Do Cow Hocks Effect a Horse in Dressage?
I am about to get this beautiful palamino paint gelding and he looks a little cow hocked I plan to do low levle eventing with him and i need to know if the cow hocks will effect him in dressage. like can he be eliminated? Or marked down?
British Dressage
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Cow hocks shouldn’t have any impact on the horse at all, Taylor. Dressage isn’t like the hunter ring- judges there are prohibited from taking points off your scores something like this, especially if it is only mild. I used to work for a well known judge, so I know what I am talking about. Cow hocks might have an impact on the horse’s jumping ability, but if the condition is mild, then even this should be minimal. I would say go ahead and get the horse- but make sure you have your vet do a pre-purchase exam to rule out anything which might interfere with your plans. One of my sister’s polo horses is slightly cow hocked, too, and he’s still playing, so I know it’s possible for horses with this condition to do very well.