2 Responses

1. All this and not all that long ago, I watched western pleasure horses moving crookedly down the rail on purpose! Go figure.

2. 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.