# Sway back?



## amightytarzan5

He doesn't have a sway back. Well, at least not a prominent one. I think Sonny just has high withers and a steep croup. He looks good. That first picture scared me! Is that REAL?


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## appylover31803

I wanted to see if that was a real picture too. I google searched "sway back horse" in the images it was the first one.

Apparently someone saw that horse while on vacation. Poor horse 

I don't think Sonny has a sway back at all.


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## Callie's Mom

I will have to look up the medical term but that first horse is not sway backed as we all think of it it is a spinal disorder.


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## mayfieldk

Just looks like a lack of topline, not a sway back.


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## irisheyes12

That's not sway back, it's called lordosis and is a spinal condition. This is sway back...


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## irisheyes12

amightytarzan5 said:


> He doesn't have a sway back. Well, at least not a prominent one. I think Sonny just has high withers and a steep croup....


I agree with this. IF he does have sway back, it's very marginal and not a concern (he's a gelding correct?)...


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## Gingerrrrr

well i dont think Sonny has sway back, he looks normal.

my mare looked like she had sway back when i first bought her. her back was drooping and her stomach was too. but since shes been with me shes gotten much better. look at the difference-

before









after


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## galantova

I also think that Sonny doesn't have a sway back.

I know one horse who has on abvious one. I will take a picture tomorrow and post it.

Gingerr - great change. What did you do to improve her topline?


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## Gingerrrrr

galantova said:


> I also think that Sonny doesn't have a sway back.
> 
> I know one horse who has on abvious one. I will take a picture tomorrow and post it.
> 
> Gingerr - great change. What did you do to improve her topline?



well before i bought her she was starved and left by herself for sometime so we did slow transitions like walk, trot. then w/t/c and now shes doing w/t/c and some jumping


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## galantova

I have to improve my horse's topline. He had a colic surgery and lost weight dramaticlly. He does much better now but his topline could still be improved.


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## SonnyWimps

how would I get him a better topline?


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## Callie's Mom

irisheyes12- thank you for the medical term, I didn't get back here to post it right away... lordosis...

As for helping a horse's topline if they just have weakening muscles or a poorly muscled back, work with them on hills, backing, trotting over poles, get them working on framing up correctly and using their hindquarters... do you ride with your horse on the bit/flexing vertically? that is important for a good topline.


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## mayfieldk

Poles and hills don't really help with the back part of topline... they help with the hindquarters.
The only way a horse builds up real nice topline is by working in a correct frame. By working in a correct frame, that doesn't mean head on the vertical. It means correct head carriage, /forward/ motion, and NOT your classic 'high butt, high forehand, sway back' that's in a lot of dressage now. For a horse to have nice topline, he has to carry you with his back and ab muscles... and he can only START to do that by riding him forward. No fast, just energy in each gait (and the gaits within a gait).
Even western horses need to be moved out--they look angular and out of shape otherwise... a little like your horse. He doesn't look terribly out of shape, just not being ridden to produce correct topline.


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## irisheyes12

Callie's Mom said:


> irisheyes12- thank you for the medical term, I didn't get back here to post it right away... lordosis...


Not a problem, I don't have anything better to do anyways....lol.... :lol:


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## Abby

Our mare has a swayback. They look more like this. This pic isn't very good but its an example of what most true swayback looks like.


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## chasin the dream

ooh ginger our horses are identical!! besides the face markings!


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## Jubilee Rose

:shock: Holy cow, that first picture shocked me. Yikes! But yeah, I thought the same thing ... it's gotta be something worse than sway back. Your horse doesn't look like he has one to me. He's cute!


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## PoptartShop

Sonny doesn't have a sway back.  Yeah that's sad about that spinal condition.


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## my2geldings

No he doesn't have a sway back. That first pic that was posted, was that an actual picture or was it manipulated??

I was shocked at the photo. Find it hard to believe a horse can still walk when looking like that.


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## PoptartShop

I know, seriously! :shock: Surprised it can even stand.


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## irisheyes12

My2Geldings said:


> No he doesn't have a sway back. That first pic that was posted, was that an actual picture or was it manipulated??
> 
> I was shocked at the photo. Find it hard to believe a horse can still walk when looking like that.


Yes, it's a real horse.


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