Tracking up

If a horse does not 'track up' it is unsound.

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Wagtail

Wagtail

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There is an awful lot of emphasis placed on whether a horse tracks up or not. To some people it seems that if a horse does not track up, it is unsound. So what do others think? I won't say what I think right now as I want this post to be neutral.

Please select your answer from the poll above.
 
I think it's mainly rubbish, some long backed horses will never and have never tracked up (whether engaged or not), unschooled horses who don't engage their hind end don't necessarily track up, i'm sure there are loads of other instances of perfectly sound horses not tracking up too I just can't think of them right now :D
 
The results are surprising me so far. With the amount of times that someone posts a vid and asks if the horse is lame, and lots of people remark how the horse is not tracking up as indicating a problem, I would expect the poll to be weighted at options one or two. Interesting!
 
Some find it easier than others and track up even when not working well but generally a horse has to be using itself correctly working through its back to show true tracking up or overtracking. Many will track up in trot but not in walk or canter and this is often not addressed as can go unnoticed.

A horse that is tight in its back due to lack of schooling, being over weight, tension due to excitement or through having an ill fitting saddle would not in my opinion be unsound, although I would want to work on improving it.
 
Wagtail said:
The results are surprising me so far. With the amount of times that someone posts a vid and asks if the horse is lame, and lots of people remark how the horse is not tracking up as indicating a problem, I would expect the poll to be weighted at options one or two. Interesting!
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I think we were of the same opinion on at least one recent video:D
 
Eh? Tracking up depends on the conformation, schooling, rider, how it's being asked to work etc - not soundness. Now if a horse is reluctant to track up despite schooling etc, it might, conceivably, indicate a problem, or conformational difficulties. The only way I can see that it would definitely indicate lameness is if it's tracking up on one leg and not the other - in which case it is uneven, not "not tracking up"...

Or am I missing something? :confused:
 
It depends entirely on the horse, doesn't it?

I thought the important bit was whether the movement was even, not how big it is. My old horse didn't track up, but he was sound- you knew he was unsound when the movement became uneven. Reg, on the other hand, overtracks a lot and so when he doesn't it indicates he's feeling tight behind and it's time to get the physio out (he has long-term issues going on related to a fall he had when he was racing).
 
JFTD beat me to it :mad: :p
The only time I would be worried about it is if the horse used to track up regularly and then stops or is tracking up on one side but not the other.
 
I'm a novice rider and whilst learning how to correctly ask for an outline Ronnie wouldn't track up. There was nothing wrong with him and he wasn't lame, just I wasn't asking him properly and not pushing forward because of my nerves. I posted a video on here when he started to accept the contact and you can clearly see he isn't tracking up.

I recently posted some photos of us and you can see the difference now i've got the hang of it a bit more. He was tracking up nicely.

So there you go, not lame and proof that he tracks up when asked and will avoid it if he can (lazy cob! :p )
 
Under a rider, it depends how they're riding. I was always taught horses will track up naturally in the field if sound, and this has been the case in all those I have seen so far in 20 something years.
 
I would say that it is more a schooling/balance issue unless the two sides are doing different things. Obviously if one side tracks up and the other doesn't the horse is lame but if it's doing the same both sides, the footfalls are regular and the hocks are doing the same from behind it is sound to me.

I would say an inability to track up after schooling etc would indicate a problem somewhere but that's a whole other kettle of fish! lol
 
Thanks, everyone. It is good to know that common sense prevails and that the impression I had that most people viewed a horse that is not tracking up as unsound, is incorrect.

My mare competed to medium level dressage and never once tracked up, yet frequently was awarded 8's for her very expressive trot. She is quite long backed and it would be almost impossible for her to track up in normal working trot. Lots of other horses do not track up due to lack of, or poor schooling/riding. I agree however, that if a horse is uneven or suddenly stops tracking up when previously they did, that in the absence of other variables such as change of saddle, fitness or rider, it is probably a good warning sign.
 
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I think if a horse is/is know to be unsound then not tracking up may very well be a symptom. Otherwise.... I think is can be assumed the horse is just being blinking lazy. If the horse seemed incapable of tracking up, I might consider an underlying problem but mostly a reminder to 'get working' eradicates the problem!
 
Hmm, well my horse track up, but does so unevenly - a problem resulting/causing PSD which I'm currently trying to get to the bottom of - ie whether its a learned response, or there's still some issue there. He is not lame.

There is a huge black horse ridden by Richard Barton, and showjumps up to 1.30+ and that horse is so far off tracking up its unbelievable - I watch with intrigue every time I see it! :)
 
Stuff and nonsense!!

If I had a horse that ALWAYS tracked up, no matter what the circumstances (if only!!) and he suddenly stopped it would indicate a problem but otherwise there's a VERY tenuous link between failure to track up and lameness.
 
My horse was lame and stiff and didn't track up and after a series of nerve blocks she still didn't completely track up but was no longer stiff or uncomfortable. The vet said after the nerve block she was completely sound and not lame.

She has now had treatment and on box rest so fingers crossed she will hopefully no longer be lame and return to work sound. But her conformation is dogdy and she is very long in the back. I doubt she will start tracking up straight away but I do think when she is in regular work and re builds the right muscles she might start to. I just hope that she isn't stiff or lame. Tracking up will hopefully follow.
 
I ticked usually as it was the closest to what I think, I would much rather have been able to tick sometimes tbh as I do think it can indicate a problem but lots of horses will never track up and they can be as sound as a pound.
 
For my pony, yes if she's not tracking up she's unsound as she always tracks up unless there is a problem. But i've always believed that for most horses there would be too many other factors to consider before assuming they're unsound.
 
What is your definition of sound though? As far as I am aware, even the veterinary profession as a whole disagrees on the interpretation of the word :)
 
rhino said:
What is your definition of sound though? As far as I am aware, even the veterinary profession as a whole disagrees on the interpretation of the word :)
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Surely sound has many different meanings - ignoring the obvious - referring to conformational soundness - e.g. of the limbs - there's nothing conformationally wrong, or no acquired injuries, soundness of other major systems, soundness referring to "not lame" (which is I think the implication here...) - it's the sort of vague word you can use to mean whatever you fancy :D

e.g. a horse which doesn't track up may be conformationally unsound, or may be unsound through it's back (as in have an injury). Or it may just be badly schooled :p
 
JFTD said:
Surely sound has many different meanings - soundness referring to "not lame" (which is I think the implication here...)
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Yes, that was my assumption too, but given these scenarios (both idiot ginger horse obviously)

(a) Fractured splint bone, bone chips, infection to bone (sequestrum)
(b) Ruptured sdft, associated check ligament damage

The horse was 'clinically' not lame. Not even 1/10. You could trot the ginger monster up all day long and he wouldn't throw a lame step :confused: :rolleyes: But surely you couldn't then class him as sound?!
 
Amaranta said:
I ticked usually as it was the closest to what I think, I would much rather have been able to tick sometimes tbh as I do think it can indicate a problem but lots of horses will never track up and they can be as sound as a pound.
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Yes, I wanted to change the poll when I realised exactly that! Unfortunately I had posted and it was too late. Even I would have ticked 'sometimes'. As it was, I ticked the third option as I think it is only occasionally an indicator of soundness.
 
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