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You have not mentioned the age or amount of conditioning and experience of
your mare that interferes at the hind fetlocks. I've found that eliminating
interfering depends on a combination of things, not just the farrier.
The farrier CAN help by getting the horse balanced (both fore and aft),
most often in my experience by raising the angles, making sure the break
over isn't too far front, and fitting full enough to give good support. I
don't like the word "trailer" because so often the farrier makes this cute
sort of "squiggle" with the heel of the shoe that really adds some
interesting torque to the horse's way of going. "Giving good lateral
support" is a "nice" term, AND sometimes, it's the MEDIAL support that's
missing -- try to find a good vet and farrier combo to work that end out.
In the meantime, YOUR part of the equation is to develop your horse's rear,
ride her "in balance" (i.e. not strung out), do lots of canter departs and
lead changes (dropping to trot or walk -- I like working a serpentine), and
even, do some ring or round pen work!
The excuse, "my horse" (translate "I") hate(s) ring work doesn't cut it.
There are many ways to make "ring" work FUN -- and a "ring" doesn't need to
have a fence! Do figures around trees, a dandelion flower, put out Strongid
C buckets and weave in and around -- invite friends over to play "follow the
leader". Don't forget to use the REVERSE gear -- properly done, with the
horse's back rounded and his head down, seeking bit or halter or bosal or
whatever you use up front.
Lateral work (leg yielding, turn on forehand and haunches, etc.) is
incredibly valuable for developing your athlete -- consider the ballet
dancer doing the stretch excercises at the bar -- same thing.
LONGE the horse! Long Rein the horse! Do this carefully, for only a few
minutes at a time -- this is like doing sit ups and pushups would be for us.
You can get plenty of exercise if you walk with the horse (longe line short
enough for you to touch horse with longe whip) to make sure its rear end
stays under it. NEVER longe a horse faster than it can keep in balance, but
if the horse is cheating, do canter transitions up and down -- again, the
horse should be holding itself up -- sign of this is a wide spread between
the hind legs at the canter, with little or no spewing of earth by the
outside hind (horse may carry head and neck higher than ideal, but the
purpose is to get the rear and back working.
Yes, the "nasty" word is "DRESSAGE", but NOT the "Push me Pull you" sort
that is all to common in the sport of Dressage. The whole idea is to
produce an complete athlete, capable of excelling in a specialized sport.
Seek some professional help, but make sure the person does not have
"Dressage Tunnel Vision". A western trainer who has helped me over the years
happens to have California Reining background and uses the best of all
training worlds as learned from Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, Pat Parelli, etc.
With his tutelage my horses have qualified for Regional Dressage
Competition, won ribbons and championships in long distance (three day
100's), Combined Driving, and can work cattle rather well. Seek someone who
will try his or her best to make you independent --- (This doesn't quite
work won't because he or she will keep learning and you'll want to learn more).
The cure is NOT overnight, nor is the production of a winning
endurance horse. Way back -- (1965) -- a lady entered the NJ three day 100
riding a Lipizzan dressage mare that had been conditioned in an indoor
arena. Because the horse had to be out of doors for the 100, her rider rode
the mare through the local town the week before the ride! The mare not only
finished in fine condition, she was selected as the best Trail Horse!!!
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