# TWH sickle hocked



## Sarapnickas (Jun 22, 2016)

Hello not really looking for confirmation critic although I am curious as to what others think. I'm more so looking for opinions and experience with sickle hocked horses. I know my mare is and I am looking for personal experiences with soundness later in life. She is a 6 year old Tennessee walker, we mostly just trail ride, but I do ring work sometimes. Also looking for ways to prolong soundness if possible. Thanks!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

She does not look sickle hocked in the first picture....the second one is an odd angle and hard to tell.

I have never had any soundness problems from sickle jocks.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

My coming 21 yr old TWH is sickle hocked.

He has always been a trail horse. When I was trail riding, I kept shoes in him

He used to twist out of hind shoes, like nothing I had ever seen before. His back frogs used to grow more to one side than the other, due to being sickle hocked.

The only thing I ever noticed with him, was an inability to get under himself and "push", when going up a steep hill. That's a poor description, lol

I haven't ridden him since 2007 because I was in a bad accident that left me with serious vertigo for a few years, then he developed insulin resistance in 2012 and foundered pretty bad.

He's been with me since 2006. He is an accident waiting to happen, his injuries and the IR are what make him unridable. 

The people I bought him from did some pretty rough riding and the few times I got to ride him weren't much of a cakewalk either. I would think if I were going to see something in the hocks, I would see it by now.

I don't see anything regarding the sickle hocks - no arthritis, nothing that would prevent him from being ridden, if he didn't have all this other stuff.

He also gets trimmed every four weeks, thanks to the founder. That keeps his hind hooves from flaring and the frogs growing straight instead of wanting to grow to one side.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

greentree said:


> She does not look sickle hocked in the first picture....the second one is an odd angle and hard to tell.
> 
> I have never had any soundness problems from sickle jocks.


Don't you just love autocorrect:rofl:

If I could strangle it, I would, lollollol


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

Sickle hocks are very common is Walkers. It helps them to get that overstide and walk. His doesn't look too bad though.


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## Sarapnickas (Jun 22, 2016)

Thanks guys, I didn't think hers were too bad, but bet was out today and she mentioned at least 3 or 4 times how sickle hocked she was. I knew she was when I bought her but I fell in love with her. I just didn't want to end up making anything worse. I have noticed getting her to collect is a constant fighting battle, but I'm hoping with time and strength it will come.


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