Re: Forging, hoof angles, etc.

Linda Flemmer (CVLNURS@CHKD-7.evms.edu)
Wed, 27 Nov 1996 10:21:30 -0500 (EST)

Bob
You wrote:
> Many persons have the mistaken concept that horses legs, including feet,
> must move straight forward and back. That is far from the actual physical
> action of the equine legs. Remember the legs are not "outboard" of the body
> of the horse but somewhat under. The elbow and stifle must clear that barrel
> to get full stride so there is always some lateral movement of the leg and
> foot. The well trained and conditioned horse thus realizes that lateral
> movement in the hind leg and holds it out there allowing the rear hoof to
> bypass the front. My feeling is this is a "learned action"

I can agree whole heartedly with the idea that the horse <learns> to
trot wide in back to avoid hitting his front feet w/ his back. We
teasingly call it "dropping into overdrive" . Major was a typical
"jig jog" quarter horse when we got him. He has learned to bring his
back underneath himself, widen his stance in the rear, and trot like
mad! (He has been clocked at 22 mph trotting!)

When he spreads out and trots big (we call it road trot), he
oversteps the front foot print by 3-4 foot lengths and the rear foot
print is noticeably lateral to the front. Had he not opened up the
rear stance, he would most definitely be hitting himself. We find
that at slower trotting speeds, he does not perform so much lateral
movement and that is when he is most likely to forge/click.

For a horse to "learn" this gait, he must learn self carriage,
engagement from the rear, and have a rider that doesn't interfere
with him through suboptimal horsemanship.

Linda Flemmer
ABF Challenger ("Rocket") & Eternal Point ("Major")
Blue Wolf Ranch Chesapeake, Virginia, USA

"In case of emergency - Fur side up, steel side down!"