If a horse is “close behind”, what long term issues if any might you expect to see?
I can expect that I would always dress him in some hind boots to prevent injury from interfering, but should I also be expecting, anticipating, or actively preventing any other injuries?
Does a horse that’s close behind have any advantages or disadvantages than another on the flat or over fences?
My 22 y/o QH eventer is built close behind. He went to three long format CCI*s, spent years at Preliminary level, and then foxhunted after that. Now mostly retired due to RF ankle arthritis and an old check ligament injury. Hind end was never an issue with him, though as a bad barrel racer he developed a habit of cross-cantering behind for balance. Strength and dressage work cured him of that.
I always rode him in hind ankle boots for daily schooling or he’d develop scabs on his fetlocks. He’d wear through hind boots within a year or so of consistent use. I didn’t have a problem for brief “naked” periods (warmup and during a dressage test, for example). When barefoot, he doesn’t beat himself up much at all, it was only a problem when shod.
I’m assuming you mean “close behind” in the sense that the horse’s hind limbs travel almost within the same path, potentially causing interference.
It depends largely on the reason why the horse is “close behind”. The horse could have conformation that creates a narrow hind end and limbs structurally too close. The horse could be weak in the hind end and compensates by traveling narrow (something not uncommonly seen in young, green horses), in which case proper conditioning and strengthening the topline would take care of it. The horse could have overdeveloped or tight adductors, the muscles that make up the inner thigh, which can cause the horse to travel narrow. Releasing those muscles and correct conditioning, again, would fix the problem. Improper hoof balance over a long period of time can cause a horse to develop such musculature. Improper hoof balance by itself, especially that that causes pain, can cause a horse to move this way.
So knowing why the horse is “close behind” would dictate what issues one would expect to see. An anatomical reason would be the only reason for which I would have some concern, and even so, honestly, I wouldn’t be worried in a proven horse. A prospect or younger animal is another story.
One of mine travels close behind due to weakness in his stifles. He tends to wear his outside wall faster; however, when I put shoes on him, he interferes pretty badly. He does not interfere barefoot.
My guy travels very closely behind - he has a wonky right hind due to a previous (before me) injury. When working he always has hind boots on. When we started lateral work, he really started knocking himself - that has gotten better as he has gotten stronger. I also switched farriers and the tweaks he made have made a world of difference for my guy.
The horse in question is a young (just turned 5), green hunt prospect. I haven’t laid eyes on him yet, but plan to next week. I was able to get some feedback from someone who worked with him for three months who reported he is lovely in every way, but “close behind” so she advised that he wear hind boots.
All young horses are “close behind.” They don’t have the muscle built up. As they build up the muscles between the hind legs, the legs will be further apart.
My Appy, who was half TB, had his hind legs almost side by side, as well as his chest, when he was five. As he got stronger and correctly muscled, both his front and back legs moved further apart.
My mare is close behind. It’s due to improper muscling and an injury that is causing functional LLD (haha fml).
When my vet comes out to flex her hocks and stifles (you can see where this is going) he remarks at her impressive range of motion. This range of motion, combine with being close behind, has resulted in her kicking one hind leg with her other hind leg when swatting at a fly… twice. Once upwards towards the stifle and once upwards on the hock (my current explanation is that she wasn’t getting enough attention).
She has also managed to step on and remove one hind shoe with her other hind foot.
I keep telling myself she’ll widen out when she’s in work… when she’s sound enough to work… when she stops attempting to self-destruct.
[QUOTE=Beentheredonethat;8222208]
All young horses are “close behind.” They don’t have the muscle built up. As they build up the muscles between the hind legs, the legs will be further apart.
My Appy, who was half TB, had his hind legs almost side by side, as well as his chest, when he was five. As he got stronger and correctly muscled, both his front and back legs moved further apart.[/QUOTE]
This has been our experience as well. Young horse can be close, but with work and time, usually will broaden and get thicker with more muscles developing. We had one that did that at a competition! He wore his ankle boots and (new to him) hind bell boots, along with tape on the pastern joints for the cross country section. He hit the pasterns, not the fetlock or hoof coronary, when tired. He didn’t have any marks on him when we finished the section, traveled wide behind. He has traveled wide behind ever since! Never hit himself again, even when extremely tired, with legs fatigued and sloppy in air travel. He is a Driving horse, you are up close to see how he goes all the time.
Oddest thing I have ever seen happen, overnight as it were in improving his travel. Guess it was just “his time” in the stage of muscling to widen out. Hind bell boots were a suggestion from friend the Farrier, did seem to help horse move past interference.
Some narrow bodied horses will never widen, even if well muscled and older, just the way they are built to travel. But most young horses still have lots of muscling to develop and can move past hitting themselves. Fatigue after a long work, can make them sloppy, they can’t control leg swing then, so they might hit again in those conditions. Our boy was doing daily mileage to build wind, muscles, had never been really fit when he showed us interference issues at age 5yrs. Good ankle boots helped prevent nicks, taping the pasterns also helped prevent cuts. Just had never tried the hind bell boots, since he never hit that low.
He is one heck of a horse, always been pretty wonderful in his movement, Judges love him. Best mover on the place even as he ages, though his brother by the same sire, Tantris, is also really nice. Just had to get him muscled up to get beyond those occasional bumps when tired.
It is surprizing what a very, very small change in the filing of the foot will do, a shortening of the inside wall (or is it the outside?), but it is just a fraction.
My horse will travel close, wears fetlock boots just in case, but usually will not interfere now.
As already said, work and fitness and muscling will make a big change, too.
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