Snatching up hind legs & cantering disunited.

Spyda

Spyda

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 October 2005
Messages
5,148
Location
U.K.
Visit site
Sorry... this is a bit long.

My 5 year old mare (rising 6) has always been funny about picking her hind feet up. She's willing enough to have her hinds picked up but tends to snatch her legs up tightly towards her body in a hyperflexion rather than naturally stretch it out behind. After a moment she'll relax and 'give' her leg out to be picked out or shod. Since she's always done this since a wee foal I've always considered it more of a habit than a problem. The farrier has always shod her easily enough and is used to her odd leg pick-up behind.

However, on the lunge she disunits behind in canter, so I'm wondering if there's a bit more going on. Last year, when young and being backed, I put it down to inmaturity and lack of balance. I stress I wasn't intentionally asking her to canter on the lunge but she'd occasionally break into one. A few normal strides and she'd switch to disunite.

Anyway, she has been turned away and is now coming back into work. I've only lunged her once, this morning, but couldn't help notice when she broke into canter (excited) that the disunited automatically. On both leads. And I am sure I noticed her cantering across her paddock disunited last week. She only did a few strides but I'm almost sure she was. So.... what could be up? I'm going to phone the vet and ask their advice and book a physio check up but I'm anxious what could be up. She moves really nicely both loose and under saddle; it's just the strange snatching hind leg action and the more persistent disunited action that's keeping me awake worrying :(
 
Well, the snatching hind leg action has been there since she was a few weeks old and it seems more of a tenseness. It doesn't shake and she reins back perfectly. It never happens, except when she's first asked to pick up behind for handling.
 
You could be describing my horse!! If you find any answers - do let me know lol!

I've spent a year trying to find out why my horse does this, and I'm still no closer to finding out why! Many people have told me it could 'just be the way he is,' - but IMO no horse should canter across a field disunited.

Very frustrating :(

He's 10 though, if that makes any difference!

Good luck with you and your mare, hopefully you dont have the stress I've had!!
 
I had a horse that used to snatch his legs up, as you have described, when picking hinds up. He turned out to be developing spavins in his hock :(

He could rein back ok and seemed fine in everyother way in the early stages however he was 15 at the time.

Hope your mare is ok.
 
I've had two that have beed disunited in canter, one was diagnosed as a Wobbler, the other had bilateral lameness behind due to suspensory ligament issues, both were PTS :-(

I am also of the opinion no horse should canter across a field disunited unless there is an underlying problem

Mine were only diagnosed by bone scan, the wobbler moved amazingly, but just occasionally went disunited, i put it down to being a baby (was only 5) but he got progressively worse to the point he couldnt canter correctly and paced in trot!

Hope its nothing too serious, speak to your vet as you said :-)
 
Spyda said:
Sorry... this is a bit long.

My 5 year old mare (rising 6) has always been funny about picking her hind feet up. She's willing enough to have her hinds picked up but tends to snatch her legs up tightly towards her body in a hyperflexion rather than naturally stretch it out behind. After a moment she'll relax and 'give' her leg out to be picked out or shod. Since she's always done this since a wee foal I've always considered it more of a habit than a problem. The farrier has always shod her easily enough and is used to her odd leg pick-up behind.

However, on the lunge she disunits behind in canter, so I'm wondering if there's a bit more going on. Last year, when young and being backed, I put it down to inmaturity and lack of balance. I stress I wasn't intentionally asking her to canter on the lunge but she'd occasionally break into one. A few normal strides and she'd switch to disunite.

Anyway, she has been turned away and is now coming back into work. I've only lunged her once, this morning, but couldn't help notice when she broke into canter (excited) that the disunited automatically. On both leads. And I am sure I noticed her cantering across her paddock disunited last week. She only did a few strides but I'm almost sure she was. So.... what could be up? I'm going to phone the vet and ask their advice and book a physio check up but I'm anxious what could be up. She moves really nicely both loose and under saddle; it's just the strange snatching hind leg action and the more persistent disunited action that's keeping me awake worrying :(
Click to expand...

We have one similar here but her leg gets locked outwards owner has to put rope round and pull it forward (arthritis)
 
I would say that it sounds like the symptoms my horse had and it turned out to be bone spavin. I wouldn't panic if it is though, there is plenty that can be done, the most effective would seem to be tildren or for a longer term answer fusion using ethanol.

Best get the vet up to do a trot workup to confirm a diagnosis. If you trot the horse on concrete you may find he will drag a hindlimb and sparks will fly off his shoe. Or you may see him drag a hind toe in the menage surface.
 
Interesting about the toe dragging because this is a problem she has. She's unshod behind and has squared her hind toes right back. Again I'd put it down to her being a large, unfit young horse.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top