At Canter horse cross canters in back right before breaking to trot

[Borngrace]

Hello - I am trying to figure out how concerned I should be about something a horse we are thinking about buying does.

He is green 5yr. 17h OTTB. He is built like a tank. He has not been ridden regularly in the past month.

In the indoor he broke frequently at the canter and right before each break he cross cantered in the back. And immediately broke to the trot.

How concerning is this? What could it mean? If we decide to go forward what should we have vet pay attention to in PPE??

thank you in advance

[jsydney5]

The first thing that comes to mind is a strength issue from not being ridden regularly in the past month. The second thing that comes to mind is a possible lameness, but don’t get too concerned just yet. Have you palpated his back and his stifles? Is he sore there?

I typically see cross cantering issues with draft cross youngsters, because those breeds are not built to canter, so they often have to be taught correctly. They often cross canter, or flip their leads before you ask for a down transition…and it’s totally normal. Because your horse is an OTTB, I would be more concerned about pain/weakness somewhere. Does he have back shoes?

Sore stifles are commonly associated with cross cantering. There are a few things you can do to help alleviate stifle soreness using wedge pads on the hind shoes. It might be as simple as that. If you decide to do a PPE exam, the vet will be able to tell you whether or not it’s a physical soundness issue. If he checks out ok, then talk to your farrier about putting hind shoes on him to see if that helps. Also ask about wedge pads.

I wouldn’t be too concerned. He’s 5 yrs old, he raced, and he sounds like a big boy if he’s a “tank.” That’s a lot of weight to load on that hind end when you ask for a down transition. It’s a typical evasion for him to swap leads behind, but it may be something you can fix.

Don’t give up on him yet!

[Blugal]

I agree with the above, except it would be something that concerned me on a potential purchase. Does he do this under saddle? (Have you tried him under saddle?) If you really, really like him, then go ahead but do a thorough vetting.

[fordtraktor]

Get him vetted. If he passes the vet, don’t worry about it. Mine did all sorts of ungraceful things at the canter right off the track, including pop off to the wrong lead quite often. You can expect to need to rebalance the canter a fair bit on an OTTB – some of them have beautiful canters right off the track, but most need some work. I bring them home and start them on dressage. with about 60 days riding on him, mine is a lot more organized. You wouldn’t guess he ever really had that issue 2 months ago…unless I let him sit for a few weeks and then the first ride or two he gets sloppy again.

[Sancudo]

My OTTB (also raced at 5, a hair over 17 hands and a tank too) did that when he was green and younger. Passed vet check, just a strength issue, went away in few months of dressage training. Will still pop up sometimes on the lunge when off balance.

As for the future… my guy was USDF’s TB horse of the Year at two levels, scores in the 70s at rated shows at second level, and we schooled piaffe steps this weekend, so yes they can get a lot stronger!!

[Borngrace]

Thank you for all the your insights! I appreciate it – We will def get PPE and I will know what kinds of things to make sure to ask about now. He did have back shoes originally, but those were pulled - so maybe that contributes? We have ridden him. He is very comfortable but gets strung out, looks like a giraffe, tosses his head around to avoid the bit and using his body – wait, why do I like this horse?

[merrygoround]

The cross cantering is usually a strength issue. A strong rider can counter this, but the best course of action is getting him stronger.

This is assuming all other things are fine.

[531]

This can be an issue with the stifle slipping or catching. Search weak stifles, catching stifles, etc on the forum and you’ll see it is a common anecdotal issue associated with the stifle. It can be improved with strengthening and therapy.

[tbchick84]

My OTTB does that if he’s on a circle too small for him to properly balance himself. I’d love to pin it on a weakness, but this guy is all muscle and goes down hills dead straight, so I’m thinking that’s not it. My vet said it has something to do with his hind end conformation since he is a bit straight back there. I can’t say I understand it very well, but it something along the lines of his joints do not close/bend as much as a horse that would have more hock action. His right front is a mild club foot, so I’m wondering if that has something to do with it. My horse only does it on the left lead. He’ll take a step on the right lead behind before coming to trot. I’ve had him for 7 years, no lameness so far.

[chism]

[QUOTE=merrygoround;7751838]
The cross cantering is usually a strength issue. A strong rider can counter this, but the best course of action is getting him stronger.

This is assuming all other things are fine.[/QUOTE]

THIS…I wouldn’t worry about it at this point…when you get him stronger, if it’s still an issue, I’d have it evaluated.

Edit…On second thought…i just realized this is a horse you’re considering for purchase, I’m tired and didn’t read entirely for comprehension. lol How much work did this “greenish” TB have prior to the last month? I’ve had 4 off track TB’s and several of them had this issue while green off the track, but it went away once they got stronger behind.

[asterix]

I agree with others that it is most likely a strength issue, having sat on a lot of big greenies while shopping. The ONLY caveat I will add is that a very big young horse can also have OCD in his stifle. I do NOT know if this would manifest in cross cantering - I encountered it while looking at big young horses generally - so I’d just add it to the list of questions for the vet.

[Borngrace]

Just as an update – had PPE on Tuesday. Did the xrays. Had Vet pay particular attention to hocks, stifle, SI, back to see if there was a physical issue that was contributing. He found nothing. Said super super (2 supers) sound. Good back, good feet. He did not cross canter at all during PPE - so we are going forward. Thanks so much for all advice. I truly appreciate it. It helped offset worry that something was definitely wrong, but also gave me concrete things to ask about!

[yourcolorfuladdictio]

Congrats! Definitely sounds like a strength and balance issue. Don’t forget many OTTBs are used to a race track for cantering, not a ring so a ring is VERY small to them. Enjoy your new horse!