Page 81 - Speedhorse November 2019

“Literally from the time they are born,
you start evaluating the young horse’s conformation,” Casner says. “If you think he’s going to toe in, you generally put screws in the ankles, and you need to do that during the first 90 to 100 days when the bones are growing the fastest, for the most effective correction. There is nothing that will ‘kill’ a sale prospect quicker than being toed-in.
“Well Armed was a horse that was good- legged as a foal and then, as he grew older, his chest got wide and he became a toe-in horse. But he’s an exception – in how well he ran and stayed sound. Most toe-in horses are hard to keep sound on dirt tracks because of the slide factor. There is more stress when they torque that foot/leg as they hit the ground and slide.” That little bit of extra twist on a foot that isn’t straight is hard on the joints.
Many people do some corrections on foals at a young age. “Those screws to help the legs straighten really help a horse. There was a lot of controversy when people started doing this, but they make a big difference. Every moving part is affected by and subject to the laws of physics. If you can put that foot in a better position when it slides forward, without twisting, there is a better
chance to keep that horse sound – without more stress on one side than the other,” he says.
Conformation of the young horse is hugely important for the sales and for racing. “It’s crucial to do some corrections within the first 90 days of life to help some of these foals grow up straighter,” he says. “Careful trimming can help a lot of them. I trim all of my horses every two weeks. I pick these babies up in Kentucky right after they’ve been weaned, and they’ve had a bit of work on their feet already, but every two weeks I am looking at those feet, watching those foals walk up and down and back and forth.”
Generally, the most common correction is pushing the feet out by lowering the inside of the foot a bit more than the outside – to try to make sure the foot doesn’t toe in. It’s natural for foals to toe out a little because as they grow up, the foot straightens as the chest widens. “We watch that very carefully, and occasionally there will be one that toes out too much and you have to lower the outside of the foot. It takes constant monitoring and management to allow these foals to grow up with the best conformation they can have. It takes a high level of continual management,” he says.
CONFORMATION
In preparation for a sale, many will start swimming their yearlings several months ahead of time.
and go right into self-preservation mode (fight or flight),” he explains. “You’ve got to figure out what the issue is and see if you can alleviate what’s upsetting the horse. I’ve been swimming horses since 1975 and have never stopped learning ways to do it better. Now we have it down to a method that is very non-stressful. These young horses are never scared, their heart rates never go up, and they are okay with it.”
Swimming is a wonderful tool for sales
prep or race training because it enables you to start building their athleticism at an early age
– strengthening their muscles and respiratory system without the damaging concussion on young feet and legs that would occur when galloping. “Swimming is also is full-body exercise and really builds the topline on these young horses,” he says. “This type of exercise probably helps stimulate their growth. Studies have shown that exercise is one of the things that stimulates growth because you get more secretion of growth hormone and all the other endocrine hormones when you start giving them high-level exercise.
“We do this for a couple reasons. One, it’s a great sales prep tool, and secondly and even more importantly, it prepares these youngsters for the breaking process. It really strengthens them, especially their topline. Many young horses, when you start breaking them, are not
very strong. You are usually putting 150 to
160 pounds on them, that’s a lot to ask of an 18-month-old horse. They are still developing. A big, strong stud colt may be able to handle it, but most long-yearlings are better off if you prepare them more gradually.
Gradually adapt a yearling to water when planning to teach him to swim, an exercise in which he bears no load and can help increase range of motion and cardiovascular fitness.
First, Casner teaches the yearling to walk down a Once comfortable, a big 100 foot chute is used The yearling then goes into a chute and swims ramp and through a few inches of water. where they only swim 8-10 strokes. around an island with the help of a handler.
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EQUINE HEALTH