weak behind / stifles, canter issues ?

[NeverSayNever]

My Sec D mare is 8 and a particularly slow maturer. She was all front end when I got her and that has improved a lot and I thought her hind quarters were looking rounder and more muscled. Ive been trying to work on her canter as like a lot of welshies, she finds it difficult to balance on a circle in canter. We definitely have improvement just with lots of repetition, short bursts and back to trot as soon as she 'looses it'. However I had a physio out to see her yesterday whose first comment was what a phenomenal engine she has but she is so weak behind she hasnt the strength to support it. In walk, she is super and really steps under. Her trot is also good but if mentally she is tense then she will just lock and it can take 45 mins of stretching and flexing to get her to settle and work well. The physio also said she was weak round her stifles.

She has told me as much walk work as I can do will be the best thing for helping to strengthen her, as long as its the good quality, stepping under walk ad not just slopping along. Plus doing this up and down hills. I just wondered if anyone else had had a similar experience with a horse who is weak behind and what you did to help and how long to took to see a difference? Rightly so, the physio pointed out that we wont get that nice canter Im looking for until she is strong enough to support herself. I try not to get frustrated as Im desperate to be out jumping but obviously without the canter to jump from we are stuck to popping the odd thing from trot and cant really get going. Thanks in advance for any inspiring stories!

 

[Firewell]

My boy was v weak behind when I got him, he was so stiff and weak he was almost lame.
It didn't take too long. Walking up steep hills is excellent and we had very hilly lanes so that was perfect. Raised trotting poles are good. Just regular short, sweet sessions in the school.
We also worked on his canter loose in the school and on the lunge. Its amazing how hard they find this and imo if they cannot canter loose (no gadgets) around you on a 20m circle how are they going to carry a person orjump... its good for them to learn how to canter without a person on top of them, and to learn how to find their own balance. So yep lunging loose on a big circle ( I had to do a bit of running to not pull him on the line!) helped a lot I think.

 

[NeverSayNever]

My boy was v weak behind when I got him, he was so stiff and weak he was almost lame.
It didn't take too long. Walking up steep hills is excellent and we had very hilly lanes so that was perfect. Raised trotting poles are good. Just regular short, sweet sessions in the school.
We also worked on his canter loose in the school and on the lunge. Its amazing how hard they find this and imo if they cannot canter loose (no gadgets) around you on a 20m circle how are they going to carry a person orjump... its good for them to learn how to canter without a person on top of them, and to learn how to find their own balance. So yep lunging loose on a big circle ( I had to do a bit of running to not pull him on the line!) helped a lot I think.

thanks firewell, thats good to hear! I havent lunged for ages but i distinctly remember having to do the same 'run' as you described the last time I did. We will definitely be doing some lunging now I have a surface to work on, which i didnt before.

 

[TrasaM]

Friends cob aged 5, that I share, has problem with stifles too. Last summer when it first showed she was advised to do lots of lunge work to strengthen him up and get his canter a bit more balanced. I did most of the ridden work which was uphill trotting and cantering. We got him going really nicely but sadly due to awful weather since autumn and no school or firm area to school him on plus mud mud mud, he's lost it all and we have to start all over again

 

[foxy1]

I have a welsh D too, it's taken me 2 years to get his canter quality enough to jump a decent course from; when I first got him he literally couldn't canter large around a school. But on the plus side, the welsh D's usually have a fantastic jump and are usually very careful, so it's worth the work! I would do plenty of fittening work up hills in walk, I did loads of walk to canter transitions with my chap as I found when we tried a canter from trot it turned in to more of a scamper than canter! My chap found it much easier when he was slimmer too, they do have a tendancy to be a bit fat if you let them

 

[pigpony]

I literally hacked my C for 2 years to strengthen him, he had an amazing engine so to speak but as you said just no strength to carry it.

I'm now doing lots and lots of pole work to help his back end. I've also taught him, at first on the lunge and now under saddle walk to canter which has helped.

He has a very expressive trot which i think hinders his canter. If you watch him in the feild he trots everywhere rather than canters so obviously finds it easier. My D has a much less welsh action (He was shown as a small hunter when the fancy took me) and his canter is super he canters everywhere in the field rather than trots.

It will take time but lots of transitions and pole work will help I'm starting to see improvements after dispairing for so long.

 

[LaurenBay]

Raised poles, carrots stretches and pole work. Mine was so weak she had to have steriod injections. Its been a long long journey (almost 2 years) and she has just started getting the canter right now.

 

[Jill Crewe]

I have the same issue with my 10 yr old sec D who was neglected by a previous owner and is very weak behind and has problem with stifle. It's a shame at the moment with dark evenings as can only ride at weekends so progress is slow. Looking forward to spring so I can get more riding in. Am hoping to get a physio to come and give me some advice but don't have the cash at the moment.

I posted in the feed section about supplements that would encourage muscle build up and got some really good advice.

 

[NeverSayNever]

thanks all - encouraging stories. I just not going to think too much about it having taken some of you a couple of years to achieve eeek! Mind you, I guess I started on this journey with her when I got her, almost 18 months ago. I couldnt do much in the school for the first year as I was pregnant for most of it and in the school in canter she was so unbalanced. We did lots of cantering on straight lines on hacks though and she went from scrabbling madly, head to the ground, to having a canter I can adjust and carrying herself off the forehand. I started properly trying to work at this in the school probably towards the end of Nov last year but had to trailer out to use a school once a week and didnt make much progress really.However 3 weeks ago we went to a yard and now have a school to use which is helping.

She's defo not overweight

eta Jill Crewe Ive just had a look at that, cheers

 

[smellsofhorse]

My tb was weak behind.
then he had a nasty injury to his stifle and ligaments with lots of box rest.

He sees the chiropractor who has manipulated him and helped him move correctly.

Also the obvious hill work.
lunging over poles, no gadgets just a bridle/cavason.
Let him learn to balance himself and not be "held" up.

When riding and lunging do lots of trot to canter transitions.

Alll this will help loads.

Good luck

 

[NeverSayNever]

I posted in the feed section about supplements that would encourage muscle build up and got some really good advice.

Ive been looking more into this too and good old micronised linseed is high in digestible protein that supports muscle function and development. My mare already gets linseed in combo with forage plus balancer. Just thought Id share.