Free to Excellent Home: 11yo Trak x Draft-cross

[flea_bitten]

11 y.o., 16.1+h, blood bay with 4 whites and stunning blaze. Well bred.

I took Sampson in last year to keep him from going to auction. He is very gentle and friendly, easy keeper (read:fat on nothing) and gets along well with everyone. Currently used as a babysitter for yearlings. UTD on everything including teeth. Sampson was supposedly broken to drive as a three y.o. (??) but has not been in any real work since he has been with me (only lunged a couple of times). No bad habits. I also had his full brother and was able to break him easily and had him competing BN eventing within several months.

Slight hitch in stifles. Most apparent when he picks up his back legs (as if to be cleaned), his leg will seem to lock up and he will hold it up high for several seconds before he is able to put it back down.

This is a really nice and loving guy who deserves a home where he will be loved and maybe even used. I have had friends who are familiar with similar stifle issues comment that possibly with strengthening, symptoms could lesson or even dissappear. I had thought I would have time to break him as a trail horse or a hilltopper (he has a fabulous fox hunt-y look), but alas, I do not.

This horse is not in danger and will only go to an excellent home.
Located in Purcellville, VA
PM for further details

[Calamber]

It is possible this is a syndrome known as shivers, is it the right hind?

[spacehorse]

I was thinking stringhalt...

[Josey'sMom]

Stringhalt came to mind for me too. Especially given that he is part draft. It could be stringhalt caused by EPSM. IF that were the case, a high fat, low carb diet could really help him. It's worth talking to your vet about, as the diet will not hurt him if he doesn't have EPSM but can work wonders on a horse that does have it.

www.ruralheritage.com is a great place for information on EPSM. If you go to the site, click on "Vet Clinic" and there are a bunch of articles about it written by Dr. Beth Valentine, who is the premier expert on EPSM. (Yes, I have drafts, and yes, I had one with EPSM ;) The diet worked wonders for her.)

[suz]

has this horse had any training to be a riding horse? still looking for that safe and sane yet flashy trail buddy for my husband. he likes a long walk through the woods and spends most of his horse time fussing and pampering his horse. our other horses are drafts and draft crosses, we are familiar with the diet needs of drafts. and we have great references. sent you a pm.

[linquest]

The horse I'm part-leasing has stringhalt and does the same thing when you're picking his hooves. Regular work does help a lot--on him, you only really notice at the walk.