Discuss hind legs 'camped under'

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CobsGalore

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What is the reason for a horse's hind legs to be camped under, or is it just a conformational thing?

Does anyone have a horse that is camped under? Do you have any pictures?

Does it affect their ability to do things? Have you had any lameness arising from this?

Thank you
 
It can be due to soreness in the hooves. The horse might place hind feet under/forward to take the weight off front hooves for eg.
Tbh, I also think 'over at the knee' can be due to the horse taking the weight off the back of front hooves.

Here's one rationale. http://www.bodrwyn.org/articles/lowgradelaminitis.php

ps. I am talking about camped under not sickle hocks which I know nothing about. Camped under front and hind can look like a goat on a pinacle or an elephant standing on a ball.
 
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That's true, there is a difference between a true sickle hocked horse and one who is standing oddly due to pain. I've seen horses with laminitis in the hind hooves only, stand like an 'elephant on a ball'. They have returned to a normal stance once the laminitis is better.
 
Yes this horse is not sickle hocked in the slightest, it's just it's back legs are always under it.

The horse has recently been on bute for a number of other reasons, but it is still standing like this - so makes me think it is not pain related?
 
sore heels or sore back. Negative coffin bone angle (caused by weak heels)

Bute often does not remove sacroiliac pain.
 
My kwpn who is an ASB did this for awhile .
When he arrived he had the typical ASB legs outbehind stance .
Then about two years after I owed him I broke him to ride when he started dressage training he stood camped under for a while .
He's built very very up hill this made his back difficult to develop at first he had a very high head carriage and retraining the neck took ages in fact it's still work Progress .
It took a lot of physio imput as his muscles made the transition from driving to ridden .
Now he stands normally but will camp under if he's tense .
 
Goldenstar said:
My kwpn who is an ASB did this for awhile .
When he arrived he had the typical ASB legs outbehind stance .
Then about two years after I owed him I broke him to ride when he started dressage training he stood camped under for a while .
He's built very very up hill this made his back difficult to develop at first he had a very high head carriage and retraining the neck took ages in fact it's still work Progress .
It took a lot of physio imput as his muscles made the transition from driving to ridden .
Now he stands normally but will camp under if he's tense .
Click to expand...
Sorry, what's an ASB?
 
Camped under can be due to a number of things, conformation, sore back, but most often sore feet, in particular, laminitis. My mare would stand camped under when she was having a bout of laminitis, and return to normal once it was passed.
 
cptrayes said:
sore heels or sore back. Negative coffin bone angle (caused by weak heels)

Bute often does not remove sacroiliac pain.
Click to expand...

That is interesting and explains why bute never helped my boy with his canter in the school. After proper treatment he is OK.
 
When I got my horse Jazz he would stand with his front legs back and his back legs forward in a "base narrow" stance.
I dont' know how to add photos to a thread, but there is a photo of him in my albums in my profile...
he had very bad seedy toe and was very lame on his near fore, which in turn caused alot of problems with his off hind.
Hes fine now, but there has been a lot of physio, and careful work and a brilliant farrier to get him right.
Kx
 
Our KWPN developed a camped under stance (among other things) during last winter. He was diagnosed with EMND and the vets and physio said although it's not a specific symptom of that illness it can be a sign of generalised body weakness which is a part of the disease. He's done lots of physio exercises, is much stronger now and hardly does it any more so that seems to ring true in our case.

PS - EMND - equine motor neuron disease
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
off topic but interesting, as i want an ASB for my next youngster :)
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He's a marmite horse you love him or hate him.
Spectacular mover, difficult canter to produce but it's fine now, he's so uphill he's the only horse I have had where trainer says lean forward lean forward when he was green ( he started ridden work at ten) he would sit on his hocks when tense and piaffe if say a shoulder in went wrong .
He would have been a amazing dressage horse if it had been his first job but too much water has gone under the bridge for him ( he was a carriage horse first he hated it )he a great jumper and very very clever but he razor sharp hot hot hot and highly strung I think you would have loved him if you could have got him as a 4yo , he hunts now which is an enlivening experiance .
 
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