Help needed for horse that stumbles on rocks...

[Pocahontas47]

A friend of mine has a 5yr old Appaloosa gelding that stumbles when ridden on rocks,gravel rough ground etc. Hes fine on grassy areas or on roads. We do a lot of trail riding and this horse does great but in some places rocks are unavoidable and the horse stumbles just about every step his front hooves take. His back hooves seem fine its just the front. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to what could be done to help this horse ride sound over rocks. I have heard of a pad that can be put on under the shoes that makes it where rocks cant bruise the foot?? Im not sure exactly how it works so could yall please just give me any ideas you may have.

-The horse stumbles when he is shod as well as barefoot...a vet has examined him and he couldnt find anything wrong just said that his feet were a little tender where rocks had bruised them. The horse was put out to pasture for a few months without shoes and the stumbling got worse after that. He is back on a regular shoeing schedule but it doesnt seem to be helping much.

[gbarmranch]

Has the horse been seen by a vet - reason for asking is there may be more to this then soft soles..

[kellidahorsegirl]

Is this horse barefoot,,,,or wearing shoes?

[BarnBum]

Is the horse barefoot ? You mentioned something about a pad under a shoe, but wasn't sure.

If the horse is barefoot, I would coat the feet w/ venice turpentine to toughen them up. Might also want to consider riding in a boot. (I use OldMacs)

If the horse IS shod, then I would consider boots also.

[Hideaway]

Check with the vet to rule out any serious issues but if the horse is tender footed, there are several different pads you can use that may help. Anywhere from a rubber flat pad, to a rubber pour in, to a leather pad. You want to make sure you rule out the major stuff first.

[little_S]

He may just be lazy. I've heard of some just being lazy and not wanting the pick up their feet. If that is the case then maybe work him over some ground poles until he learns to pick up his feet.

Also I assume if his feet are long that could cause his stumbling.

[MichelleOlguin]

Originally Posted by little_S

He may just be lazy. I've heard of some just being lazy and not wanting the pick up their feet. If that is the case then maybe work him over some ground poles until he learns to pick up his feet.

Also I assume if his feet are long that could cause his stumbling.

I totally agree. Some horses just get lazy.

[seerfarm]

Given that a vet has checked him I would say perhaps not only a sensitivity issue (pads or pour ins) as previously mentioned are helpful, but a maturity and balance issue. He made need some front end strengthening and overall work to help. At 5 yrs. old he is still young, some take longer than others to develop...might be something to consider.

[Arabians_a_trapper_horse]

Originally Posted by MichelleOlguin

I totally agree. Some horses just get lazy.

It's true, horses get pretty lazy if you dont keep after them. they'll end up staying up all night playing playstation three online and sleep until four o'clock p.m. then do it again the next night and the next night etc... Then when you come home from work they start to yell at you "why you were late?" and " I'm hungery but there is no food in the fridge because you wouldn't get up off of your lazy and go grocery shopping this weekend!" You try to tell them that the new girl at work messed up on some important documents and the boss made you stay late to fix them before the higher ups got onto him for it and it wouldn't happen again. Then they start to complain about the money situation and how there is never any of it around and how you didn't need that seven dollar concealer you bought at walmart the other day. You tell them that if they would just get even a part time job, it wouldn't be so bad. Then they yell at you about how they have shrapnel lodged in their chest from when they were in Iraq and how they are disabled and handicapped. You respond that they aren't too disabled and handicapped to stay up all night playing video games or too disabled and handicapped to sleep until four in the afternoon then they punch you in the face and and storm out of the house into their 1984 honda civic to go to the liquor store. The next day before work, you look in the mirror and cry as you remember why you bought that seven dollar concealer.

[Nor Cal Farrier]

If your horse walks fine on grass, sand, and flat ground, and only has problems on rocks, I doubt it has anything to do with laziness. Try putting a heavy pack on your back and walking barefoot on the grass and then walking on sharp rocks and see if your stride is the same. He probably has soft or thin soles and walking on rocks causes pain. He is not stumbling, he is reacting to the pain in his feet when they make contact on the rocks. There are several types of pads you can use if you like. The other option is something like Equi-pack or Equi-build, that you can use to cushion and protect the soles of his feet.

[beth55051]

Has he ever been nerved?

My gelding Sam was years ago. The nerves have since regenerated. He's stumble footed whether he's freshly shod, barefoot or getting long in the toe.

He also doesn't pay very good attention to where he's going, he's been known to run smack dab into a tree now and then.

[strayacres]

Hi, we have a gelding who does that. So we square his toes and we use Tuff Stuff on the bottoms of his hooves - one application lasts a couple of days. It works great -

[Crookedblaze]

I put OldMacs on Rocket when we did some mountain riding in Arizona. They have to pick up their feet because it adds a little extra weight and it protects them. Those things are a darn good investment.

[joustinggirl]

He was vetted, but did they do x-rays? I would start there so that you will know exactly what you are or are not dealing with.

[jjsimsez]

my mare is like this,but shoes worked and stopped the problem.

[Sunlei]

If you can take a picture and post it here?, I'd like to see what the front feet look like.

For some reason he hurts when on rocks.

I'd hate to say he's lazy and to work him hard if he's in pain. Or to have her painting turpintine on overgrown rotten feet. Best to have a farrier and/or a Vet take a look at those front feet.

[Hideaway]

Has the horse been checked for navicular? My horse started stumbling first, then lame.

[Sirita_88]

I have a horse that has been vetted several times, x-rays, flexation tested, all-over lameness exam, nothing wrong. Vet said maybe chiro can help (he had another problem at the time, too). Went to the chiro twice. Tried corrective shoeing. Bottom line, he's lazy. Now He does stumble in the grass when he meets an uneven spot. But heck! One day I had just gotten on him and he stumbled at the walk, went half way down, tried to get back up but stumbleled again, tried to get back up, stumbleled, finally went almost all the way down when he caught his front shoe and it flew off... all with me on him...

He just doesn't get the concept of picking up his feet. In an arena there is always a big dust cloud because he drags his feet. Despite all this he is one of the best movers I have seen!

I have tried working him over poles, but the minute I take away the poles he's back to dragging his feet. He is SOO lazy that he once got a cavaletti stuck between his front and back legs and he continued cantering with it rolling under him like nothing was wrong!

Your horse could just be lazy...

[cameo05]

Originally Posted by Sirita_88

I have a horse that has been vetted several times, x-rays, flexation tested, all-over lameness exam, nothing wrong. Vet said maybe chiro can help (he had another problem at the time, too). Went to the chiro twice. Tried corrective shoeing. Bottom line, he's lazy. Now He does stumble in the grass when he meets an uneven spot. But heck! One day I had just gotten on him and he stumbled at the walk, went half way down, tried to get back up but stumbleled again, tried to get back up, stumbleled, finally went almost all the way down when he caught his front shoe and it flew off... all with me on him...

He just doesn't get the concept of picking up his feet. In an arena there is always a big dust cloud because he drags his feet. Despite all this he is one of the best movers I have seen!

I have tried working him over poles, but the minute I take away the poles he's back to dragging his feet. He is SOO lazy that he once got a cavaletti stuck between his front and back legs and he continued cantering with it rolling under him like nothing was wrong!

Your horse could just be lazy...

Oh my that is lazy

My husbands gelding is on that cannot tolerate any type of rock or sandy rock surfaces. He will slap tip toe over them. When we first got him, I know I should not have laughed but I did, he would e prancing along and all of a sudden he would put his head down and stop. Especially if we were crossing a rocky road or a rock in the ground, and would tip toe. yes tip toe over it. Once past it he was normal again. We ended up front shoeing him and it stopped. He will e a forever shoe. Never will he be able to go without them.

[horselady]

If the vet has ruled out anything causing this problem from the shoulders down, than I would try boots (horse sneakers) and see if that would make a difference.,