Mid to late 20’s mare, have a whole other post about her, she came to me this skinny almost 2 weeks ago and we are working on getting her as good n comfortable as we can. Noticed this bump/dip the other day and thought hmm…that cannot be just her spine?
Figured I would do a spin off post and ask the confirmation gurus for their opinions? For reference, she was used for barrel racing in her younger yrs but that is all I know on her past riding usage.
That’s her Lumbo-sacral Gap, the dip between the end of the lumbar vetebrae, and the start of the sacral vertebrae
On some horses, it’s wider than on others.
On all horses, it’s way more visible when they are thin
Hers is right over the point of her hip, which is perfect 
That is just her spine. The location of her bump is in front of where a hunter’s bump would be. It looks like she has a roach backed and as you know her condition needs a ton of work so it highlights the area.
Sweet good to know!! I took confirmation classes over 10 yrs ago it has left my brain lol. I read an article a few minutes ago about fusions and stifle issues…I really need to not google. She does stand with one stifle n leg always cocked out. Hopefully as she gains the dip will dissapate, thanks!
How does it look from the back? I would be more concerned if you see asymmetry.
It’s hard as I can’t tell how square she is in that last picture, but something looks off with the pelvis. Horses can be functionally sound with a previously broken pelvis. Her left hip looks lower, and her right looks bumpy.
Not square, always has one leg back when she stands, back left, every time.
This could (hopefully) just be due to her feet needing a trim.
It’s also hard to judge conformation from behind (like equal hip height for example) if she’s not standing square.
It’ll go away as she gains weight and muscle. (I’m referring to the exaggerated appearance of it)
Not a roach, just the normal rise/curve of the spine in that area
The dip will always be there, it’s her skeletal structure. As she gains weight and lays down fat over that area, it will diminish in visibility, but will still be palpable. And even then, unless they’re overweight, some horses always have that dip somewhat visible.
Here’s a good skeletal view. The conformation of the last lumbar vertebra varies, from pretty flat, to curvier, and the latter can sometimes be mistaken for a roach. This also shows the LS gap really well.
I had a mare who was almost that skinny and her back is now a sine wave, with nary a bump to be seen. She would be a great horse for bareback rides.
You won’t know what you have until she is healthy and in good weight.
Oh, another thing. I thought of my mare as small when I got her, but size is deceptive when they are that thin. Once they put on weight it seems as if they’ve grown by a couple of inches.
You can’t see Hunter’s Bump from the side. It’s a lateral injury, seen from the back. It happens when the ligament connecting the tuber sacral to the sacrum is torn, allowing the tuber sacral to rise up on that side. If it’s a bilateral injury, then one side is usually higher than the other.
You can see an abnormal peak in the SI from the side, don’t get me wrong, but you there are other issues that can cause a peak that aren’t a Hunter’s Bump
HBs don’t disappear. They may be more, or less prominent in a given horse as his weight/muscle/fat decreases or increases, respectively, but it doesn’t go away. It may reduce some on how high the tuber sacral is pushed, but it’s still going to be uneven to some degree.
Once she gets a little more weight on her with muscle and fat and I get her feet done I may try to get a chiro to come out and take a look at her.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
