Re: Endurance Movement

[Farafix@aol.com]

Has anyone read Deb Bennett's 3 volume series on conformation?  She has a
section on the "spiral hind limb."  My horses have this conformation and seem
to be able to trot pretty fast (especially the mare, when she wants to!), but
they do not travel wide (hocks far apart) as I've seen other horses do.  
With this spiral hind limb conformation their stifle clears the barrel (& the
mare is quite round & short coupled), and the hind hoof flight is slightly
diagonally outward, enabling the hind hoof  to not interfere/catch the front.
The hocks are not carried noticeably farther apart than at other gaits (I've
watched the mare alot as a friends rode her the last 2 yrs as I brought along
her son, following mom).  When barefoot she doesn't wear her hind feet
unevenly, and when shod she doesn't pull shoes, even tho the farrier started
leaving more heel on the front for better support several yrs ago.  She has
over 2600 miles now and has been very sound.

Nancy
Md
Tempo & Kadance+/(the mad trotter)