FemelleReynard
Well-Known Member
So my boy is a big (17 hand) 10 year old ISH. Hunted in Ireland and hunted over here until I got him just over a year ago, now he still hunts but does a bit of everything else as well. As you can imagine, he's not very well schooled at all, is very ungainly, not really aware of his size and just understands how to go forwards (at speed!).
Every time I ride him his back hooves rub together on the inside which rubs away the hair around the coronet band, kind of rubs the hoof wall away, and I've noticed lately that it sometimes bleeds very slightly too (if we've been on a long hack, or schooled for instance).
This rubbing is sometimes worse than other times. I have tried a fetlock ring, which prevented the rubbing slightly on the foot that it was on, but the other one was just as bad, and I wasn't keen on putting a ring on both fetlocks. I have also tried brushing boots on both back feet which again helped, as it was just the rubber taking the rubbing, so eventually the boot would wear out and I'd get a new pair.
I realise that the rubbing is probably caused by a combination of bad conformation and bad schooling, so my question is, are there any schooling exercises that I could do to make his back end stronger to stop this rubbing? Or do you think I should get a physio to look him over to see if there is anything more serious or if they can recommend any particular exercises/stretches or something that may help? It's worth noting that I don't have access to an arena regularly (I occasionally hack the 4 miles to a nice big indoor if I'm jumping or something), so I'd prefer schooling exercises that I could do out hacking or on the ground.
The horse is shod religiously every 5 weeks, so I don't think it's caused by overgrown feet either.
Thanks a lot.
Every time I ride him his back hooves rub together on the inside which rubs away the hair around the coronet band, kind of rubs the hoof wall away, and I've noticed lately that it sometimes bleeds very slightly too (if we've been on a long hack, or schooled for instance).
This rubbing is sometimes worse than other times. I have tried a fetlock ring, which prevented the rubbing slightly on the foot that it was on, but the other one was just as bad, and I wasn't keen on putting a ring on both fetlocks. I have also tried brushing boots on both back feet which again helped, as it was just the rubber taking the rubbing, so eventually the boot would wear out and I'd get a new pair.
I realise that the rubbing is probably caused by a combination of bad conformation and bad schooling, so my question is, are there any schooling exercises that I could do to make his back end stronger to stop this rubbing? Or do you think I should get a physio to look him over to see if there is anything more serious or if they can recommend any particular exercises/stretches or something that may help? It's worth noting that I don't have access to an arena regularly (I occasionally hack the 4 miles to a nice big indoor if I'm jumping or something), so I'd prefer schooling exercises that I could do out hacking or on the ground.
The horse is shod religiously every 5 weeks, so I don't think it's caused by overgrown feet either.
Thanks a lot.