Poor Movement

Poor Movement

A huge topic in equine biomechanics and one that should be carefully considered.  

What constitutes “good movement” is relatively consistent in many respects no matter the breed or equine discipline. When the hindquarters are engaged, the back is rounded and lifted, the shoulders are free, and the head and neck are flexed and quiet - the horse is said to be a good mover. In order to bring out that good movement in a horse, the horse must be conditioned and balanced to use its own conformation optimally, as well as have proper fitting tack and a well-balanced rider.

Conformation plays a key role in how the horse moves. For example, if the limbs are excessively short, a horse will tend to move with a short, choppy gait. If the body length is a great deal longer then its height, a horse may have trouble synchronizing and coordinating movement. Likewise, if a horse’s limbs are proportionally longer than its body, the horse may be predisposed to forging or over-reaching, among other gait defects and locomotive disorders.

There are many other characteristics of a horse’s conformation that can affect a horse’s movement, too. For example, the neck length should be greater or equal to the back length. The hip, from the loin to the point of the buttock, should be at least two thirds the length of the back. If the neck is shorter than the horse’s back, a horse tends to have decreased flexibility and a harder time balancing its motion. Longer-backed horses tend to “hollow” out because they have a harder time lifting, and rounding their backs, and moving their hindquarters underneath their centre of gravity. Horses with a shorter hip in comparison to the neck or back tend to lack propulsion/impulsion.

Note. A horse’s height - from the point of the withers to the ground, should be compared to the length of the body - from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock.

Symptoms

Lameness and or irregular gait and stride, unable to work the same on each rein, unbalanced, uncoordinated and un-rhythmical; hollow back, regional tension and stiffness are some symptoms associated with poor movement.

Causes

Several things can cause poor movement, such as conformation, soreness, lameness, ill-fitting tack, equipment and rugs, unbalanced feet, or an unbalanced rider.

Quite often young horses and those not fully matured find some movements and exercises more difficult than the older, more experienced and well conditioned horses. However, older horses also suffer from problems that affect movement e.g. joint disorders.

Pain, stress and tension play a key role in a horses’ ability to perform.

Horses are incredibly good at altering the way they move in order to avoid pain. In addition because horses are prey animals they will often hide any dysfunction so as not to highlight that they are injured and hence susceptible to attack form predators.

What to do

First consider things from the horses’ point of view e.g.  a recently backed, young horse will not be able to do the exercises that his advanced dressage stable mate can do.

Evaluate the horses’ conformation and recognise how his physic will affect how he moves.

Have your vet examine the horse from head to toe to check that there are no underlying health problems.

Have a good, reputable and qualified farrier examine his feet and shoeing.

Have someone such as an Equine Body Worker feel your horse regularly. Palpation over the entire horse can be very revealing and highlight problems such as tension, muscle spasm and tears, temperature variation and pain reaction scores amongst others that can often be overlooked.

Consider your horses’ behaviour, is there a trigger point at which the horse says “I’m having trouble doing this”? If you have concerns about your horse’s behaviour contact someone who will show kind consideration in helping you both and avoid those people who recommend that you give him a good thrashing so that he does what you want him to do.

Overtime assess your horses’ stance and movement highlighting any common traits.

If your horse is a ridden horse why not video him or her moving around the paddock and whilst being ridden or lunged or free schooled. Gait analysis using this method especially in slow motion can be hugely beneficial in detecting subtle traits that are not always visible to the human eye. (Please contact me for more information or have me conduct a simple videoed gait analysis). Whilst videoing the horse also assess how you ride and discuss this with your instructor. If you don’t have an instructor then contact a good one who is happy to receive a copy of the video and assess it for you and provide feedback.

Ask yourself “am I giving good clear instructions and am I clear about the end result I am trying to achieve”?  

Consider all the tack and equipment you use on your horse and how you use it. More research is proving that some traditional equipment including various types of bits, might not always be the kindest for all horses and can cause injury and chronic pain.

Take photos of your horse (without tack and rider) from both sides and from infrount and behind, in the same place and at different times through the year to cross check how his shape and stance differ if at all.

Contact a nutritionalist to find out more about your feeding regime.

Consider the horses care and exercise programme and discuss this with someone who is experienced with caring for horses. A mate in the pub who had a pony 20 years ago may not be your best source of information.

Is the horse up to date with dental checks and worming?

Does he get enough turn out to relax properly?

Have someone experienced and qualified check your tack.

Ask for help, there are many reputable equine professionals in the industry who are willing to help both you and your horse achieve your goals.

These are just a few tips that may help to identify a cause of concern. Ultimately your horses’ care is your responsibility and if you have a gut feeling that something isn’t quite right then it probably isn’t.

All of this together with an appropriate care routine and regular Equine Body Work can help optimise equine performance and avoid injury and pain.

Detailed gait analysis examines stride length; energy usage; leg angles; shoulder, neck and joint positions; hoof movement patterns, etc. It also looks at the relative positions of the limbs at each phase of the stride and the timing of each hoof placement. This kind of detailed analysis would simply be impossible with the naked eye, and is enabling new insights into the understanding of why one horse runs faster than another.

Equine biomechanics

Equine biomechanics is the study of biomechanics which applies to horses. Several of the same uses for study established in equine biomechanics as are found in human biomechanics. Hence, many of the same techniques are also used including digital video and computer modelling.

Modern equine biomechanics probably started with Eadweard Muybridge's work between 1877-1878.  

Equine biomechanics has evolved significantly since Muybridge's days, and currently impacts several fields in equine management, including injury prevention and treatment, performance enhancement, and spans a number of equine sports, in particular racing and dressage.