swayback

Veterinary, horse care, and training issues.

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windyr
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swayback

Postby windyr » Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:20 pm

I have a beautifully bred Point Given yearling colt with great bone and extremely well put together except for the fact that he is slightly swayback. Is this likely to affect his performance? Are there well known swayback racehorses? Are there any good stallions that are swayback?

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Postby larrygene » Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:24 pm

Seattle Slew

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Intrinsic Worth
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Postby Intrinsic Worth » Fri Oct 05, 2007 4:34 am

Bubba Swayback comes to mind. He was bred by Overbrook and given away and is doing decently at the track. It's in the Storm Cat line as well. Both sire and dam have to have the gene to throw swayback.
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Toccet02
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Postby Toccet02 » Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:38 am

I have seen Bubba swayback in person as a 2YO. He was an extreme case allright...Very deep swayback!
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Postby Mood Swings » Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:45 am

Hennesy.
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windyr
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Postby windyr » Fri Oct 05, 2007 8:55 am

Was Hennessy actually swayback or just long backed?

casallc
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Postby casallc » Fri Oct 05, 2007 12:27 pm

Swaybacks actually have a racing advantage - 3/4 of the horse is running downhill all the time.

windyr
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Postby windyr » Fri Oct 05, 2007 2:56 pm

"Swaybacks actually have a racing advantage - 3/4 of the horse is running downhill all the time".

Can you explain further?

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Intrinsic Worth
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Postby Intrinsic Worth » Fri Oct 05, 2007 3:34 pm

Hennessy is just long backed which will become swaybacked with age. It's in his pedigree as his dam and half sister both have (or had) really long backs. Actual genetic swayback, lordosis is what it's called I believe, is something they are born with.


Actually, swaybacks really aren't built downhill, not the ones I've seen that have raced. I wouldn't want a horse that's really downhill as they are more susceptible to bone chips in their knees and ankles due to the weight distribution.
All men are equal on the turf - or under it.

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Postby leveeguy » Sat Oct 06, 2007 9:19 am

Count Fleet.

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Postby Shammy Davis » Sat Oct 06, 2007 7:25 pm

Hall of Fame trainer Preston Burch once said that though he would never buy a swayback, he wouldn't discourage anyone from doing so, because it had no detrimental effect on their racing ability.

casallc
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Postby casallc » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:21 am

windyr wrote:"Swaybacks actually have a racing advantage - 3/4 of the horse is running downhill all the time".

Can you explain further?


I'm not very good at explaining geometry (or humor).

windyr
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Postby windyr » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:30 pm

Any photos of Seattle Slew and Count Fleet?

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Chauffe Au Rouge

Postby jellac » Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:08 pm

This horse was a stunning, well put together bright copper penny red colt. Absolutely beautiful - until you saw his somewhat (not extreme though) swayed back. I think everyone thought he'd have problems with his conformation/tendancy to chips, etc. but it just didn't happen and this boy could really run!

And he had attitude/presense which he maintained even after he was gelded - no matter where he went he 'knew' he was the boss. He was foaled/raised at the same farm my mare & foals were boarded at so I saw him as a weanling/yearling on and his defect did not seem to keep him from being numero uno in the yearling colts pasture group - what I termed the "testosterone club" as it was a hard knocking group of very competitive colts that seemed to spend almost all day determining who the new second in command was. As to commander in chief it was never in doubt - "Chauffe" had that position until the day he was sorted out to be backed/trained to saddle. If you went to the fence or entered that pasture he really challenged your right to be there - almost aggressively, certainly boldly. I never had a problem with him but also never ignored or forgot to keep and eye on him. He easily intimidated humans and horses alike who weren't used to coltish behaviour. I wasn't too surprised that he went on to race well and actually he got better with age.

Sadly, after his breeders/owners sold him he became the center of a major controversy/investigation at the Texas Racing Commission level as to his being a legitimate 'Texas-Accredited' thoroughbred or not even though he foaled out in Texas. Result was he was ruled not "Texas-Accredited" and his prior wins in such restricted stakes were striken from the record, the winnings either returned or never awarded due to the controversy. He was good but just a notch slower than open stakes company or he would have gone on to be well known, at least regionally. I believe he did place or showed in an open stakes race in Louisiana at one point in his career though it's not noted in this db and I'm not sure if this LTE figure is before or after he was stripped of his Texas-Accredited stakes earnings......

http://www.pedigreequery.com/chauffe+au+rouge

windyr
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Postby windyr » Mon Oct 15, 2007 8:21 pm

Very interesting jellac. I bought the yearling colt recently without examining him too closely. Actually, I had had no intention of buying anything else (I had already purchased two), when this Point Given colt walked into the ring. My friend, who owns a farm in KY, said he had never seen such quality bone on a yearling and when I looked closer I had to agree. He is a really outstanding individual who is very correct and out of an AP Indy mare. His dam is half to five graded stakes horses, including Concerto. I was impressed so I started bidding and could not believe that he went for a very reasonable price. It is only when I went to the stall and had the attendant walk him, I noticed the slight swayback. This had to be the reason why the pinhookers weren't interested in him. Without this blemish, he would have gone for much, much more. Actuaklly, his half brother by Langfur sold for $240,000 last year and worked 5f in 59.6 at Keeneland a couple of days ago. I have zero prejudices against swaybacks so I am really looking forward to seeing how he turns out.