Doesn't Coda just look absolutely wonderful for a 30-year-old?
Don't mind his tufties, he always hangs on to some of his winter hair like that. Anyone else have a horse like that? Does it mean something? Maybe he's missing something in his diet? I'm guessing maybe they're old minor scars that just don't act right on such an old horse.
Oh gosh, I almost forgot to tell you Coda's bean story from today. Poor old guy! He had a big ol' bean that hung out about an inch. I told Liam to watch out because Coda wasn't going to like this, and I grabbed with my right hand and pulled it out with my left. It just came right out, no fuss. But oh it looked like it had been irritating the area. I showed it to Liam and explained what it was. Later John and I were grooming the other horses and Liam came out and asked where that nut was. "What nut?" "The one that came out of Coda's... pee wee."
So check out this picture of Scout. At first I was thinking, "Ooh, hey cool, that's a neat picture." I rarely get pictures of Scout from the side. He's too touchy-feely for that.
But then I looked some more and I think he looks kinda funny. Something about his neck. What is it? Is it too long? Too thick at the base? Set into his chest too low? His throatlatch is not "refined" - maybe that's what looks strange to me? Of course he's not standing in a natural postition, he's on alert looking at something. Maybe that's all it is? I'm not a conformation expert but something about this picture is bugging me. Click to enlarge it if you have a moment, and tell me what you think.
Coda looks great for an older horse - he's carrying a good amount of weight - sometimes we have trouble keeping the weight on our old ones. I wouldn't worry too much yet about Scout's proportions - as they grow and develop that changes a lot - we have one mare who was the gangliest, ugliest thing with a big head until she grew up - now she looks pretty good! We also have a Scout at our barn - he's a buckskin - who looked terrible when he was younger - he looks really beautiful now.
ReplyDeleteThirty years...that is a long time, a lot of livin'! He looks great! I think sometimes they hold their winter fur if they develop Cushings disease, but I'm sure an older horse's hair just isn't as healthy, kind of like old dog's or people, too! ;)
ReplyDeleteI think the picture of Scout (the angle) just makes his proportions off a bit.
Yeah, his head and neck look too big for his body, but I think it's all a camera angle thing...his body is facing slightly away from the camera while his head and neck are directly perpendicular to the plane of the camera lens...so they look bigger. I really think it's a camera artifact.
ReplyDeleteI think they are right, a lot of it is the angle of him to the camera as well as how he is standing. Possibly one thing is the angle his head is attached to his neck? And how there isn't a lot of distinction where his neck ties into his chest. But he is young and growing so I'd say just wait and see :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the thoughts... I don't know what it was, but that's just a weird picture.
ReplyDeletePony Girl - I did have Coda tested for Cushings several years ago. The results were negative but from what I hear that test is very inaccurate. He does have some very Cushings-like symptoms, so you may be right. I'd forgotten about that possibility.
My old guy, Red, has tufties on his spine. First year ever--so if you figure it out, let me know. I guess it could be signs of Cushings--sad.
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