Horse walking crooked

[teasle]

When I ride my horse down one of the long sides of the school he will not walk straight he bend his head to the outside and walks through his shoulder away from the track, if I try and turn him back to the track we end up walking down with him really bent , also when we walk or trot a circle to the left he bends his neck to the right,he is stiff on his left side . Has anyone got any ideas what I can do to supple him and get him to go straight.

 

[crellow4]

I would rule out the obvious first - teeth and back.

 

[Damnation]

I second Crellow4 get his back teeth and saddle looked at to rule out any discomfort.

 

[tallyho!]

could be anything! Spine, shoulder, pelvis... Google a good back person. I use a Mctimoney practitioner but a physio or chiro will def help too.

 

[paulineh]

I would say get someone to look at his back / neck it sounds as if he needs some work doing.

Where are you based and I may know someone who maybe able to help.

 

[Tickles]

teasle, agree with the others above but at the risk of stating the obvious does the looking to the outside happen on both reins? Obviously you need to work on the suppleness to the left and/or back problems but you might also have an issue with your horse being more interested in what is going on outside the arena than inside it. Are you straight if you walk down the centre line? What about if you add some poles to walk/trot over? Does your horse like schooling? Is there something interesting/spooky around your arena? Good luck.

 

[paulineh]

I have thought of something else. Have you had his / her eyes checked.

I have a gelding that will ride with his head turned to one side but he is blind in one eye. He is otherwise very supple.

 

[K27]

I obv. don’t know your horse but I’m just thinking of what I would do and what I’ve done with this sort of thing!- my horse did this for a short while in the past when going downhill though, not in the school and it turned out he has a bit of mild spavin- not wishing to worry you though!

Firstly, I’d rule out/check for any physical prob like teeth/hocks/saddle fit/flocking and if all is ok then I’d work the horse to strengthen them up- it sounds like the horses weaker left side needs to be stretched out,I’d keep it really simple, and gentle so things like spiralling in and out on a 20 mtr circle on the right rein(and obv the left rein too!) with enough bend, some leg yielding to get them to open the right shoulder and work from inside leg to the outside connection. Also riding in squares is a good one as well, at walk trot and canter as they really have to be ridden from inside leg to outside connection which channels them. Also on a right circle you could give the left rein for a few strides on a small circle, like crest releases – that really stretches out the stiffer side-have done that with one of mine and I also try to make sure that I’m sitting even too!

I’ve also been taught that if a horse is not forwards it will not be straight so if it’s not straight it is not forwards, and that sometimes just by taking them more forwards the straightness thing resolves itself.

Also carrot stretches are a good thing as well!

Good luck!