A year ago I bought a 7-year-old small Hanoverian-TB mare that was very green. I had a PPE done and there were no serious issues found other than she ‘slapped’ a bit with her right hind at the trot but the vet felt it could be because her feet were badly in need of trimming and that hind toe was pointed, not allowing proper breakover. After I bought her, had her feet trimmed, etc. I noticed her right hip was higher than her left and she had a lot more trouble bending on a right-hand circle. What I have since found out is when she was 3, she rolled in her stall and got that hind foot caught in the bars, which likely caused a pelvis misalignment and her growth plates to close unevenly. It also caused a twist all the way up her spine so she is curved to the left but it’s not obvious unless you are riding her on a right circle. She also has residual scar tissue on the left in her rump and thigh as a result. She is a very pretty mover despite all this and the issues are subtle. I’d like her to be a low level dressage horse and do some combined tests and am having regular massage and chiro. She had a slip in the mud a couple of weeks ago and my vet (not the PPE one) checked her over and says it’s possible she will be able to do that but it will take a lot of work. After dealing with ulcers, teeth that had never been cared for until I bought her and poor ground manners, I feel I get over one issue and another challenge arises. Has anyone had a horse with this issue and what did you do? She is gorgeous with good conformation and has good bloodlines so would be worth breeding and she is a bombproof hack horse, so she does have other options. Thoughts? Would you keep going with her? I’m really fond of her and she is very sweet with a great work ethic.
Personally, I’d get her in a regular routine with a body worker at least once a month, ideally more often. Things like ceramic infused products (like Back on Track) can help keep muscles nice and soft to help massage work hold. If she’s comfortable hacking out I’d do some research around rehab protocols and take a very methodical approach to gently building her fitness over varied terrain with an emphasis on helping her travel evenly.
If she’s comfortable and sound through the strength building and shows improvement through body work, I don’t see the problem with exploring LL dressage under the guidance of a trainer.
I would try to get a consult with a vet that specializes in rehabilitation. You aren’t going to be able to totally fix the misalignment issues, but perhaps you could improve her range of motion and help her to get conditioned a little more evenly. You will probably need very regular body work. But if she has a good attitude, a lower level job seems reasonable.
