Waiting for a two year olds knees to close prior to breezing

Question
Is it necessary or do you recommend waiting for a two year old thoroughbreds knees to close prior to breezing?

Answer
--Steven

It isn't absolutely necessary to wait for a two year old's knees to close before breezing, but it certainly is a good idea, and I highly recommend it.

While it used to be standard practice to x-ray all two year olds to track their knee development, many trainers don't bother anymore, and often they have no problems.  But many times they wind up with promising young horses that have to be sidelined for early knee surgery to remove chips, and many of these young horses never run back to their previous form.
Any time that you stress an area of bone that is still growing you risk injury to the area.  As bone grows, it forms a lattice-like structure that gradually fills in with denser material.  While the new bone is still soft and spongy, it is much more vulnerable to damage such as chips or spurs.

While surgery is fairly commonplace to remove chips, it is far better just to try avoiding having the chip in the first place.  Whenever you have to invade the joint, you cause inflammation, and that inevitably leads to arthritis in the affected joint.  Surgery isn't always an option, either.  If the chip should be in a bad area of the joint, then it won't be possible to remove it.  Even if the chip is easily accessible, damage can sometimes occur from the surgery, although this isn't often the case.

Sometimes it can get really frustrating waiting for a baby's knees to close, but as with most things when dealing with training horses, usually the more time you spend early on, the more time you'll save later, due to fewer injuries, and an overall healthier horse.

Should you choose not to wait, then make certain that you spend a great deal of time checking the knees, and watch carefully for any and all signs of heat or swelling.  Should either occur, then back off immediately, and reevaluate your training schedule.

I hope that this helped!

Stephanie Frost
www.alchemybloodstock.com