A horse can change shape after being in a pasture, or the muscle structure may change as you ride them or as they age. Just because the saddle fits once doesn’t mean it will always. “Make sure it stays in the place you put it. “Saddle fit is important,” she continued. She should be able to snugly fit her hand all the way around the saddle when it is on the horse if the saddle fits properly. She also likes to check for saddle sores and proper saddle fit. “If the horse flinches, and when you press harder it flinches again, it can signal the horse is in pain,” she explained. Unrein likes to see how well the horse can flex, and for pain in its back, by running a pencil down its spine. “Horses can have primary back problems, which is why there are equine chiropractors to help with those issues,” she said. Proper shoeing can also help eliminate pain in hoof and legs by alleviating pressure. Check their feet and all around the hoof to make sure the farrier did a good job. If you were looking at an x-ray of the foot, you want to make sure all the bones align,” she said. “A horse should land toe heel toe heel, and not on the inside or outside, but flat. “When evaluating the conformation of a horse, I look at how they stand and how they walk,” she explained. It is better to have them slightly toed out or straight,” she said. It will get arthritis in those joints that will eventually be its demise. “If a horse is toed in, before its life is over, it will have pastern problems. I can usually look at the conformation of the horse, and predict what the long term health of the horse will be,” she explained.
SUDDEN LAMENESS IN HORSES HIND LEGS FULL
A normal horse should also have full flexion of its legs without pain. Knee and stifle injuries are more unforgiving, and can be pretty hard areas to fix. She also evaluates the muscles and tendons in the legs, and the knees. “Other people can hear it in their stride, because they want the pressure off their sore leg as quickly as possible.”ĭuring the exam, Unrein checks the neck and shoulder for stiffness, and if the horse can freely move its head. It will actually hit you in the back, which causes the back-end to feel like they are hiking their leg up,” she explained.
“Some people can feel it when they ride, but can’t tell which leg it is in. The horse may make shorter strides, or they won’t complete a total back to forward stride like normal. “Owners have a much harder time when the lameness is in the back,” she continued.
0 kommentar(er)
