Horse is Slightly Over at the Knees

Q. Hi Troy,  If a horse is slightly over at the knees will that hinder him as far as being a really good western pleasure mover?

Thanks, Cindy

A. Cindy,
I’ve seen some young horses that won’t “lock” their knees as a result of going through a growth spurt and they may shake just standing on the crossties, or after a workout when they are fatigued. So keep in mind that if it’s a young horse, it may be a growth issue that will improve with age and strength. If it’s an older horse, we would prefer them not to be over at the knee, but some can still be very flat up front when they move. So I guess my answer for you is that it depends on the individual but in general, when picking horses, I would try not to select one that is over at the knee.

Thanks for a good question,
Troy