The Canadian survived as a breed by being almost indestructible: a compact, cold-hardy horse that thrives on feed rations other breeds would fade on. That thrift is precisely where its health problems start. The Canadian's list is short on inherited defects and long on the consequences of doing too well.
The easy keeper's weight trap
Canadians gain on air, in their owners' fond phrase, and unrestricted rich grazing or generous hard feed stacks condition on quickly. The warning signs are a hardening, cresty neck, fat filling in behind the shoulders and around the tailhead, and ribs you can no longer feel under the padding. Excess weight is not a cosmetic issue in this breed; it is the on-ramp to metabolic trouble and sore feet. Condition-score hands-on every few weeks rather than judging by eye across a winter coat, restrict grazing during the richest growth, and treat hay quantity as a ration to be weighed, not a bale to be shared out by habit. During the riskiest grazing weeks, learn to feel for the pulse at the back of the fetlock; a pulse that turns strong and bounding in a comfortable, bright horse is information worth acting on that same day, before soreness confirms it.
Laminitis, the problem weight leads to
The serious end of easy-keeper management is laminitis, inflammation inside the hoof that is acutely painful. A Canadian developing it may walk as if on eggshells, rock back onto his heels, lie down more, and have hooves that feel warm with a bounding pulse at the fetlock. Rich spring grass, sudden feed changes and uncontrolled metabolic issues are the usual triggers, and this breed's appetite puts it squarely in the risk group. Laminitis is an emergency: keep the horse still on deep bedding, remove the trigger feed and call a veterinarian immediately rather than walking him to see if he loosens up. Horses who have had one episode need their grazing and weight managed as a permanent medical matter, not a seasonal preference.
Hardy does not mean maintenance-free
Because Canadians are stoic and weatherproof, routine care can slide. Teeth still wear and develop sharp points that make an older horse drop feed and lose condition, a problem easily missed in a horse expected to stay fat. Hooves on a heavy-bodied, compact horse crack or flare if trimming lapses, and veterans who worked hard in harness or under saddle stiffen through shoulders and hocks with age. A Canadian who starts losing weight, quidding hay or shortening his stride has earned a proper examination; hardiness delays problems being noticed, it does not cancel them. Sudden weight loss in an easy keeper is itself a red flag worth investigating promptly.
Cold-climate strengths and their blind spot
Thick coats and easy wintering create one more trap: under that coat, condition changes hide. Run hands over ribs and neck monthly through winter, keep water from freezing into reduced drinking, and watch older horses at the hay pile, where a slow eater can be quietly outcompeted. Recording condition scores, grazing restrictions, dental dates and any sore-footed episodes in a KinsLe Pet Passport keeps this famously tough breed's few real risks visible and managed.