Exercises for improving sure-footedness?

[Mila.B]

Hi all! I’ve had my 6 year old OTTB hunter prospect for about four months now. He’s a huge, beautiful boy with the best temperament and gaits, but we’re definitely in the ugly duckling/work in progress stage right now. As you can see from the attached picture that I took during the PPE in February, he has some extremely uneven feet. I, my trainer, my bodyworker, and my genius farrier have been working hard to fix this with corrective shoeing, PT exercises to build muscle where lacking, and massage/bodywork to make sure he’s comfortable and stretched. He is much much much better than he was, thanks to all of this. We can finally stand square, go straight, bend to the right, and pick up the right lead!

Now that he’s feeling better and going better, I really want to start focusing on his sure-footedness and improve his proprioception (I think that’s the right word?). He’s a tripper, which is understandable given the changes we’ve made to his feet, but he’s also 17.3 and that’s not a fun height to fall from. I have been lunging him over uneven ground poles, hand-walking him through different footing types, and taking him up and down hills. These seem to help, but I suspect that he’s just naturally not the most sure-footed horse in the world. His age might be a factor, too. He’s definitely a goofy, immature, gigantic boy.

Are there any other exercises that might be helpful? Or any other thoughts in general? I’m very confident in the professionals that are involved, but this community has great ideas so I thought I’d ask! Thanks!

Edit - thanks for the tips everyone, so helpful! I’m going to increase his work on uneven ground. Unfortunately, his turn-out is beautifully groomed and flat, but that’s okay I like going for hand walks and lunging. I also appreciate the concern over a potential neuro issue. That’s potentially serious stuff, Thankfully, he had a neuro exam as part of his PPE in Feb and a neuro exam by my own vet shortly thereafter and my vet is confident that, at this point, there isn’t anything neuro involved. But I will continue to monitor! Thanks again!

[Eclectic_Horseman]

You’ve got to get him off his forehand. That’s usually the cause of tripping. So strengthen his haunches so that he will carry more weight back there. Dressage helps immensely. Lots of half halts to shift his weight back. Spiraling in and out on a circle. Leg yielding.

Longeing on a circle on the side of a hill really helps, too. He’ll need to use his hind end to keep his balance.

Lots of trail riding on a loose rein also helps!

[Mila.B]

100% it happens the worst when he’s on his forehand - in fact I let him get pretty strung at a canter the other day, he tripped, actually took a stride on his knees, and I went rolling off his shoulder yeehaw. We do a lot of collection work and he’s much improved and getting a lot stronger! I haven’t done spirals for a while though, thank you for the reminder!

[fivestrideline]

Not to be the bearer of cautionary news but I have a tripper - and he’s a host of physical issues that you’d never suspect when looking at him or watching him go when he was younger. He’s fallen twice with riders, both in flat arenas. He just doesn’t seem to notice or care that he’s tripping or hitting poles, never has. I have to stay on top of his feet or it gets much worse, and I’m about to X-ray his neck for suspected issues.

Just be aware, tripping regularly is dangerous, and CAN be a sign of neck problems/neuro/hind end pain that shifts them onto their forehand. My guy is 11 now, but when he was younger you’d NEVER guess he had so many issues. He was just “lazy” or “needing to get off the FH”. Now I know he has KS, SI issues, and suspected neck problems - all very common in TBs. He’s retired, getting bodywork and short farrier cycles, until/if I can be reasonably sure it’s safe to ride him again.

On top of good management and keeping an eye on them to make sure you haven’t crossed the very thin line between Lazy and Lame, increasing their brain-body connection can help. The EquiCore system definitely can benefit them, as well as a single bell boot on a hind foot. Surefoot pads, and even KT tape can sometimes show benefits. Some good dressage lessons and being careful to ride him as uphill as possible will do him good, as well as hacking on hills.

Good luck, and hopefully you have Big Horse problems, not anything else!

[Xanthoria]

We had a 17h baby horse who was described by the vet as clinically clumsy… in the end we took him on the trail a LOT - and some pretty extreme ones at that, and he learned to look where his feet were going. Side benefit: he got fit!

He was not a tripper though - that is a problem that needs investigation.

[outside_leg]

Not to be an alarmist, but the chronic trippers I’ve known have had major problems beyond young horse clumsiness. And at 6, he’s not really young enough to still be learning where his feet are. It may be worth doing a neuro exam just to rule out anything dangerous, especially if he’s going all the way to his knees.

[Mila.B]

We did do a neuro at the PPE and one from my own vet once I got him home. No findings! My vet and farrier believe that he’s adapting to the changes in his feet, but I’ll definitely keep an eye on the issue in case something does develop. To be fair, “where his feet are” changed drastically and continues to change with each shoeing cycle.

[Mila.B]

the PPE vet and my vet both did neuros on him with no negative findings. My vet and farrier both think that he’s adjusting to the height changes in his feet, they aren’t concerned at this point. I’m definitely keeping an eye on it, however.

[Mila.B]

Thanks for the information. I’m definitely worried about those potential issues. Thankfully, the signs indicate and my vet/farrier both believe that it’s just a “big young horse adapting to new feet” issue at this point. I had every inch of him xrayed when I bought him, no findings that my vet believes would cause tripping. I had my vet do a second neuro on him when he came home, no findings there either. But we’re watching the issue very closely!

[foursocks]

It sounds like you are on the right track! I have my two jumpers at an eventing barn and have come to highly value how handy those horses are, and I think it has to do with their jobs requiring them to do complicated stuff on uneven terrain. Most of them are OTTBs, while mine are both very WB-y (i.e. no blood up close in their pedigrees), but what helps all of us is getting out onto the grass as soon as we can in the spring.

We have a jumping field out back, and I also ride mine in one of the big fields next to that as much as I can. Nothing helps as much as this to get them thinking about where their big feet are, and improves their general fitness- just working on even slightly uneven terrain.

We do all of our basic flatwork out there (2nd-3rd level dressage) and then throw in some galloping for fitness. Well, I gallop my older guy- I haven’t gotten up the nerve to gallop my young horse yet, but I’m working on it!

ETA: My big guy trips quite a bit when he’s on his forehand, or if his feet are starting to get long and we are in deeper footing. He trips over everything when we hack out, too, but that’s mostly because he hates hacking out and refuses to pay attention in favor of sulking.

[Trekkie]

Not sure what his turnout situation is like but if you have the option/can stomach it a pasture with differing terrain/woods etc is helpful I think for them to think about their foot placement and even makes them fitter as well. I also feel
this has benefits for tendons and ligaments as they get stretched and worked in different ways than if always on manicured footing/perfect turf.

[IPEsq]

When you think he’s strong enough, I’d do the different footing and hills with a rider. At the walk, and get him off the forehand. Make him go slow if necessary. Then simple pole exercises ridden. The Equicore system may also help. I advicate doing things ridden at this point so the rider can help him. Straight lines at first and really ask for him to be correct as the terrain changes. As he gets stronger, do it in trot. You have to be pretty vigilant as the rider, but doing it in hand may be fine from a general proprioceptive (awareness) standpoint but won’t necessarily help him learn how to carry himself to make it easier.

[Rumorhasit93]

I take it he trips up front? Oddly enough (or not?) my mare is heavy on the forehand and trips behind.

I echo the trail riding sentiment. Good for their brain and body!

[MadTrotter]

I personally wouldn’t ride a horse that has gone down like that and continues to trip but I’ve got 2 young kids.

If there’s no rush, I’d find a turnout situation where he’s out 24/7 on hills and then just play around with long lining. Keep rebalancing feet. See what you’ve got in 3 months/6months.

[Larbear]

If the neurological stuff has been ruled out, I would hack him out on ground with varying terrain with hills. In the ring, I would throw down some random poles and also some appropriate spaced poles to walk over as well.

[fivestrideline]

One bell boot on a hind foot can help them be aware of their movements, switch sides with it every ride. Some people use a weighted boot too.

Riding without boots or wraps (or switching to open fronts) can help them respect obstacles, and make sure your poles are heavy and don’t move!