Are you buying the horse, or are you buying the x-rays? And are you potentially passing up the horse of your dreams?
Noelle Floyd published a story about a horse named Asih, who competed in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Burghley to Badminton and many more. Asih was bred by a gentleman named Victor. When it came time for Asih to move on to his next home, they struggled to sell him because his x-rays showed kissing spine and a navicular bone problem, so Asih was never sold for these reasons. However, A young rider competed Asih at the three-star level and did very well but did not want to purchase him due to the X-rays.
What ended up happening was another rider named Alexander. Asih, and at that time, was 16 years old with less-than-ideal x-rays. Alexander, however, saw that the horse had heart and was competing extremely well at the three-star level and took a chance on him. Just like Alexander used the x-rays to bring Asih to his full potential, you can use x-rays as knowledge to know how to care for the horse if it’s the horse of your dreams otherwise.
The most important thing is to feel comfortable being around and riding your horse; otherwise, you may never progress to your goals. Whether you want to have fun with your horse or compete, feeling like you can teach your horse and help your horse progress with your horse might mean choosing a horse that does not have the best x-rays. Use that as information to help you know how to support your horse.
It would be nice to change the horse world from that perspective that just because an x-ray isn’t perfect doesn’t mean that it’s wrong or it’s something that you need to stay clear from. It could be causing you to miss out on a horse that really is fantastic for you, depending on what your goals are. Ultimately, buy the horse that you feel safe and comfortable around because that’s going to be the horse you want to get up and go to the barn and see.
The story about Alexander and the horse Asih is remarkable because Asih ended up competing until he was 20 years old and finished riding Badminton and jumping a double clear round and was a superstar at cross country and showjumping, even though he had those issues with his x-rays. This just goes to show you that sometimes the horse’s heart is worth more than its X-rays.
Drop us a comment. I would love to know if you or you know anybody who’s tried this, if it was successful and how that foal is doing.
Remember, you can always check out more great free resources and other information at https://harmonyhorsemanship.com/ or check me out on my personal website https://www.lindseypartridge.com/.
