There are many reasons a horse might stumble occasionally, or frequently. This can be due to simple foot problems, or can be the bellwether of neurologic disease. | Photo: Photos.com

Some horses stumble or stub their front toes frequently, with the toe hitting the ground while the knee is still bent and the leg collapses instead of taking weight. The horse’s head and neck drop down, but he usually catches himself by rapidly extending the other leg. Most of these horses are not lame, yet might occasionally fall to their knees or go down with a rider. The habitual stumbler might manage fine when running free, but tends to trip and stumble when being ridden or led. The stumbling horse is frustrating to ride, and he can be dangerous.

Stumbling can be caused by a number of things, including long toes, long feet, hoof imbalance, laziness or boredom, and in some instances devious behavior–a few horses learn they can get out of work if they stumble because a concerned rider thinks there is something wrong and ends the ride. Stumbling can also be due to inadequate conditioning (such as a young horse unaccustomed to carrying a rider, or a horse whose muscles are out of shape), poor conformation, incoordination, joint problems, chronic foot pain, damage to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), brain disorders such as narcolepsy (sudden attacks of sleep), or weakness due to fatigue or illness.

The Inattentive Horse

A few horses stumble just because they are lazy or not paying attention to the rider. These horses are often plodding along, not caring where they are going, not picking up their feet, thus stubbing their front feet over any irregularity or rock on the ground. This type of stumbler usually trips on his front toes, and does it most at a walk, less at a trot (hardly ever at a fast trot), and never at a canter or gallop, when he is truly alert. Often the lazy stumbler carries his head low, nose out, traveling lazily and heavily on his front legs