How tall is a Kerry Bog Pony?

How many ponies are there in the world?

Today there are around 450 ponies with approximately 50 foals being registered each year. Native breeds such as the Kerry Bog Pony are popular for conservation grazing. They can graze areas of difficult terrain that machinery cannot access.

Is the Kerry Bog Pony a descendant of the Irish Hobby?

Some enthusiasts claim that the breed is a descendant of the ancient Irish Hobby. In a 1617 book illustration, the horses pictured resemble both the Kerry Bog Pony of today and the original Irish Hobby, showing the two breeds’ similar morphology. Originally, Kerry Bog Ponies were used to transport peat and kelp.

What is bog spavin in horses?

Bog spavin is a term applied to a disorder which applies to the development (or lack of) of the cartilage and bone in the tarsal (or hock) joint. This disorder is most common in young horses and is a result of inflammation which interferes with the development of the joint, either inherited or acquired.

What is an Irish Hobby Horse?

The Irish Hobby is an extinct breed of horse developed in Ireland prior to the 13th century. The breed provided foundation bloodlines for several modern horse breeds, including breeds as diverse as the Connemara pony and the Irish Draught.

What is bog spavin?

Bog spavin is a condition where a soft swelling occurs on the medial surface of the hock joint resulting from excessive fluid within the joint capsule. It is usually seen as two distinct swellings, one on the back and the other on the front of the hock joint.

What are the symptoms of bog spavin in horses?

Symptoms of Bog Spavin in Horses. The most common symptom is the visual observation of swelling or edema of the tarsocrural joint on both sides of the hock. The enlargement of this area will be located mostly on the middle back surface of the hock.

What is spavin in horses?

‘Spavin’ is a common condition in ponies and horses of all ages. There are two forms of spavin – bone spavin and bog spavin.

What is the difference between Bog spavin and hock enlargement?

The enlargement or swelling has no bone involvement, it only involves the synovial membrane which is a membrane that lies within and surrounds the hock joint that permits smooth and flexible movement of the joint. Bog spavin, as defined above, is a long term, low-grade inflammation of this membrane over time.

What is bone spavin in horses?

Bog spavin in horses refers to inflammation of the synovial membrane. In this case, the membrane surrounds the tarsus, or hock, joint and can become long term. The inflammation of the hock joint is also known as bone spavin and curb. Vet bills can sneak up on you. Plan ahead. Get the pawfect insurance plan for your pup.

What causes bog spavin in horses?

Causes of Bog Spavin in Horses. The enlargement or swelling has no bone involvement, it only involves the synovial membrane which is a membrane that lies within and surrounds the hock joint that permits smooth and flexible movement of the joint.

Where do Irish horses come from?

Originally comes from the horses of the traveling Romany people…gypsies. The Irish carry on this tradition and have honed the breeding of these animals for color and temperament.

What is a hobbeye horse?

The Irish Hobby is an extinct breed of horse developed in Ireland prior to the 13th century. The breed provided foundation bloodlines for several modern horse breeds, including breeds as diverse as the Connemara pony and the Irish Draught. Palfreys were known as haubini in France, which eventually became hobbeye.

Where did the Irish Hobby Horse come from?

These bloodlines were the foundation for a number of modern Irish breeds like the Connemara Pony & the Irish Draught. It is believed that mares of Irish Hobby breeding may have come from animals native to the British Isles which were the foundation for the English Thoroughbred.

What is an Irish Hobby Horse used for?

They are used for everything from transportation to working the land, and are very popular competition horses. The Irish Hobby Horse is an extinct breed of horse that is believed to be one of the ancestors for the Irish Draught, Connemara Pony and possibly the same horse as Kerry Bog, as mentioned above (in that case, they are not extinct!).

What causes bone spavin in horses?

Bone spavin is also associated with horses that have had infections of the hock joints, metabolic bone disease, fracture or developmental problems. Unfavorable conformation such as sickle or cow hocks create increased stress on the inside part of the distal hock joints and can result in bone spavin.

Why does my horse have two swollen hocks?

This results in soft swellings on the front inside part of the hock and sometimes two smaller swellings on each side of the hock. Once stretched, the joint capsule stays that way, leaving the horse with a permanent enlargement. Nutritional deficiencies may also cause bog spavin.

What are the symptoms of bog spavin?

These “chips” often result in irritation of the joint, which can cause increased fluid—the bog spavin. Clinical appearance of swelling on the dorsomedial aspect of the hock as seen in bog spavin.

How long does it take for bog spavin to heal?

The horse may need to be rested for four to six weeks. In some cases, applying a pressure bandage is helpful. Adding vitamins and minerals to the diet may relieve bog spavin if it is caused by a nutritional deficiency.

What causes bog spavin in tibiotarsal bone?

Alternatively, OCD lesions that occur on the lateral trochlear ridge of the tibiotarsal bone can result in large areas of cartilage and bone loss and an irregular joint surface. These lesions may cause both a bog spavin and more commonly result in dysfunction of the joint, pain and lameness.

What is Juvenile spavin in horses?

“Juvenile spavin” is the occurrence of bone spavin in horses less than 3 years old. It usually occurs before the animal has done much work. While osteochondrosis lesions are the likely cause in some cases, this condition can also occur secondary to the distortion of the cuboidal bones which can occur in premature or dysmature foals.

What is a positive spavin test on a horse?

When the horse is made lame (or more lame) by flexion test it is said to be a positive spavin test. The name is often misleading as many different conditions affecting other joints or areas of the hind leg can cause a positive result and the test is certainly not specific for bone spavin.

What is bone spavin in a horse?

A bone spavin is an overgrowth of bone that develops in the lower hock joint. Several types of bone spavin can affect your horse. Juvenile spavin – These are spavins in horses that are under three years old; unlike adult forms of spavin, this is usually caused by diseases and congenital disorders, such as osteochondrosis or cuboidal bone distortion

What is bog spavin in dogs?

He doesn’t seem lame, but the swelling worries you. What It Is: Bog spavin is a swelling of the upper joint – called the tarsocrural joint and also known as the tibiotarsal joint – of the hock, caused by some of the synovial fluid that normally fills the joint space leaking out into the surrounding tissue.

What causes boggy hocks in horses?

Even a horse that has had arthroscopic surgery to remove the OCD fragments may end up with a “boggy” hock. Other reasons for bog spavin can be nutritional (from imbalances in protein/carbohydrate ratios), strain of the collateral ligaments or inflammation of the joint lining from over work.

How to prevent bog spavin in horses?

Prevention: Developing a conditioning program that minimizes stress or injury to the hock joints can help prevent bog spavin. Ensuring the horse has a balanced diet, with no mineral deficiencies is also important. Little can be done, however, for cases caused by poor conformation.