‘Stepping through’

[Hormonal Filly]

Is it a potential lameness problem if a horse doesn’t step through properly from hind to front in trot? I thought it was, showed that the horse wasn’t using its hind end properly..

Keep seeing so many videos of horses on social media not stepping through IMO, looking incredible ‘short’ behind yet owners don’t notice anything?!

These are horses having regular lessons with pros…

 

[Goldenstar]

You are of course looking for horses to track up or be near to it .
Many things affect this some are issues some are not .
It’s not necessarily linked to lameness , toes on the hind feet that don’t leave the surface is for a much bigger red flag.

 

[maya2008]

Depends how people ride if the conformation isn’t perfect.

Our ponies will track up if ridden correctly (forward will do!) but if they are babying a novice or slopping along in a jog trot with a tired child on board, then they often won’t. My little mare in particular has a long back and shortish legs. Tracking up requires much more effort from her than a TB or a warmblood with their longer legs, more loose natural movement and a shorter back.

I would expect a horse with well fitting tack and a decent rider to track up, yes. When my TB was alive we assessed for lameness any time she didn’t, loose in the field or under saddle.

 

[Goldenstar]

Horses who have a naturally large over track find it harder to collect .
Horses built to collect don’t overtrack so easily .
Horses learning collection will often take shorter steps behind it’s a process for most horses they don’t just go oh collection and do it unless they are exceptional athletes .

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Agree with goldenstar but I do think alot of riders block the horse from truly going forward, they don't get the rear end working and then let the horse really travel, they just hang on the front end with very little going on behind the overall picture can look lame.

Although hind end lameness can result in the horse not tracking up behind properly regardless of what you do.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Horses who have a naturally large over track find it harder to collect .
Horses built to collect don’t overtrack so easily .
Horses learning collection will often take shorter steps behind it’s a process for most horses they don’t just go oh collection and do it unless they are exceptional athletes .

Most of these I’ve seen are on the lunge. A friend said tracking up is ‘taught’ but I thought naturally they would track up.
Maybe I’m incorrect.

 

[maya2008]

Most of these I’ve seen are on the lunge. A friend said tracking up is ‘taught’ but I thought naturally they would track up.
Maybe I’m incorrect.

Everything I have tracks up in the field, weanling upwards (except the Shetland, but her body shape doesn’t really lend itself to that!), so definitely not taught. I would expect them to track up on the lunge also.

 

[ycbm]

Everything I have tracks up in the field, weanling upwards (except the Shetland, but her body shape doesn’t really lend itself to that!), so definitely not taught. I would expect them to track up on the lunge also.

This. It's normal to at least place the hind hoof in the print of the front one when loose, ime.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Everything I have tracks up in the field, weanling upwards (except the Shetland, but her body shape doesn’t really lend itself to that!), so definitely not taught. I would expect them to track up on the lunge also.

This. It's normal to at least place the hind hoof in the print of the front one when loose, ime.

Thank you for confirming both.

 

[sbloom]

To add, tracking up is seen as something that should be present all the time and can be used to monitor the work, I'd say it's not helping stabilise the horse, and most horses need stabilising more than they need to be tracking up. See it as a test, CAN they track up, and is there a difference with the rider on board. Anyone who says that short movement isn't often (always?) an early part of the decline to lameness doesn't understand movement. And many many people don't.

 

[little_critter]

To add, tracking up is seen as something that should be present all the time and can be used to monitor the work, I'd say it's not helping stabilise the horse, and most horses need stabilising more than they need to be tracking up. See it as a test, CAN they track up, and is there a difference with the rider on board. Anyone who says that short movement isn't often (always?) an early part of the decline to lameness doesn't understand movement. And many many people don't.

The very first thing I noticed when my horse was nerve blocked for lameness investigation was instant freedom in his walk. Literally from step 1 the stride was longer and more confident. I hadn’t realised how much he had contracted his stride over the months

 

[Kirstd33]

It’s his shortened stride that has alerted me to the fact that coblet isn’t quite right, especially on his left hind leg. He always slightly over tracked but now is definitely short striding and not quite so forward happily so he’s off for a lameness work up next week. Just really praying it’s nothing too serious as I’ve only had him 9 months and had low level some plans for us