We all stumble sometimes, and that’s perfectly normal. So it follows that our horses are going to take a misstep now and then. They have twice as many legs as we do after all. The occasional trip up isn’t something to be worried about. But, if a horse stumbles often, there is probably a reason behind it that isn’t just about a moment of sloppy footwork. Stumbling is a problem that needs to be solved because it can put you in a dangerous spot when you ride. You don’t want your horse stumbling just as it approaches a jump. If you’re trail riding, you want a horse that is sure-footed for the safest ride. A stumble is all it took for dressage rider Courtney King-Dye to fall and receive a life-changing head injury.
If your horse is very young, and you’ve just started riding it, stumbling isn’t uncommon. A young horse isn’t as strong or balanced as a horse that knows how to carry a rider. Young horses trip because they are having a hard time adjusting to carrying themselves, and a rider at the same time. Time and careful conditioning will help this with this problem.
This is true of horses that are mature, but out of condition. An older horse may know how to carry itself, but if it gets tired, it might start tripping. My own horse, at the end of a schooling session, will start stumbling in the hind end as her muscles get fatigued. A horse that is unmotivated might stumble too, and will need to be kept moving forward and picking up its feet.
Conformation has a big effect on how your horse travels. Horses that dish, or paddle because they’re legs aren’t straight may stumble because of it. Although you can’t change a mature horse’s conformation, your farrier may be able to help you out a little, with balanced trims and sensible shoeing that can help your horse travel straighter. It’s important to keep these horses fit and carrying its rider well.
Saddle fit can affect a lot of things, and your horse’s way of going is one of them. A horse that is girthed very tightly, or is very uncomfortable because the saddle fits poorly may stumble frequently. If your horse is hollowing out its back to get away from pain, or holding itself stiffly in any way it will affect how it travels.
The rider can cause a horse to stumble too. A rider that causes that horse to travel inverted - with its back hollowed out and head up means the horse isn’t able to balance itself well. Or a rider that is unbalanced can cause a horse to stumble. A few lessons can help a rider figure out how to help their horse carry them with more ease.
Wearing shoes that are too big can cause anyone to trip. So keep your horse’s hooves trimmed so their toes don’t get too long. A balanced trim will help keep a horse from tripping over their own feet. Changes in farrier work can cause problems too, such as a change in the angles your horse is trimmed at, and the type and weight of shoes the horse is wearing
There are a few physical problems a horse can develop that may make it stumble frequently. A horse that is losing its eyesight may stumble more often. Eyesight problems might stem from cataracts, ‘moon blindness’, infections and other things that affect eye health.
Stumbling can be one of the symptoms of a disease like arthritis and navicular, and conditions like ring bone or side bones. Or, neurological conditions like wobbler syndrome and EPM can cause tripping too. Sweeny, a condition more often seen in driving horses than riding horses, causes muscle atrophy under pressure points caused by the harness. This can lead to vague lameness and tripping.
3P *Starring Ruth* has captured two spots on the leaderboard joining * Queen Of Hearts. Starring Ruth is a 17.1 hand Friesian mare out of the PythonPonyPalaces stable and was foaled September 7, 2023. She not only was #1 ranked ho ...
14th Nov 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
DNA testing can tell you a number of things about a horse’s risk of developing a hereditary disease, coat color, genetic markers for speed, temperament and gait and can give some insight into a horse’s breed. In this video, The Cl ...
Here is a story of how a passion for horses led one woman to a life of secrecy and dishonesty. Over twenty years she built a life of glamor and competitive success. But many people asked how she funded her extravagant lifestyle th ...
One of the world’s rarest breeds is the Suffolk Punch. Native to Britain, these stocky draft horses once had pride of place in agricultural work, hauling artillery, pulling public transportation vehicles like busses and towing bar ...
*V For Victory* is entrenched on the leaderboard and still holds the Best Streak with an 18,792 run and a jumpoff record of 29,444 - 19. But two mares have taken over the Top Rank and Highest Jump records. At 16, the 17-hand Crown ...
Get your daily dose of nature with this 49-minute video of wild horses travelling to a water hole in Sand Wash Basin, a BLM managed area in Colorado. The small herd drinks, grazes and swish's flies in the semi-arid desert environm ...
31st Oct 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
Halloween is just around the corner and it's time to consider costumes for you and your four-legged friends. A recent viral trend is dressing your pet as a ghost. Some sheets and paint are the basis of this costume, and you can se ...
30th Oct 2023 |
Equine Disease and Prevention |
Winniefield Park
Good riders do what they can to make their horse’s job easier. Especially when jumping, your position can help or hinder your horse as it adjusts its strides and balance between and over obstacles. Here’s a video with good suggest ...