# POA Gelding



## Mopy (May 8, 2017)

***You can skip this paragraph***
So I am looking at horses right now, and boy, are some miss advertised. I looked at one yesterday that was supposed to be a 14.1 Paint that W/T/L, not buddy sour, super calm, hard to spook... Yeah. No. He was 15h, pushy on the ground, kinda jumpy at things, wouldn't leave his buddies, they just started riding him in a bit not that long ago (Early fall?) and he doesn't even listen to a twisted snaffle (Which I would never use on a horse, so it made me a little worried that that was the first bit they rode him in), he did W/Running trot/Gallop and wouldn't hardly turn... I could go on about his problems. 


Back to the point of this post. I looked at a horse yesterday that I REALLY like. Not to mention he is my dream color horse with the added bonus of spots. Me and my Mom couldn't find anything wrong with him except this:









Should I be worried about that front leg? He didn't seem off at all and that is how he was when the lady bought him. That is the only thing keeping us from getting him.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

Do you just have the one picture? If so, you can't base your decision off of that-- he's in deep, sandy ground, so that could be just how he's standing or he could be in the process of shifting his weight. 

Over the knee is in general more of a cosmetic issue than a functional one (in most cases) and is far preferable to back at the knee/calf-knees. If you're interested, go see the horse and if you still want him, decide if it's an issue for you. For a general pleasure horse, it would not be a dealbreaker in most cases if everything else checks out and the horse is otherwise sound. If it just one leg, then I'd be more concerned as it's probably due to injury and not genetics, but from your photo it's hard to tell.


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## Mopy (May 8, 2017)

SilverMaple said:


> Do you just have the one picture? If so, you can't base your decision off of that-- he's in deep, sandy ground, so that could be just how he's standing or he could be in the process of shifting his weight.
> 
> Over the knee is in general more of a cosmetic issue than a functional one (in most cases) and is far preferable to back at the knee/calf-knees. If you're interested, go see the horse and if you still want him, decide if it's an issue for you. For a general pleasure horse, it would not be a dealbreaker in most cases if everything else checks out and the horse is otherwise sound. If it just one leg, then I'd be more concerned as it's probably due to injury and not genetics, but from your photo it's hard to tell.


I do have more pictures. We went to see him yesterday and he was like that on the hard ground outside as well as in the arena. He actually moved better than my horses with pretty-near perfect conformation. We would only be using him for pleasure in the arena and on trails, maybe a few Gymkhanas. If we decide to get him he will get a vet check before we buy him (The last time we didn't do a check we got a horse with some hidden problems.). I will attach all the pictures I have of him.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

I wouldn't worry too much, especially if all you want him for is pleasure. He looks pretty nice to me, and since you're already planning to get a vet check and like his movement, I'd say give it a shot!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I'm going to be the negative one.....

First off you _don't_ ride color so don't buy a horse because of it either...._not yet_.
So, if this horse was a plain bay would his conformation issues make you look elsewhere?

I hear you say a occasional games horse, trail rides and arena work...
Are you sure what he does has for structural issue is not going to interfere with the jobs you want him to do?

He's cute, period.
He better ride incredible though for me to over-look the legs....plural.
Seriously look at his legs not his color...both his fronts in your pictures make me cringe in worry.
For a horse "standing up" with a blue ribbon on the face...something is possibly up with that hind end stance too.

How old is this horse and was he built that butt high in person?
If he is done growing is he going to be able to be light enough up front? 
Built that much down-hill he's not dragging along but can still lighten and elevate that front end? :-?
I'm sorry but I see more than just a small blemish...
I see the possibility of several considerable faults that could affect his future working status and soundness.
A PPE, _a extremely thorough one_ would be performed if it was me considering him.
Like I said though..._"If he was a plain bay would you want him just as bad or is it his color that clouds your eyes?" :-|_

Is he really a POA or a blanket App?
Registered?
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo...sorry_


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## Copperhead (Jun 27, 2012)

You will never find a horse with perfect conformation. Over At The Knee wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. Its not very pretty, but it shouldn't get in the way as long as you're not pounding away at it competition after competition. Its a pretty common conformation flaw and I've seen it in active racers, school horses, reiners, etc.

I say go for it.


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## Mopy (May 8, 2017)

I did not pick him because of his color. I could really care less what color he is. I like him because he has good training and a nice temperament. He, so far, has been the only horse that I feel like I really click with. He listens to cues, stops on a dime, has a slow (but not unbalanced) smooth lope, turns nicely, and he is calm. Nothing bothers him, in the arena or on the trail. He rides in a curb for shows, and a smooth snaffle for everyday riding. (I also rode him bareback in a halter and he still has all his buttons!) I have never ridden a horse as nice as him. That is why I am considering buying him. (My other horse is a plain bay and I love her dearly! We also have a Sorrel Varnish Roan w/ blanket with spots POA that we bred and raised.)

He is 6 yrs old currently and most of those pictures are him before he was done growing. When I went to see him he wasn't downhill at all. He is a registered POA (The lady has his papers in hand) and he is also eligible for Appaloosa hardship papers.
We always do a PPE before buying a horse. So the vet can give me definite answers about his soundness and movement. I was just asking on this forum if I was crazy considering him as a future mount. I have been talking to people and I have been told that an over-the-knee conformation, in most cases, doesn't cause a problem. (I have also been reading up online, and I have found the same thing.)

horselovinguy, you don't have to be sorry! Being honest is a good thing. You quite simply brought up some good points to think about. Thank you!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Mopy said:


> horselovinguy, you don't have to be sorry! Being honest is a good thing. You quite simply brought up some good points to think about. Thank you!


You're thinking this through with head first then heart...
_That is *The Best!!*_

_Good luck with what ever you decide...:wink:_
:runninghorse2:....


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

How tall is he? If he is registered POA< I suspect he does not meet minimum height requirement for ApHC, or, he kept POA papers, even if he exceeded 54", but would not then be allowed to show POA


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## Mopy (May 8, 2017)

Smilie said:


> How tall is he? If he is registered POA< I suspect he does not meet minimum height requirement for ApHC, or, he kept POA papers, even if he exceeded 54", but would not then be allowed to show POA


He is 57.5 inches or 14.3. Yes, he is registered POA and, yes, he is too tall. He is also eligible for Appaloosa Hardship papers. The lady was going to register him APHC if she didn't sell him this winter so she could continue to show him. I will not be showing him so it doesn't matter if he is registered or not. I will just be using him for pleasure riding! Light arena work and some trails. 
:cowboy: :grin::grin:


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## csimkunas6 (Apr 18, 2010)

For what you want to use him for, he should hold up just fine. Getting a PPE done like your doing should help you decide as well! He's cute, definitely some interesting legs on him but no one, or horse for that matter is perfect!


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## Mopy (May 8, 2017)

csimkunas6 said:


> For what you want to use him for, he should hold up just fine. Getting a PPE done like your doing should help you decide as well! He's cute, definitely some interesting legs on him but no one, or horse for that matter is perfect!


We always get a PPE. It is very true that all horses are different! :smile:


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

I'd be more worried about the other stuff he has going on than simply the over-at-the-knee issue. Seeing the rest of the photos, I'd pass. Those legs aren't HORRIBLE but they certainly aren't great. If over-at-the-knee was the only issue, not the end of the world, but he has long weak pasterns for a stock horse, and his cannons don't come out of the knees straight. Rear pasterns are swollen, too.


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## Mopy (May 8, 2017)

Thank you to everyone for their input!

I decided that Dudley was the right horse for me, so today we did a vet check. Here is what she found:
Flexion tests) Fronts were good. Hinds had the ever-so-little sign of lameness.
Radiographs) THe front legs were fine. His hocks showed that they were fusing.

The lameness comes from the hock starting to fuse. The vet found nothing else wrong and said that, other than his over-the-knee conformation, which won't be a problem for him, he looks good and he will definitely hold up! We loaded him up and brought him home. Yay! My chunky Dudley is home today. 
(He is about as wide as he is tall. The pictures on the 1st page don't do him justice. He is a stocky little tank!)


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Yeah! Congratulations! we expect photos and a journal. get busy.


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