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I've been around a lot of breeds and it seems that Arabs are more prone 
to this problem than many other breeds. For example I've seen a lot of 
walking horses in my days and yet to see one with hi/lo. Same for the 
"old style Morgan" and the "old style" Saddlebred. Walking horse foals 
(and other breeds) have shorter necks when they are born and tend to 
"split" their front legs when they graze but they will do each it on 
each leg. After they grow they will graze in a comfortable where one leg 
may be forward or both evenly. I have a difficult time buying "grazing 
causes it."

Arabs seem to be prone to this problem. I have one with hi/lo which we 
keep under control because I have a good farrier. He doesn't graze with 
the same foot always forward. He will sometimes graze with his left 
forward, his right forward or both together. My vet has said he feels 
that horses that have hi/lo may actually have a sub-clinical contracted 
tendon and the one foot only forward grazing may be the of this 
condition - that is the one foot forward is a symptom of the true cause 
of the hi/lo not the cause.

Whatever it is - it can usually be dealt with with good farrier work, 
good training, maybe some good stretching exercises for the horse and 
those horses can have a long endurance career.

Truman

Opal Perry wrote:
> Anytime he eats anything off the ground, he puts that leg back, never 
> the other one. So he kind of makes the problem worse on his own. Some 
> things that have happened because of this: 1: He is slabsidded... big 
> time. Its getting better, but.. still there. 2: He kicks me off that 
> diagonal all the time.. I'm lucky if I get 10 strides in, and its HARD 
> to post him that side. 3: He doesn't like to use that lead.. so again, 
> HARD to make him use that side. (I do work him in the indoor arena in 
> surcingle & side reins more on that side than the other, and it is 
> helping).


--

“You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace 
unless he has his freedom.” Malcolm X


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