barrelgirl255 - 2017-08-19 2:03 PM
I have a dash for cash grandson and a streakin six great grandson. He is 15 years old and was recently diagnosed with DSLD. Degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis. It is a genetic disease. basically it means that his fetlocks are dropping and will get worse over time. I am wondering if there are any other people out there whose horses have this and have dash for cash/steakin six in there pedigree. I included the link for my geldings pedigree. he is by power of cash and out of money snooper.
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/index.php?query_type=horse&h=MFR+CA...
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Hello Hello ... get ready for the antifa members to start throwing rocks
and beer bottles as they read any post I make on here... laughing
First thing ... forget the term Genetic Disease and any relation to
genetic problems on DFC or SS bloodlines .. these two are the
longest sire lines in AQHA history and still going strong today.
Instead... take each word of DEGENERATIVE SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT
DESMITIS ... and find a definition for each and then put the
descriptions all together to understand what it is. It means the
weakest part in this particular horse just wore out.
Simply put ... it is a horse that has weak or worn out ligaments
and begins to lower their pasterns to such a point they eventually
are walking on their pasterns. Which makes them unusable.
Let's compare it to things on your car like: wheel bearings, fan
belts and tires all run in a circle as a horse does their feet.
All the Kings men and all the Kings magicians can't make these
items function like new again. They may delay the final break downs
with magical grease injections, loosen up a pulley to reduce stress
or painful screeches or a band aid to hold something together
a little longer.
These two articles are from my archives as personal reminders
of something that is present at birth that may be the major
contributor of these ligaments wearing out sooner than other
horses ligaments do on random horses of different breeds.
I offer a little insight into conformation and/or use that
contributes to ligaments wearing out >>>
In one of the articles they mention the
Paso Fino horse which are bred to have this horizontal weak
pastern situation . Seeing is believing >>>
https://youtu.be/EG0k_xVbU0c
. Arabs .. short pasterns that take a life long pounding at any gait
above a walk.
Standardbreds .. pacers and trotters that are using the power in
one rear leg at each stride to move their entire body
Quarter Horses: that have pedigrees within 5 generations
of the old bulldog qh's. Wide bodies, heavy legs, short pasterns.
(may be due to having some draft horse bloodlines
)
Draft Horses: short pasterns used for heavy exertions when
pulling something. Ligaments wear out due to heavy use.
Thoroughbreds: Long pasterns to the point of being coon footed.
FIRST ARTICLE:
This vet is straight shooter with a dry sense of humor ..
http://www.doctorramey.com/degenerative-suspensory-ligament-disease...
2ND ARTICLE:
Usually does a good job with their extended explanations and
vet language ..
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/musculoskeletal-system/lameness-in-ho...
Then there is my simple thought process that I think is the major
contributor to random horses from different breeds having this
problem. I am an old fart and come from a long line of horsemen
that adhered to conformations to fit form and function. I follow
this line of thought and have carefully chosen bloodlines
with the solid conformations and speed I want to see in my barrel babies.
Look at your foals when they are born and how they stand and move
around. At this time you get a full view of their conformation
and overall balance of their entire skeletal conformation.
I want my babies breeding to enforce a newborn to stand straight
up on their pasterns and let growth and future weight to
position
their pasterns at the correct angle.
Knees must be flat and facing forward and plumb from point of
shoulder to center of hoof.
Rear legs should center themselves with buttock muscles as
hip muscles extend down into their gaskins.
No cow hocks, sickled hocks, camped out or post legged hocks
allowed in my breeding program.
Along with over or behind at the knee or crooked front legs.
Slope to the shoulder should show to the withers.
Neck centered in chest, head carry level with withers and
a clean throat latch is your horses GPS system.
Equal height at withers to hips with level strong back completes
the overall picture.
IMHO .. these and other defects you see in new born foals will
return to haunt them and an unsuspecting owner in years
to come. The corrections vets do at this time may make
them look better but does not prevent the problem from
returning and shorten their time of usefulness.
This is one of my major no no's .. breeding unlike conformations
to each other thinking you are going to be able to pick the
parts you want to show up in your future foal.
i.e. breeding specialized speed conformations to the specialized
characteristics of cutters and reiners. You can't interchange
parts with a corvette and a Volkswagen!!
Take NOTE: Ranch bred working horses are a separate item
and have years of speed and working horses in their pedigree.
Like Frenchmans Guy and Fire Water Flit that outcross very
well to your current on the track bloodlines. Each compliments
the other. These are not cow horses so to speak but athletes
that will fit into a lot of events with a little help from a
long term breeder with long term results in mind.
So, look at your babies defects and realize they are a lifetime
ghost and will shorten the long term use of that particular
baby.
I believe so many problems we see with horses starts with
how they are bred and what they look like when born.
Then there is overvetting which is another problem all of
its own.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BABIES !!
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2017-08-20 9:22 PM