[Serenity06]

Countin On Stitches - AKA "Stitch"
Never Count Me Out x Belle Sage
2006 Quarter Horse Gelding

I took in Stitch for free from the breeder i worked for at the time (this past winter) because he was born down in his hind pasterns which caused his hind hooves to grow wrong. She has too many horses and her farrier told her he couldn't help the horse, so i got him for free . Before making a decision i had my farrier look at him and he told me we had a 50/50 chance of saving Stitch's feet. Luckily we have been on the good side of that 50/50 chance and Stitch's feet are doing amazing! Stitch is my next barrel prospect and i have been thinking he would look AMAZING as an english horse as well. What do you think of my boy?

Stitch Before:


Stitch Now:

[vxf111]

OMG, thank god you took him. The breeder should be ASHAMED of the condition he was in. I don't see dropped pasterns in that initial photo, just horribly unkept and overdue for a trim feet. This horse is super lucky he got out of there and ended up with you.

[Serenity06]

Originally Posted by vxf111

OMG, thank god you took him. The breeder should be ASHAMED of the condition he was in. I don't see dropped pasterns in that initial photo, just horribly unkept and overdue for a trim feet. This horse is super lucky he got out of there and ended up with you.

He was a long yearling in that first photo so i guess his pasterns straightened out? Idk. I love the breeder to death she's an awesome lady but i don't agree with everything she does. She is an honestly good lady though.

I'm really glad i took him in too . He's quite the character lol. Our main issue with "fixing" his feet was being able to do it slow enough that we didn't put too much strain on the ligaments that needed stretch and had nevever been stretch like they should be and getting other ligaments that shouldn't be so stretched to tighten up slowly, but we had to also do it fast enough so that we were actually fixing his feet and not just playing around. It was pretty scary there for a while and Stitch definitely protested his 3 month confinement. Now he is out in a nice sized pasture with other horses to play with . I love my wild man lol.

[vxf111]

Originally Posted by Serenity06

He was a long yearling in that first photo so i guess his pasterns straightened out? Idk. I love the breeder to death she's an awesome lady but i don't agree with everything she does. She is an honestly good lady though.

I'm really glad i took him in too . He's quite the character lol. Our main issue with "fixing" his feet was being able to do it slow enough that we didn't put too much strain on the ligaments that needed stretch and had nevever been stretch like they should be and getting other ligaments that shouldn't be so stretched to tighten up slowly, but we had to also do it fast enough so that we were actually fixing his feet and not just playing around. It was pretty scary there for a while and Stitch definitely protested his 3 month confinement. Now he is out in a nice sized pasture with other horses to play with . I love my wild man lol.

Wait, did he had contracted tendons?! It sounds like what you're describing. That's different than dropped pasterns.

I don't see anything wrong with his pasterns in that first picture, it's just that his feet look AWFUL! Like, SPCA phone call awful In fact, Stitch has kinda' UPRIGHT pasterns behind. So for her to say he has dropped pasterns, I just don't GET IT! I am so, so, SO glad you have him!!!

[skysthelimit]

yeah....his back end doesn't look like it changed from the yearling picture to now to me either. He looks VERY straight back there, which...actually...kind of concerns me.

I'm VERY glad to see what excellent care you've taken of him, and considering he is now only 3 and his bum highness is probably a growth spurt, he looks like he might simply not be built well enough in the back to hold up under the strain of barrels.

I'd hate to see all of your hard work go to waste if he goes lame from not being able to keep up with the physical demand. But who knows, maybe he'll change enough conformationally for me to retract the statement. I sort of doubt it though, since he's been straight since the yearling picture.

He's super cute though! Good luck with him! Have you started riding him yet?

[Jumpergem]

Wow, he looks nice now! but VERY but high

[xlilxonex]

He looks 100x better feet wise, unfortunately i'd have to ditto everyone else... Maybe he will hold up, maybe he won't but i'd go easy and slow with him and have a back-up plan. What a cutie though!!

[Mare]

Your his angel, he looks amazing compaired to what he did. You have done good! He is pretty straight in the backend but he is what he is. I think he will level up he's still growing. Heck, all you can do is try him out and see how he does. Good Luck, and you really should be proud of yourself.

[Serenity06]

Originally Posted by vxf111

Wait, did he had contracted tendons?! It sounds like what you're describing. That's different than dropped pasterns.

I don't see anything wrong with his pasterns in that first picture, it's just that his feet look AWFUL! Like, SPCA phone call awful In fact, Stitch has kinda' UPRIGHT pasterns behind. So for her to say he has dropped pasterns, I just don't GET IT! I am so, so, SO glad you have him!!!

Nope that is what the breeder told me. All her horses grow up as naturally as possible. They get halter broke when weaned and get feet trimmed and wormed after they are handled a bit. Put out to pasture until they are yearlings then they are brought up again; colts get gelded and all of them get shots, more wormings, and feet done again . Then they are turned out to pasture again until they are ready to start. I know alot of people that do it that way. Nothing to involve the SPCA about, i KNOW he should have gotten more care than what he did and i'm not impressed with how she handled it but all her horses are healthy and happy and i know ALOT of other people that need to have their horses removed imediately.

I know Stitch was awful but all her other horses are well taken care, at good weights, and happy. I'm not being snotty i just know that there are plenty of other people that are FAR worse than just one horse having feet issues.

[Serenity06]

Originally Posted by skysthelimit

yeah....his back end doesn't look like it changed from the yearling picture to now to me either. He looks VERY straight back there, which...actually...kind of concerns me.

I'm VERY glad to see what excellent care you've taken of him, and considering he is now only 3 and his bum highness is probably a growth spurt, he looks like he might simply not be built well enough in the back to hold up under the strain of barrels.

I'd hate to see all of your hard work go to waste if he goes lame from not being able to keep up with the physical demand. But who knows, maybe he'll change enough conformationally for me to retract the statement. I sort of doubt it though, since he's been straight since the yearling picture.

He's super cute though! Good luck with him! Have you started riding him yet?

I don't have many pictures that show the change very well but there was one lol. It was drastic but there was lol. He is kinda straight but the trainer i was working with (very well know and liked for quite a distance around here) has seen him move countless times and LOVES him. She's actually the main reason i got him.

He's not 3 yet but pretty close to it . He did just hit another growth spurt, he levels out and then grows again lol. I think his butt is at 15h right now, maybe a little taller.

He is being brought along very slowly. He is not being pushed as hard as most would be pushed and i im in NO rush with him. Most the time he gets work (ground work) for a solid week or so and then gets time off (just because i get busy lol). I have started him but its just been about 13 VERY SLOW rides and very short rides as well. The first 8 or 9 rides were just 15min walks around the yard. The other rides were in a round pen and we focused more on turning away and into the fence, we trotted a bit, learned how to back up, we loped twice i believe and w/t/l over a tarp. I took him out of the round pen on the last ride and he even walked over a "bridge" in the indoor arena!

Thanks!