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Re: RC: Bone???



I remember seeing an article on bone density, bone response to exercise, etc., some years ago. My vet gave me a copy when we were treating one of our young horses for a broken bone. It basically said that no particular breed has "denser bone" - that like many old wives tales Arabs having denser bone is one. It also went on to say that the bone is always reforming - that's how broken bones heal - and this refromation is a response to stress. So bones will reform with exercise. Of course this is a limit to this defined by genetic potential - but if a horse has smaller than desired bone then define and execute an exercise program to build the bone.

There is another issue here which gets overlooked many times - that is how the horse moves. You will see many gaited horses with small bone. One the other hand the way they move puts less stresses on the bones than the way a "big moving dressage horse" moves - hence even though small it may be completely adaquate. So I would suspect a big moving, high hang time horse will need more bone (and probably have more bone) than his low moving daisy clipper.   You need to look at the whole package.

All other things being equal, I'd take the horse with the biggest bone. However, all other things are never equal.

Truman

DVeritas@aol.com wrote:

 
    Bearing weight efficiently, without a degradation to the horse and its
future, is more than just "good bone".
   It is a product of conformation, proper conditioning/training
(locomotion) and proper application of that conditioning/training(locomotion)
during endurance events.
   Some folks say that cannon bones starting at 7 1/2 inches and bigger are
needed to "do endurance".
    Could be the "rule"...but a gifted, well-conformed and
conditioned/trained horse can be the exception should their cannon bones be,
say, 7 1/4 AND they have clean, hard and injury-free tendons and are ridden
properly.
    I'm sorry your first two "endurance prospects" did not work
out...perhaps the next one will be the one.
    I would just say, look at the WHOLE horse, conformation, disposition,
attitude to things new, and determine whether you LIKE the horse, not just
whether you think the horse will "do endurance".
     Being an "endurance horse" (in my estimation) is what the horse does,
being a horse FIRST is where it all starts.
      Good Luck,
        Frank.
 
 


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