Horse tripping...any ideas?

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HashRouge

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My lovely mare has started tripping when ridden and I'm starting to get vaguely worried :o. I noticed that she would occasionally trip when ridden over the summer, but she then had a month or two off as we took her shoes off and I went back to uni. She still has her shoes off (is trimmed by a farrier rather than a trimmer) and has adapted very well to it. She is now back in work and she is still tripping, usually only once a ride, but it tends to be the same leg (right fore) that gives. In other ways she is very very well in herself - she is fit and lively, tracks up very well and strides out well and appears to be as sound as a pound. I took her out for 1 1/2 hours yesterday and she was pulling to go, jogging and generally great fun to ride. She only tripped once, but it was definitely her right fore that went. I lunged her today (only a gentle, 10 minute session, mainly in walk and trot) and she tripped 3 times, all on the right fore. This is the first time I've ever seen her trip on the lunge, so I'm now feeling quite anxious.
I know there are various things that might cause a horse to trip. A physio came out to see my horse before Christmas and said that she was sore in her right shoulder and felt her saddle could be restricting her. She padded out the right side of the saddle for me (there was some muscle wastage) but obviously pony is still tripping and has now tripped on the lunge, so I don't know if this is related. It also feels/ looks as though she is striding out comfortably and evenly with both fore legs. I suppose it could possibly be the saddle though, although it looked on the lunge as though it was her fetlock that was giving out.
Then, she is a slightly older horse, as she is 19 in Feb, so I did wonder if it could perhaps be arthritis. She has cortaflex and doesn't look at all stiff at the moment, but she did have a nasty fall when she was younger that I suppose could have left some lasting damage.
I also know that tripping can be a sign of navicular, although she looks and feels sound and there are no other issues to speak of.
What else can cause a horse to trip? What does everyone think? There is a vet on my yard, although she is away atm, so I was going to ask her what she thought and whether it is worth getting her looked at properly and maybe x rayed. I thought I'd pop on here in the meantime though and ask you guys :)
 
First thing IMO is to ensure your farrier is giving her a good mustang roll! I bought a rasp to help keep a nice roll on Phils hooves, this helps to reduce chips, cracks and tripping IMO. He tends to trip when he's due a trim/his toes get a little long.

Are you working her properly when she trips? Sometimes if they're dawdling along not paying attention or putting effort in it can cause them to trip.

I wouldn't know about the others but I'd check these things first and then go down the route of physio and/or vet :)
 
xRobyn said:
First thing IMO is to ensure your farrier is giving her a good mustang roll! I bought a rasp to help keep a nice roll on Phils hooves, this helps to reduce chips, cracks and tripping IMO. He tends to trip when he's due a trim/his toes get a little long.

Are you working her properly when she trips? Sometimes if they're dawdling along not paying attention or putting effort in it can cause them to trip.

I wouldn't know about the others but I'd check these things first and then go down the route of physio and/or vet :)
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I honestly don't know what a mustang roll is :o
She is due a trim on Wednesday though so I'll make sure the farrier is aware that she's been tripping. Thanks for the suggestions everyone :)
 
HashRouge said:
I honestly don't know what a mustang roll is :o
She is due a trim on Wednesday though so I'll make sure the farrier is aware that she's been tripping. Thanks for the suggestions everyone :)
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A mustang roll is simply taking the edge off of the hooves after trimming!

Essentially, instead of the entire hoof wall sloping down to the ground you take the edge off which makes it slope and then drop vertically to the ground :)

Like this:
http://www.thehorseshoof.com/pix/HC_roll4.jpg

Hope that makes sense!
 
We have the exact same scenario with bailey but with his left shoulder. Since october he has the physio once every two months for his shoulder and he has two scoops of glucosamine every feed for his knee and the tripping has gone :) he is 20 so I reckon it helps with his stiff knee!
 
xRobyn said:
A mustang roll is simply taking the edge off of the hooves after trimming!

Essentially, instead of the entire hoof wall sloping down to the ground you take the edge off which makes it slope and then drop vertically to the ground :)

Like this:
http://www.thehorseshoof.com/pix/HC_roll4.jpg

Hope that makes sense!
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Thanks Robyn! She definitely doesn't have one in that case, so I'll ask her farrier :)
 
My TB started occasionally tripping 6 months ago. I feared the dreaded N word and got the Vet out. He said he needed his feet sorted out and after using a different farrier to my great relief he has not tripped once since.

His feet had grown too much heel and were too long in the toe, especially his back feet. I can't believe the difference in him. He now goes 6 weeks without his shoes falling off after a few days and his horn is intact and not cracking anymore.

Had I continued with the previous Farrier i think he would now be lame or fallen, injurying either himself or me or both of us.
 
Mine was same n diagnosed with arthritis in coffin joint & knee. That was 3 yrs ago. Had joint injections 3 times now n doing well. Biggest help was change to equilibrium shoes, ask ur farrier about them. Wider shoe flat at toe with tungpins each side of shoe at heal. Allows horse to slide toe when in contact with road and pins then act as brake. Reduces jarring & joint breaking over / tripping. Mine only trips in walk n usually early in ride or if not concentrating/being lazy. Good luck.
 
P.s his saddle has been reflocked and he's has physio as gets sore in shoulder, all down to compensating in lower fore coffin. If insured Def have xrays etc. My chap is 21 now, shows in VHS (beat Olympia champ at our regional!) happily hacks for 2-3 hrs, if it is arthritis its best to keep them mobile else they stiffen up more.
 
Interesting reading this as mine has been the same recently. The worst time was in the school when he ended up on his knees and a nose full of sand. However I started to realise that if I didnt ask for contact and just let him plonk his head wherever, he was fine, as soon as I asked for an outline he would start tripping. Got a good instructor and realised I was leaning to the left so was unbalancing him, making it hard for him to hold his head correctly. Not to mention he also overtracks slightly. Was just lots of little things combined, no serious underlying issues or N word luckily, and he is only 6 so none of the A word either!
 
Thanks everyone, lots of good ideas and advice here! I think I'll talk to the vet on my yard and also make sure I mention it to the farrier on wednesday, it's quite good timing really!
 
I have also found that ensuring the toes are short reduces tripping.

Your farrier may have noticed if your horse is uncomfortable during shoeing as being shod can be unpleasant if the horse has knee issues for example. Might be worth asking for his feedback too.
 
Oberon said:
You could post pics?
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Of her hooves? I will do my best but it might end up being after she's been trimmed (seeing her in the daylight doesn't always happen at this time of the year!). I will make sure her farrier knows she has been tripping and will mention the mustang roll to her. I'll try and get some photos up over the next few days anyway :)
 
HashRouge said:
Of her hooves? I will do my best but it might end up being after she's been trimmed (seeing her in the daylight doesn't always happen at this time of the year!). I will make sure her farrier knows she has been tripping and will mention the mustang roll to her. I'll try and get some photos up over the next few days anyway :)
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Your camera will do flash photography and it would be better to see the before and after, try to ask farrier if he sees a reason for tripping, if it continues get a SENIOR vet out, one who you can trust to advise a new farrier if required. New Balance shoes may work, if the feet were previously badly shod, but not always, it is worth getting a master farrier in to discuss this with you, preferably when your own farrier is there, or you can get referral to vet school, and X-rays, so make sure horse is insured a couple of months before you do or say anything!!!!!!
 
Mine trips in standard horse shoes. He has ringbone in his left fore, which is the leg he trips on. When I changed to a remedial farrier last year, he put him into Natural Balance shoes and has been slowly changing the shape and size of his shoes over the last 10 months. He now very rarely trips, only occasionally if he's v tired or not looking where he is going while on very uneven ground.
 
My boy was tripping badly, ended up getting a uknhcp trimmer to have a look and he had deep sulcus thrush and long toes , my farriers had never mentioned either !!!
 
I don't want to alarm you - it might be any of the above, and hopefully it will be resolved via the farrier - but my mare had tripping issues - culminating with her falling with me whilst schooling in canter after a huge trip.

After lameness tests, the nerve blocks and x-rays didn't find the cause, so she went to Newmarket for MRI scans. Through this she was diagnosed with degenerative disease of the the ligaments surrounding the coffin joints (what a mouthful) and a bit of arthritis as well.

So if you are insured and the tripping has gone on for some time, or has worsened, then I would definitely get her checked out. Good luck!
 
Okay, so my mare was trimmed today and unfortunately I couldn't be there as I've had to come back to uni early. My mum was there though, and I emailed her the photo of the hoof with the mustang roll that someone posted and gave her a summary of what you guys said so she'd have an idea of what to ask the farrier about. She sent me a text a bit ago saying: "X (farrier) said L (pony) wearing toe more than sides. This is normal. Means she gets bit of corner where sides meet edges. Cld be this that causing her trips. Has beveled edges 2 ease breakover but not as much as in ur photo". I will ask her to email me some photos so you guys can have a look (sorry, I didn't manage to get any before photos what with having to come back to uni :(). The farrier will be back to have another look in 6 weeks, but in the meantime I've asked my sister (who will be riding pony now that I'm away) to keep an eye on her and let me know if she is still tripping.

Bangagin said:
I don't want to alarm you - it might be any of the above, and hopefully it will be resolved via the farrier - but my mare had tripping issues - culminating with her falling with me whilst schooling in canter after a huge trip.

After lameness tests, the nerve blocks and x-rays didn't find the cause, so she went to Newmarket for MRI scans. Through this she was diagnosed with degenerative disease of the the ligaments surrounding the coffin joints (what a mouthful) and a bit of arthritis as well.

So if you are insured and the tripping has gone on for some time, or has worsened, then I would definitely get her checked out. Good luck!
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Don't worry, this is probably the next step if she doesn't improve now that she's been trimmed. Obviously I'm hoping that we will have sorted the issue, but we'll all be keeping a close eye on her! She is fully insured and, according to our policy, is also covered for age related problems like arthritis so long as she hasn't been treated for them before, which she hasn't.
Thanks for your input everyone. I will try to get some photos up before the weekend :)
 
amymay said:
Are you only shoeing every 6 weeks?
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She isn't shod, just trimmed. We were going longer than 6 weeks but the farrier wants to see her in 6 weeks because of the tripping, so she can monitor how it's going. Obviously we don't know if the tripping IS related to her feet, but it sets my mind at rest to know that farrier is aware and will be keeping a close eye on her :).
 
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