On Selecting Horses with a History of OCD Surgery
Have you ever been flipping through a horse syndicate catalog and stopped when you saw the words "OCD removal surgery" in the surgery history section?
I'm sure you have.
I have too. To give you the conclusion,
I believe it is something you can almost entirely ignore.
First of all, what is OCD?
OCD (Osteochondritis Dissecans) is, broadly speaking, a "stumble in cartilage growth" during the developmental stage.
A horse's bones grow by creating cartilage at the ends, which then hardens. However, in young horses that grow rapidly, this "hardening" process doesn't always go smoothly, and cartilage fragments can remain inside the joint. This is OCD.
The causes are a complex mix of growth speed, nutrition, and genetics. It is not a matter of poor rearing or a fatal physical constitution.
Actually, it is extremely common.
According to an Australian study of one-year-old Thoroughbreds,
the incidence rate is about 23%. That is one in four horses.
At the Shadai Horse Clinic, they perform over 100 OCD surgeries on hocks (hind leg joints) alone each year. Moreover, only about 5-25% of cases show symptoms, and many disappear naturally without ever becoming symptomatic.
In short, it is close to a "common rite of passage" for young horses.
As for whether it is truly okay,
They run normally. It is faster to look at real-life examples.
・Ascoli Piceno (left hock OCD surgery) → Won two G1 races: the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and the Victoria Mile
・Vela Azul (removal of bone fragment from left hind fetlock) → Won the Japan Cup
・Skilfing (left hock OCD surgery) → Won the Aoba Sho by a landslide
・Kruger (OCD surgery) → Won the Milers Cup, finished 2nd to Winx in an Australian G1
The JRA itself even cites the fact that "many G1 winners have had OCD" as evidence of a good prognosis.
Furthermore, a personal analysis of 63 horses with publicly disclosed surgery histories from clubs showed that their performance distribution was almost no different from that of typical club horses.
The standard procedure for hock OCD is about one week of stall rest after surgery, followed by a return to pasture 6 weeks to 2 months later. They may be a few months behind their peers.
But even so, Ascoli Piceno debuted in June of her two-year-old year and won the Niigata Nisai Stakes. Being behind does not mean they are a failure.
The only case where you should be cautious
That said, not all cases are the same.
・Hock (hind leg)... Most common and has the best prognosis. It is safe to be optimistic and move forward.
・Stifle (knee) / Shoulder... Recovery tends to be prolonged. Proceed with a bit more caution.
・Multiple sites / Repeat surgeries... These require special attention.
In the analysis of the 63 horses mentioned earlier, horses with a history of surgery in multiple locations did not achieve a single win. There is a possibility that they have some underlying physical issues.
Summary
Honestly, it is a waste to exclude a candidate solely based on a "history of OCD surgery."
What you should look at is the location and the number of surgeries. If it is just one hock, you can judge them normally based on pedigree, conformation, and stable. In fact, since a surgical history often tends to lower the offering price, it can even be a good target.
Even active equine surgeons say, "It is a waste to exclude them just by looking at their surgical history."
If OCD lowers their popularity, it might be an opportunity.
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