scuffing his toes, dragging his feet behind and slipping

[Cheryl Newbanks <horsetrails@inficad.com>]

Hi Group! 

I've got one for you:}  My horse Blue who currently has close to 2000 miles
base and about 200 miles competition is starting to drag his toes when he
walks behind.  Just hanging in the paddock he really drags his rear feet at
the toe while he is walking around.  I palpitated his stifle and he
rea-acts slightly, same with the long muscle in the back of his butt that
starts down just below the dock of the tale, and the hip ligament too.
Then I saw him do a really strange thing I never saw before, when he
stretched to pee after our ride, he only fully stretched one leg.  The
right rear leg I've been suspicious of was very slightly stretched and bent
at the stifle.  Like he didn't want to stretch that leg at all.  It is also
the side he slips behind on and scuffs up the front of his pasterns big
time.  I am actually thinking on riding him with standardbred race horse
scalpers on behind. Also he dosen't like to pick up his left lead which
coincides with him reaching with his right hind leg again.  

So what do you think gang, stifles, hip?  I started massage it and I am
using a linament on his stifles and hind end.    


   
                                  Cheryl Newbanks 
~~~           ~~ ^ ^        SW Region
~~~\      _ ~~/ /\ /        Buckeye, AZ
       (   ) __    ) ' '        horsetrails@inficad.com
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