Horses that are 'wide' behind

[Halfpass]

Be warned this may turn out to be a long post....sorry in advance.

When I bought Alee as a 2 year old I was really taken in by her lovely movement and her fab temprament, as she has grown her movment has changed sometimes being quite naff (especially when she was bum high) and sometimes being lovely (as a 3 year old).

A little while after I started some inhand work with her I was lunging her and someone elses instructor comment on her hind limb movement and said she needed to be seen by a vet. On the same day a vet (not my own) was on the yard and watched her trotted up and the look on her face said it all. She said her movement was terrible and she had never seen anything like it before. I then took her to my own vet who just said she is built wide behind but tracked up well and was sound, and that other than looking wide between her hocks her movement was good and quite normal, but he did hock and stifle xrays anyway tp reassure me. They showed nothing.

Alee is now 4 and has been in proper work for 4 weeks. I had a lesson on friday and my instructor said that although she is wide behind when she works correctly that goes and she looks fine and moves nicely. I have never been worried about this (infact it makes me laugh) and have just put it down to that is her and the way she was built.

On sunday out hacking Alee had a fall (poor baby couldn't work out where to put her feet) I fell off and she fell right over. I am guessing if she feels like me she will be sore and stiff and a little unhappy. She isn't quite right on her offisde hind. not lame as such just a little short and her trot in front seems a little choppy but again not lame.

Moving on to today we had a Bowen Therapy lady at the yard that a couple of girls have been raving about so I thought that as my poor baby was probably a bit stiff I would get her treated. Anyway so she watched her trot up and her immediate comment was about her being so wide behind and that she thought she may have sacro iliac problems but that it was quite extreme. She also said she was sore in her shoulders and across her rump which was probably due to the fall she wouldn't treat her today and said give her a week off and then she will treat her next week. That I am fine with but I still have this niggling problem about peoples comments about her being so wide behind.

I really don't know where I am going with this post and have searched for any videos of her being ridden but can't find any (seahorse I know you have some so please post them if you can!!) I suppose I just want peoples comments etc or if anyone has seen this sort of movement in a horse before. Hopefully I am just worrrying unnesessarily....

 

[BethH]

Just a daft uneducated thought, but given my experience with Ryan, he was uncomfortable as he grew due to back issues (Not saying Alee has these but there might be some small trigger somewhere) and so he learned to compensate by moving his back legs from the hip not the hock, maybe you could get someone to watch the gait from higher up as it could just be conformation or a bit of soreness caused by growing pains and getting used to working muscles in different places. Ryan had always been fine until he went in to "proper work" as a 4yr old when he was asked to be a bit more correct and that was when he started to struggle slightly.

Am sure you are worrying unnecessarily but a video of the back end movement would be worthwhile time spent

 

[oofadoofa]

Did you see the article about Toytown in H&H a couple of weeks ago? There was a picture of him from behind showing how wide he moves. Hasn't done him any harm!! I will see if I can find it online and send you the link.

 

[oofadoofa]

I can't find the picture online that was in the magazine, but you can sort of see it from this one.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/galleries/main.php?g2_itemId=1945&

 

[Halfpass]

No I didn't see that article. Might have to find a copy. Thanks for the link, I think I can see what you mean. Once she is more comfy i'll try and get a video of her from behind so you guys can see what I mean.

 

[Halfpass]

Thanks beth, do you know what you say about moving from the hip rather than from the hock does sound right. She tends to kind of swing her legs out round and in rather than up and through.
I'm going to give her the rest of this week off out in the field, she has the farrier on Friday so i'll see what she's like then. I have arranged for this Bowen therapist to give her a proper going over (and me!!) next tuesday hopefully this will help.
Hey ho if ToyTown can do what he does then there is hope for Alee yet!!!!!

 

[oofadoofa]

I will scan in the pic and email it to you if I remember to bring the magazine to work with me!!

 

[Halfpass]

Oh thanks that would be great. Anything that will put my mind at rest. When i'm on her she just feels amazing and these comments from other people are just niggling at the back of my mind.

 

[Halfpass]

I have now seen the pictute of Toytown in H&H and that is exactly what Alee looks like so from that point of view my mind has been put at rest. However she stil isn't right. I lunged her today and she looked awful lame on her nearside hind really dragging the toe and dropping her hip and her action in front was really short and choppy it was quite disturbing to watch as she clearly wasn't happy. Have called the vet and I am just waiting for him to call back but will probably take her over some time in the mext few days to get her checked out. I really don't think the fall on sunday has caused it. She didn't feel quite right before the falla nd wonder if she fell because of whatever is worng.

My poor baby just as we are starting to get somewhere this happens.....why?

One day I might have a sound horse for more than 5 mins......

 

[TarrSteps]

It's not so much if a horse travels wide behind or not (hey, none of us is perfect), the concern is if the movement changes (horse used to track straight now doesn't), there is no conformational explanation (the horse *looks* like it should move differently than it should) or if the horse is compromised in some way (some horses move wide because they're built that way, others because there is/is starting to be a problem.)

It's the same as with everything else - sometimes it's best not to trouble trouble until the trouble troubles you.

In other words if the horse is not perfect but everything works and it's not showing undue strain then keep an eye out but keep going. Obviously working for Toytown!

However, if there are changes or unsoundness that's a different issue. Also, problems that aren't bilateral (the same on both sides) are always more cause for concern even if they are "natural" because the stress is uneven.

Young horses can change considerably in their movement as they grow. Their balance changes, ligaments etc. are stretched, and they may suddenly be struggling to do things they did easily before. 4 is a particularly tough year for many. Add to that teething problems, which can impact a great deal on comfort under saddle. There is also the fact that some horses change shape so drastically they may go through a couple of different saddles in a year, often ending up in one or the other but only after the rate have change has slowed. To be honest, if I think a horse is struggling to do the work because of growing issues I stop (and I'm less inclined to stop at every little blip than most

). The horse can't do anything about the situation, continuing on won't help it feel more comfortable and I might very well be creating problems. It all sorts out.

It might very well be something minor - the sooner you get it checked out the sooner you can either make a plan or put your mind at rest.

Good luck.

 

[kerilli]

Murphy Himself moved enormously wide behind... didn't stop him doing an amazing test, being a jumping powerhouse, and lasting a pretty long time at top level...
i'd be concerned if a huge difference in her gait has developed. Also, why/how did she fall? a trip, a spook, or what? possibly linked to the way she moves?

 

[Halfpass]

[ QUOTE ]
Murphy Himself moved enormously wide behind... didn't stop him doing an amazing test, being a jumping powerhouse, and lasting a pretty long time at top level...
i'd be concerned if a huge difference in her gait has developed. Also, why/how did she fall? a trip, a spook, or what? possibly linked to the way she moves?

[/ QUOTE ]

I origionaly thought the fall was due to a narrow path with rutty ground and she decided that she was going to climb the bank. I tried to turn her back onto the path but she just turned her head and carried on up this steap bank and then slipped back down tried to balance herslef then flipped straight over onto her other side. I really don't think the issues know with her are to do with her fallining as she didn't feel quite right beofre we went out. I do wonder though if the fall was caused by whatever is wrong with her now.

 

[bexandspooky]

Spooks is very wide behind, to the point that vets laugh at him during endurance trot ups! No one has ever picked up a probem with it - just chuckle and say 'thats just the way he is!'