Horse throws me slightly left when trotting

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annt

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When I trot my mare I feel like she throws me ever so slightly to the left and my friend says her tail is ever so slightly going to left too. I have gotten a friend to ride her and she feels the same so don’t think it’s me off balance. I have had her back checked and no problem there. Any suggestions for me to help her carry herself straight so trot is better? Her head seems to be perfectly straight too so may be a back end issue?
Thank u
Xx
 
I would recommend that BOTH of you i.e. horse AND rider, need physio/chiropractic treatment.

It's no good (and a waste of money) treating one without the other. Ideally you want someone who treats both equine and human and can work on the problem with you. I'm fortunate in that I have someone like this.

Good that you've noticed this.

Also I'd have a word with your farrier and get the saddle fitter out too.
 
Yes seems to be on both diagonal but more pronounced (but again it’s not a massive balance issue but minor ) on one side. I have asked a saddle fitter to come and check everything to ensure ok. I will also discuss with farrier as honestly didn’t think of chatting to him, thank u x
will research re physio options for us both, may be good idea, thanks x
 
As said its a "everyone needs to be included in this chat" thing. Could be a leg, hoof, saddle, back, you, surface...anything issue.

My horse has a known RH issue, but we worked pretty well with it until my own farrier was unable to come one time (and was away for a spell) so a new farrier came and wrecked my horse. As a result he went very wonky on one side, and it took months to fix him mainly with my own farriers work when he came back, but i needed his saddles readjusted, physio, chiro, and equine touch with also a lot of lessons specifically targeted to building him up again.
 
agree - everything needs to be checked and ruled out and regardless, even if it is the horse and not you, you will now be out as you will have compensated and the movement will have made your muscle development uneven over time, go through everything methodically
 
Horses like people are 'left or right handed' and will always have one stronger or preferred side. Its nothing abnormal or to worry about.
They will always throw you on to their strongest side, if they have a novice rider they always end up on that diagonal so that side gets even stronger. So even on a straight line if trotting on a hack you should change diagonals, when you are schooling always work the weak diagonal slightly more, so gradually the sides even up.
When cantering there will always be a preferred leg. There is a opinion that all horses are ' lame', because they will always favour one side. You often see on old ponies that have managed to throw their riders to their preferred side for most of their ridden lives that they have a very untidy action on their stiff side, which could be mistaken for lameness.
 
Thanks so much for your input, really helpful. Will get on to some help methodically first thing Monday 😁x
 
honetpot said:
Horses like people are 'left or right handed' and will always have one stronger or preferred side. Its nothing abnormal or to worry about.
They will always throw you on to their strongest side, if they have a novice rider they always end up on that diagonal so that side gets even stronger. So even on a straight line if trotting on a hack you should change diagonals, when you are schooling always work the weak diagonal slightly more, so gradually the sides even up.
When cantering there will always be a preferred leg. There is a opinion that all horses are ' lame', because they will always favour one side. You often see on old ponies that have managed to throw their riders to their preferred side for most of their ridden lives that they have a very untidy action on their stiff side, which could be mistaken for lameness.
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This. Surely just straighten them up....?

Of course by all means check everything and good physio is never money down the drain, but naturally horses favour one side.

As for the tail thing - I've heard all sorts of basically unsubstantiated claims about what this means (anything from skin conditions to brain tumour), but ime, some horses just do hold it to one side when they are not properly forward and straight, particularly if they are long in the neck. I asked my physio about her experience of it a while back, and she was of a similar opinion.
 
Gloi said:
Could be early warning signs for a hind end lameness developing, like a spavin.
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If this behaviour is new, I agree with this.

My horse began to hold his tail to one side when he had an SI strain. I had felt he wasn't right and been told I was imagining it, then I saw a dressage video of him holding his tail in a way which wasn't normal for him, and we found a mild SI strain.
 
When I first got my horse he was like a banana to ride, behind the leg and carried his tail to one side. I've worked on getting him forward and straight and the tail is now central.
I did a trial on myself once and noticed my right leg is more dominant than my left (not particularly when riding but in day to day tasks).
I would have a physio check and then work on forward and straight with a good instructor.
 
honetpot said:
Horses like people are 'left or right handed' and will always have one stronger or preferred side. Its nothing abnormal or to worry about.
They will always throw you on to their strongest side, if they have a novice rider they always end up on that diagonal so that side gets even stronger. So even on a straight line if trotting on a hack you should change diagonals, when you are schooling always work the weak diagonal slightly more, so gradually the sides even up.
When cantering there will always be a preferred leg. There is a opinion that all horses are ' lame', because they will always favour one side. You often see on old ponies that have managed to throw their riders to their preferred side for most of their ridden lives that they have a very untidy action on their stiff side, which could be mistaken for lameness.
Click to expand...

This. I've never ridden a horse that was truly "straight" under saddle without training and input from the rider. You should definitely be aware of it, and mention it to physios, saddlers or farriers as appropriate, but mostly the biggest factor is to ride them straight and strengthen both sides to equality. If the horse is incapable of improving with training, or deteriorates, it's probably worth investigating for pathology.
 
I think it's impossible to tell without other info.
Frank over the last 6 years or so has thrown me left, which unfortnately is also the side I am weaker and prone to having a shorter leg on so potentially chicken and egg but also the side he has had a spavin on for some time (so wouldn't have been the preferred/stronger side).
 
The crucial piece of information we are missing is whether this behaviour is new. Since most horses are one sided, everything hangs around whether the horse has always done this or whether it had started to do it recently.
 
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