What are 5 unsoundnesses in horses?

Answer 1

1. Bowed tendon- serious discrimination involving any or all of a group of tendons and ligaments, but usually the superflexor tendon, the deep flexor tendon and the suspensory ligament. Caused by severe strain and wear and shows up as a thickened enlargement of the tendon which occupies the posterior space in the cannon region between the knee and ankle or between the hock and ankle. Usually occurs on the front legs. The lameness that accompanies an acute condition may not be permanent.

2. Bog spavin- serious discrimination, a soft fluctuating enlargement located at the upper part of the hock and due to a distention of the joint capsule.

3. Heaves- the horse can't expel all the air from his lungs and uses abdominal muscles trying to do this

4. Stifled- a displaced patella (similar to man's kneecap) of the stifle joint. It sometimes cripples the horse permanently.

5. Thrush- inflammation of the fleshy frog of the foot, blackish in color, foul smelling, and associated with filthy stalls.

Answer 2

The term soundness is used when referring to the horses fitness for being ridden. A sound horse is healthy and free from physical defects that might effect it's capacity for work.

Lots of conditions can make a horse unsound although the most common cause is lameness. My stallion was lame after a hoof injury when he was 15. He developed Arthritis and was never ridden again but went on to give me several beautiful foals until his death at 28. I also had a horse who was blind in one eye, this made him technically unsound, even though he was actually safe to ride anywhere.