parrot mouth lower jaw is shorter than the
  upper jaw
• Poll evil inflammation of the poll
• Sweeney depression in the shoulder due to
  muscle atrophy
• Hernia protrusion of any internal organ through
  the wall of its cavity

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Unsoundness of a Horse
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• A shoe boil is a sore caused by the shoe rubbing
  against the front leg when the horse is lying
  down
• Other Things to Check
• Eyes should be large, round, and without
  cloudiness
• Check the horses vision the horse should be
  alert and responsive (check for partial or
  complete blindness)

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• Also check the horses vision from the side a
  horse should have good peripheral vision
• Age can be determined by checking the teeth as a
  horse ages its teeth become more triangular
• As a horse ages its teeth form a sharper angle

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• Watch the horse on the move from a side, rear and
  front view
• Make sure the horse is calm, well behaved, and
  cooperative to saddle and mount
• The horse should be responsive to all of the
  riders cues

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Vices to Watch For

• Bolting
• -horse tends to eat too fast (can lead to
  colic)
• Cribbing
• -setting their teeth against hard object
  then sucking air
• Halter pulling
• -constantly pulling back and resisting
  being tied
• Kicking
• -takes pleasure in kicking something or
  someone
• Tail rubbing
• -persistent rubbing of the tail against a
  wall or stall
• Weaving
• -rhythmical swaying back and forth while
  standing in the stall
• Miscellaneous problems

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What vice is this horse exhibiting?
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What vice has this horse been exhibiting?
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So, now that you know all there is to know about
purchasing a horse do you still want a horse to
ride?