# New horse, weird mover?



## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

looks like she is off on her right front


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## TheAQHAGirl (Aug 10, 2012)

Did you check her hooves? Is there anything like a rock in them? Did you feel any heat coming from her legs?

I would get a vet out to check her again. Did the owner say anything about past injuries?


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

Her hooves are fine, and there is no heat coming from her legs. I will call her old owners tomorrow and ask.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

She looked lame in the right front leg/shoulder to me.


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

Another confusing detail to this is that she'll come trotting or cantering across the field every time we go down to see her and her gait seems fine then. 
Hmmm. I feel like a vet call is in my future....
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

She looked to be gaiting there. She was not trotting. are you sure she is a QH?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I agree with Tiny, that looks like a gaited horse not a lame horse.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

I had a suspicion that she was gaited!
They told me she was a registered QH but they didn't give me the papers.

Any guesses to what breed she might actually be?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TheAQHAGirl (Aug 10, 2012)

TristaJean said:


> I had a suspicion that she was gaited!
> They told me she was a registered QH but they didn't give me the papers.
> 
> Any guesses to what breed she might actually be?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


There is your red flag. 

I would guess Missouri Fox Trotter.

Did they tell you his registered name?


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

It's evidently just Foxy Lady. Which I had suspicions about being a real registered name in the first place, because shouldn't it be something like Sheza lucky loper Lena dunit? :lol: or something along the lines of that, registered names are so funny to me. 
 But I don't really mind if she isn't a QH or registered or anything, my neighbors basically gave her to me because they had no idea how to take care of her.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TheAQHAGirl (Aug 10, 2012)

TristaJean said:


> It's evidently just Foxy Lady. Which I had suspicions about being a real registered name in the first place, because shouldn't it be something like Sheza lucky loper Lena dunit? :lol: or something along the lines of that, registered names are so funny to me.
> But I don't really mind if she isn't a QH or registered or anything, my neighbors basically gave her to me because they had no idea how to take care of her.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Well I guess if you really wanted to, you can go to AQHA.com and look it up and see if you can find a horse named Foxy Lady who fits your horse's description.

But it seems like it doesn't matter too much to you and you love her the way she is, which is always good.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I'm not terribly experienced with gaited horses, but what I see is a horse that is somewhat lame on both front feet, the right being the worst. My old horse Flash, who was a registered QH, would trot very similar to that when he was older and he had navicular.

I would go ahead and have her thoroughly checked by a vet. I'd hate for you to keep on riding her and thinking "Oh, she's just gaited" if she was actually lame.


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

I tested her hooves to see if she had any pain in them, and she didn't flinch or react at all.

The "trot" she was doing was really smooth and my boyfriend speculates that maybe her pigeon toe (which is pretty bad) makes her move like that.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

However, I agree with smrobs. I speculated she might be gaited, but I would want to know for sure that she wasn't all gimped up due to pain. could you post some more videos of her movement? various gaits, and going straight AND on a curve?


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

Yeah, I'll take some more videos of her later today!
Thank you everyone for the help so far!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

TristaJean said:


> I tested her hooves to see if she had any pain in them, and she didn't flinch or react at all.
> 
> The "trot" she was doing was really smooth and my boyfriend speculates that maybe her pigeon toe (which is pretty bad) makes her move like that.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Only thing is, her hooves are not the only place where she could be having issues. Sidebone/Ringbone is fairly common in horses with pigeon toes, navicular can be too, as is arthritis in the fetlocks/pasterns/knees/elbows/shoulders if her feet have lacked care for any extended time in her life. Even if her feet have been properly cared for, just the unnatural movement that comes with a fault like pigeon toes can cause increased wear on joints and make them more prone to arthritis. Most of those wouldn't present with hoof pain.

I've ridden several pigeon toed horses. My main horse right now is pigeon toed. In spite of that fault, I've not ever seen a _sound_ one travel like your mare.


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

well ****. 
My neighbors basically guilted me into buying her (we want her to go to someone we know, she's such a good horse I'd hate to see her end up abused, ect.)
And now I feel stupid for buying her.
I'll try to get a vet out soon.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

No Foxy Lady matching her description with the AQHA

I am confused though as one post you said the owners basically gave her to you and than you said they guilted you into buying her....


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Now, in spite of everything I've said, don't let your chin go to drooping just yet. Have a vet check her out and see what he/she says. It may be something minor like a bit of arthritis that can be managed.


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

When I said they basically gave her to me I meant that they sold her to me for a low price, but they used guilt tactics to get me to buy her. I has originally turned them down but they kept at it and kept coming over to my house and I guess I fell for it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

I got a few videos of her. I apologize for the quality, I had to use my phone.
The first two are of her doing a walk, then a trot/mystery gait on the lunge line, and the third is of her moving around the paddock off the line. Sorry for how rough her gait transitions are, this is the first time I ever lunged her and it's our second day together, so we're still figuring each other out.


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## Ponies (Aug 18, 2012)

Id say gaited too


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Watching those videos, I really don't see gaiting at all but, granted, I'm only experienced with stock horses. The main thing that makes me think "lameness" is especially obvious in that last video of her off line. When she's trotting faster, she doesn't allow her front legs to go very far under her body before she picks them up. Essentially, she appears to be flinging them out in front of her and shifting her weight onto her hind end in an attempt to keep from putting any kind of strain on them by allowing them to go ahead and extend under her body like they should.

In all honesty, that says "navicular" to me but I may be wrong.

Like I said, don't start stressing until you hear what the vet says. Lots of things can be managed and she can still have a long life of service. It could be something like navicular or ringbone which are harder to treat and keep them sound. It could be something like arthritis where she gets along fine on some sort of joint supplement and frequent exercise, or it may be some sort of functional lameness that doesn't hurt her but just makes her move funny.

Then again, I may be reading too much into it and the vet might not find anything, in which case she would just be a funky mover.

Either way, don't get discouraged, especially before hearing what the vet has to say. There are lots of things that can be managed for years with the right diet and therapeutic hoof care.


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

My mare moves similar to this but she has mild arthritis, a broken back heel axis and a club foot. All in her left front. Something's up. Might just be some arthritis. Just hea them xrayed!! You'll put your mind at ease 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Lame, right knee, MFT. Arthritis, and no wonder with that hoof. Poor thing.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

She does not look gaited in those videos.

I think the right leg is the source, too. Cute mare.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

I am going to be the odd one and say although she might be lame in front I see an obvious limp in the rear. When she walks she looks possible gaited but she only offered a trot and not a gait in those videos


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

She is most definitely off. There's a noticeable head bob that shows she's ouchy in her right front leg or shoulder.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

churumbeque said:


> I am going to be the odd one and say although she might be lame in front I see an obvious limp in the rear. When she walks she looks possible gaited but she only offered a trot and not a gait in those videos


I think you may be correct in seeing problems in other legs.


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## OwnedByAlli (Nov 8, 2011)

Think a vet call is in order, if only to put your mind at ease about her funny striding. 

The most noticable limp to me was in the first video on her off side front leg- she was on the right rein which would explain why any lameness on her off side show up more. Also, in the other videos she just didn't look... comfy... especially the free lunge video. 

Like I say, the vet can do the equivalent to a PPE and tell you if the horse is totally fine and just has a spunky gait, of if she has some lameness anywhere. I hope she's fine, she seems very well meaning and is very very pretty!


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

Well. I returned her. They shouted and b*tched at me that she wasn't lame. Oh well. I got my money back at least. Some people...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

Hm. I probably would have gone a different route. I understand the economy is more or less in shambles, but I don't think I would give a lame horse back to a family who 'doesn't know how to take care of her...' I would have at least gotten a vet out to check on the poor girl. I'm willing to bet that she had an injury that they knew about, they wanted rid of her quickly, which is why they badgered you. I would have never returned a horse to that family. I have a feeling her next stop is the auction house. Not trying to make you the bad guy, just saying what's on my mind...


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## TristaJean (May 23, 2012)

I'm not the bad guy. At all. And it's kind of ridiculous to even insinuate that I am the bad guy. 

In honesty, I was torn about what to do. It was hard to return her.
Please don't come for me like that. I don't want to hear it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

After watching the further vids of longeing, I don't see gaited or any lameness either. But rewatching the 11 second one, I kinda see lameness & kinda see gaited. I don't know, either way, you decided not to keep her, your decision.


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

I would of had the vet exam done. I'm so curious now as to what's wrong!!
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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I think you did right returning her. While someone who has a lot of spare change laying around could have kept her and tried to figure out what was wrong, there is a lot of downside. Like being stuck with a horse you can't ride for many years.

I am not the kind of person who dumps horses at auctions, so if a horse is with me, it's with me for life. So I know I would be heart broken to be in your shoes if I got an unsound horse and then kept it. I still think it's better to do what you did and send her back. And you got your money back to boot, so it's win win. If they were ruthless people I don't think they would have taken back the horse and returned your money. 

For what it's worth, although I am no expert, I didn't see a gaited horse, I saw a lame horse. My girl really moves those legs out freely. Your girl looked more tenative and ouchy in her movement. I'm not convinced she is a fox trotter, although she could be.

So I won't be one to knock you. I think you made the right decision. It would be kind of stupid to keep a lame horse if the original owners will take it back, even if you _didn't_ get your money back.


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