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Re: [RC] Trot Question for the Engineers - Jody Rogers-ButtramOK, First off, I'm not a vet, nor am I an engineer. So, I suppose that I have no qualifications to comment on this thread. BUT, as I sat here this nasty, cold and rainy Sunday morning reading this, I had to comment on it. Avoid a horse that is wide in the rear when trotting. I most certainly would NOT avoid it. In fact, I seek it. I don't own a horse, and I never have, that trots without spreading out in the rear. Truman named that some really good 3000 mile SE horses traveled this way. Hey Truman, I had a 5000 mile horse that did. I should reach 3000 on Rose this year, and I have a pasture full of horses that travel this way right now. Yes, I agree that Heidi is correct that traveling wide on a narrow trail can be a disadvantage. Cash Pony tends to "fall" off the single path trails on the back end sometimes. But, Cash also has a
wonderful "hind end engagement". So, I would trade the possible "step offs" to the big trot anyday. Also, he is very light in the front and WAY too efficient. I don't own another horse that can keep up with the little turd. In comparison, there is Rose. Who isn't as wide in the rear as him. Most likely because she is 1/2 Paint. She is much heavier on the front end. The other statement that was making me grind my teeth was about the horses "fearing hitting themselves and so they would widen out". OK, I have a "little" bit of experience here to comment. Being a farrier that has shod Arabs/ endurance horses since about 1986, I can tell you, that IMO they NEVER do this because of fear. They correct this when two things happen and most of the time both happen. The farrier corrects the forging problem AND the horse matures and changes the way they travel.
In other words, the horse builds the muscle and conditioning and that alters (somewhat) how they move. Lots of horses will stop a hind leg interference problem when they develop the back end muscle and become conditioned. And so I stay PC, for those barefoot folks, the barefoot horse can also be trimmed in the manner, they don't HAVE to have shoes. :)) Example Cash Pony again. When I bought him, trimmed he's feet and started to ride him. He was an unbroke horse who trotted wide. He ripped the bulbs off both front feet when he trotted 100 yards the FIRST day I trotted him. Took him to the barn and shod him. And shod him like I do to CORRECT this overreaching issue. The next day, (he was sound somehow with ripped off bulbs) trotted him again. He didn't hit. So, I suppose he is SO smart that he learned not to overreach in just 100 yards. No, he didn't overreach because
I FIXED it. He will still "click" occassionally....but that is because he has such a huge, up under-himself stride even with the correction. But, he hasn't jerked off a shoe, and he hasn't hit himself. Jody
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