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 Regular
Posts: 62
Location: Oklahoma | My horse is the worlds worst at picking up his feet when he walks, trots...you name it! Its frustrating..is there any drills I can do on him? My horse shoer is wonderful, so I know its not him. I think my horse is just lazy. I can go out make a run on him and then bring him back and walk him out and he walking the speed of old people (no offensive to our older generation). He just doesn't pick up his feet much at all.
Edited by Gennap1010 2017-02-24 11:42 AM
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
  
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | How old is he? I have found most of mine that do that, have sore knees. My guy was pretty old though when he started. 20 or so. Long toes can cause it too. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| Ground poles. Walk/trot/lope over them. I started doing it with one who just wouldn't pay attention to where he was putting his feet and it made a big difference. |
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Regular
Posts: 62
Location: Oklahoma | wyoming barrel racer - 2017-02-24 11:37 AM
How old is he? I have found most of mine that do that, have sore knees. My guy was pretty old though when he started. 20 or so. Long toes can cause it too.
He is 7, and hasn't really been pushed or hauled. He has maybe 20 runs under his belt |
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Regular
Posts: 62
Location: Oklahoma | rpreast - 2017-02-24 11:38 AM
Ground poles. Walk/trot/lope over them. I started doing it with one who just wouldn't pay attention to where he was putting his feet and it made a big difference.
Thanks I will try this. I know when I ride him in the pasture, and if we are long trotting he will trip over a couple of sticks and then wont trip over any more. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| Gennap1010 - 2017-02-24 10:40 AM
rpreast - 2017-02-24 11:38 AM
Ground poles. Walk/trot/lope over them. I started doing it with one who just wouldn't pay attention to where he was putting his feet and it made a big difference.
Thanks I will try this. I know when I ride him in the pasture, and if we are long trotting he will trip over a couple of sticks and then wont trip over any more.
I put a couple in a row in different spots along the fence line of the arena. Then I can do big circles over them, small circles without them, and mix every lap up so he's actually paying attention. If it's not a pain issue, then I would expect you will start to notice a difference after just a few rides. Good luck!  |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Gennap1010 - 2017-02-24 10:40 AM rpreast - 2017-02-24 11:38 AM Ground poles. Walk/trot/lope over them. I started doing it with one who just wouldn't pay attention to where he was putting his feet and it made a big difference. Thanks I will try this. I know when I ride him in the pasture, and if we are long trotting he will trip over a couple of sticks and then wont trip over any more.
sounds like he is just bumbling along then. Poles are good as mentioned and when you ride in pasture, move him out like you mean it vs just along for the ride. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Since hes stumbing and if hes stumbing the way I think he is, I would have him testest for EPM first to rule it out befor you put alot of time into him.
I have one thats on the lazy side and would stumble, so I had his shoes taken off and when I ride him I did alot of squeezing with my legs while riding him to make him move out better, always pushing him up making him move.. Now all I have to do is smooch and he moves out really nice, the only time he'll stumble is when his toes get to long, hes one you cant let his hooves get to long. |
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Expert
Posts: 3514
| Have someone check his feet to make sure they are balanced. If they are not, that could be the cause. |
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 Ms. Marine
Posts: 4627
Location: Texas | Stumbling can be caused by long toes, pain, an ill fitting saddle and sometimes rider movement. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I would consider a trip to the vet for a general exam, feet X-rays and EPM test.
Could be mild soreness and a big enough heart and will to please to run through it.
I had one who had EPM. I was still making good runs on him but notice he was tripping quite a lot when we would ride in our pasture or really on anything not perfectly groomed. We also had a part of the barn isle that the concrete sloped a bit in and he would slide his back end down it a time or 2. It was a mild case and he was easily treated and back to work.
Same horse also had outwardly appearing feet that looked ok. X-rays revealed some angles that were not quite right. I like my farrier at the time but when he didn't want to pay attention to what he was doing and work from the X-rays, I liked him enough to fire him. |
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 The best bad guy on the internet
Posts: 3519
Location: Arizona | He needs to experience different types of ground. Are you taking him out on the trails where there are rocks and he has to pick up his feet, what about making him climb some hills, etc. I make sure all my horses get out on the trails, they tend to be solid on any ground we run on. Mix it up a bit and I bet you will see a difference. |
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