Horses rolling all the way over?

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kit279

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This is a bit random but I have 3 horses at the moment and the littlest one, Halling, has always rolled all the way over - i.e. starts on one side and rolls himself over the do the other side without getting up. He's always been a very flexible loose athletic horse and someone once said that it's a good sign if they roll all the way over as it means they're flexible through their backs. The oldest one, Pip, does both sides by doing each separately but he's older now and had a hard working life - I've never seen him roll over. But recently, my black horse, Kallie, has started to roll all the way over and is moving very freely now, since taking his shoes off for the winter break, and I wondered whether it's a sign that he's more free through his back, having had a hard racing life. He certainly is feeling very well and has started bucking in the field when playing with Halling, which he never used to do before.

Anyone else noticed this or made any connection between the two?
 
I always assumed it was related to wither height. My WBx finds it easier to roll over than my TB. TB tends to require a downward slope to roll right over... Would be interested if there were a link, though.
 
When my boy was really poorly he wouldn't roll at all, when he felt a bit better he rolled one side at once, now he's more or less better he rolls all the way over - so I think it does depend how well and healthy they are :)
 
I always assumed it was wither height as well - until I bought big lad who has massive withers and happily rolls from one side to the other and then leaps up in the air.

Flynn has to do one side at a time, big mare prefers to do one side at a time but can do both and my Welshies roll all the way over, foal goes over, TB mare rolls right over now she's not preggers and then leaps in the air and explodes!
 
My young one goes right over, my old WB used to but now keeps his bum on the ground and walks his front legs round then rolls on the other side :-)
 
Littlun has never rolled that I've seen (always clean compared to others). Always amused me that the 1 overweight horse could roll up a hill, yet nothing else could get even half way over up it though!
 
They told me when I was buying my first pony that they were worth more if they could get right over, but I think the same bloke told me to feed it a dry cigarette to get rid of worms too!!!

As I got older I came to the conclussion that I prefer ones that can't roll right over as they don't get as dirty!!

We had a section A that could grab a mouthful of grass on its way over! She was a sweet itcher and a grade A roller.

Personally I think its just down to how much effort they feel like putting into it..
 
Mine rolls back and forth over and over again, always has. Tho he's now 30 and arthritic and I wish he wouldn't! He has medium height withers.
 
not sure if it is true but i've tended to think that they are fitter if they can roll right over - one horse of mine only did this when he was getting more exercise
 
There's an old saying that a horse is worth a hundred pounds for every time it can roll right over. Mine will be 24 in spring & can still get right over, even uphill. But I have noticed over the last few months that if she's been in a couple of hours, she has to do both sides separately. Whereas when left out or turned out straight after riding, she'll still get over on a slope. Using the old rule of £100 a roll, daughters pony is worth a fortune, she rolls from one side to the other on a hill for a good while at a time.
 
I was once told by a friend that a horse that can't roll all the way over is likely to have problems with the muscles surrounding the pelvis.

She also said that if a horse favours rolling on one side (eg only goes down on their right side) then it's likely that there is a muscle group somewhere on the opposite side that is too sore to roll onto.

Not sure how true that is :o but seemed to make sense as I noticed Bailey unable to roll straight over a few months ago, so had the chiro out who messed with his pelvis and low and behold two days later he could go all the way again!
 
My big fella has always enjoyed his rolls, sometimes flipping over two or three times with lots of added grunting and squirming when he's upside down. On Monday, I had him out for a good brisk hack, and he was warm and itchy when he got back... I was going down the bottom of the hill to move the tape (strip grazing) and he followed me half way down, then dropped and rolled uphill. Why, I don't know... what's wrong with the nice flat bits at the top and bottom? :D

I also love the way he leaps up and then shakes himself with a big "blublublublublublublub" noise :D

(ETA - and the weird thing is, he's the one in the field with the chronic sacro-iliac problems...)
 
The First day Picasso arrived he immediately got down to roll in the field...couldn't even manage ONE! Mules can roll for England,even though he's Spanish I new something was wrong!I presume that with inflation its £1000 per roll :)
Honey08 cigarettes (Tobacco) can keep worms at bay so the old bloke knew what he was talking about :D
 
When I first got my pony his pelvis was out and he would always roll on one side then get up and then roll on the other side. Then about a year ago after lots of hard work, he started rolling right over and has done ever since. :)
 
Haha this is a very interesting post, I never thought about it before, I just had to watch a vid I took of my mare rolling just to verify that she can roll right over and she does lol! :)
 
Mine goes all the way over all the time, but I just put it down to her being a big fat barrel shape!

photo8-1.jpg
 
AngieandBen said:
Mine are both worth about £250 then :D


Ben and Turbo do it all the time even at the ages of 19 and 21, never noticed if they do it more when fitter or not though and they always find the muddiest spot too!
Click to expand...

haha! Was thinking something similar with my old retired mare Connie... her value has just gone from £0 to £200...! she rolls over and over and over... that said so does Mickey the new boy!
 
Mine has always been able to roll all the way over... I've also heard old nagsmen saying its the sign of a nicely relaxed back which makes sense to me! :)
 
I was told that they roll to relieve stiffness and if they can get all the way over it means they are very supple.

For example when my mare first goes out after a night in she does both sides seperately as she gets a bit stiff in her stable but once she has been out for a few hours and rols she just flips over and over again :D
 
Mine sometimes does each side separately sometimes goes right over - depends in gradient of ground!!! She has high withers - wouldn't say she mega flexible thru back as has 8 impinging spines!
Always gets up leaps in air then explodes!!!
 
Hahaha i was always told that if they could roll all the way over it was a sign that they were very athletic and supple.

The big lad with the highest whithers ever, rolls back and forth all the way over....so i can say yep athletic and supple...but

the barrel of a shetland does the same over and over and over....but i cant vouch for his athletic ability or his suppleness!!!!
 
My boy must be worth thousands then as the spends most of his time rolling over and over. Then with when he has finished he will gring his neck into the mud some more just to make sure that he can get as muddy as possible.
 
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