Swayback 

Swayback, is also referred to as lordosis, and is when a horse's back begins to sag. Although this condition usually happens in older horses, any age horse can have this condition. The swayback is caused by the stretching and weakening of the ligaments on a horse's spine.

This condition is caused by gravity on the spine over the horse's lifetime. You will see this condition in older broodmares due to the weight of pregnancy. Other causes of this condition include your horse being overweight or carrying a heavy rider often over the horse's lifetime.

Horses with a high head carriage with long necks and long back horses can be prone to having swayback. There is no way to predict which horses will have this condition as they get older. Some of the risk factors include age, multiple pregnancies and being overweight.

It is important to make sure as your horse becomes older that they stay active and are kept at a normal weight. Even if you can't ride your older horse, it is recommended that you give them regular groundwork to keep them healthy.

One thing to remember is that swayback is not a disabling condition. This condition can affect any horse breed and can happen early on or later in a horse's lifetime. However, research has shown that this condition does not have any influence on the horse's soundness or health. The main thing to be concerned about with a horse that has swayback is to make sure the saddle fits them properly or the horse could be prone to back injuries.