Why do horses grow from behind first?

[maya2008]

I am sure I read something about this on here but cannot find it. I think it was in a mostly unrelated post. Something about the shoulder being attached differently?

Anyway, little rising 6yo mare is now 2 inches higher behind than in front. She had been going beautifully; now she doesn’t know how to get those back legs underneath without falling over them! Poor baby was kind of leaping in canter to get the front end high enough to get them under today - so we schooled until she had normal-ish paces then left it at that.

So I am mildly fed up (because all the hard work we both put in is on hold until she catches up with herself) and wondering curiously why they always grow behind first…

Can anyone enlighten me?

 

[sbloom]

There is no collar bone, the spine hangs in between the front legs, attached only by soft tissue. Some of the growth in front comes from the horse carrying itself differently. 2" is nothing really, I fit horses and ponies with bigger differences than that, but when they're young then absolutely slow work down, or even turn them away. It may not take long at all for her to find her balance and come up a little in front, enough to start schooling again. What you can do is in hand work, it's carrying a rider that's the biggest issue, but if you're working from the ground on lifting her thoracic sling then not only are you avoiding the problem but you're also helping solve it.

 

[maya2008]

There is no collar bone, the spine hangs in between the front legs, attached only by soft tissue. Some of the growth in front comes from the horse carrying itself differently. 2" is nothing really, I fit horses and ponies with bigger differences than that, but when they're young then absolutely slow work down, or even turn them away. It may not take long at all for her to find her balance and come up a little in front, enough to start schooling again. What you can do is in hand work, it's carrying a rider that's the biggest issue, but if you're working from the ground on lifting her thoracic sling then not only are you avoiding the problem but you're also helping solve it.

Thank you! She is only a pony so those 2” make a huge difference to her balance. She is nannying a 2yo and her foal so I cannot muzzle and there is lots of grass. She has been worked twice a day to keep her weight stable up to this point. Was thinking of hacking only, in walk/trot (she was coping better in trot than canter) until she is balanced and coping. Nowhere to lunge or free school (would be better options)!

 

[sbloom]

Close in hand work can be done almost anywhere, if you let me have an email address via the PM system here, or contact me on FB, I can send you a list of groundwork links, if it would be helpful.