Crooked Lope: Training Issue or Lameness?
- January 6, 2020
- Posted by Erin Contino, DVM, Dipl. ACVSMR
- Topics: Basic Care, Commentary, Conditioning, Diagnosing Lameness, Diseases and Conditions, Exercise-Related Conditions, Horse Care, Injuries & Lameness, Lameness, Medications, Monitoring Exercise Performance, Performance Horse Health Commentary Series, Sports Medicine, Western Disciplines, Working With a Veterinarian

—Maggie, Washington
A.Hi Maggie,
Great question. Just as most humans have a dominant hand, many horses are sided and have one hindquarter that is weaker than the other. And, of course, if the issue is simply that the horse is weaker on one side, this can be improved with conditioning and targeted physical therapy exercises. However, when there is notable asymmetry or differences in how a horse travels one direction compared to the other, often more is at play, and you and your veterinarian should consider
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Written by:
Erin Contino, DVM, Dipl. ACVSMR
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2 Responses
All this and not all that long ago, I watched western pleasure horses moving crookedly down the rail on purpose! Go figure.
As horses are very clever at compensating, physical problems can be very hard to diagnose, even for vets. I found that the hooves will show, by changing shape, any problems in locomotion/weight shifting, & chest muscles can overdevelop or atrophy.
My horse, an Arab x, proved very difficult to diagnose, from start of work at 3.5yrs, showing lack of power trotting uphill & in canter, though willing in other aspects. He had wide action behind, though this was never realised to be a symptom, despite many chiro treatments.He was cleared of physical faults twice by equine vets in workups, before a second chiro assured me he had a pelvic problem. The third vet, a very experienced lameness diagnosis specialist, quickly found him bi-laterally lame behind, (worse on off hind) & it proved to be an inherited stifle problem. He was 7 by this time, & needed an op (both stifles) & follow up hock & pelvic injections,& became sound (for hacking) by 9 yrs. His feet now all match, as his weight-bearing is 4 square.