# Does a hind leg that rotates at the walk mean unsoundness



## Chickenoverlord (Apr 30, 2013)

Yeah, she looks lame to me. Or the polo wraps are not on correctly, which can cause 
Pinching and damage.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Possibly a problem in the stifle or hip.


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## amp23 (Jan 6, 2011)

I would also be worried about the polo wraps. The only horse I've seen do that before actually does have leg issues, though, but I'm not sure what it is that's wrong with them. Is this a horse you're looking at buying?


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

I paused the vid when the horse was trotting away..she is very close in the hinds...at the point I stopped it the horse was tracking right and the right hind was very nearly clipping the left hind which can happen if the horse does have some cow-hock issues..even mild. That turning hoof is also standard, as you indicated, for cow hocks. My previous horse had very mild cow hocks and he traveled essentially one leg directly in front of the other at the trot. He as always interfering with the fetlock area; in the left hind specifically.

There is also something about that horse's action behind that is bugging me..it is too...low. She isn't articulating well in the hocks. If she were human I would say she is shuffling her feet...even though it doesn't look like she is dragging her toe etc.


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## 1322271927queen (Sep 17, 2012)

*I'm going to visit her*

I really like her even though I haven't ridden her yet and plan on visiting her to see if I would want to buy her. She is ottb w/only 10 starts. I think as long as nothing is wrong with her she could make it to first level in dressage. Maybe second but I don't want to ruin her hocks. My instructor's horse is really cow hocked and she has taken him through fourth level. There's a warmblood I'm considering but she's half quarter horse (the foundation kind) and has a short low-set neck. She's about 15.1hh but very wide. Usually I can't ride a horse that short because of my long legs but she's wide and her legs and hooves are big and muscular. I'm used to thoroughbreds though and I'm worried she'll poop out on me during trail rides and ty-up (I like to gallop sometimes). I also know I'll get low scores because she doesn't have the big floaty trot or big extended canter. Here's a short video of her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE7qvi4wh8s&feature=player_embedded
In the video her neck doesn't look so large because her shoulder steps out in front of it in the trot but in person her neck is definitely a quarter horse neck.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Don't even worry about that little half QH tying up on you. That side of them is bred to work hard for long days. My mare is bred to the nines as a cowhorse and we can go out to gather cows all day and she'll be dripping sweat and still raring to go. However, I don't know about making a dressage horse. That's something you have to decide if you want a hose who you can just enjoy or one you can win on.

On a separate note though, I would be sure you get a PPE done on the horse with the rotating leg. I've seen it on an arab before and she did have some issues. Better safe than sorry.


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

She is very heavy on the forehand at both the trot and the canter in that vid.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Just throwing this out there. My OTTB hates having wraps on his hind legs. He'll shake his hind legs like a cat with wet paws and look dead lame. Might not be anything at all.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

My mare severed the tendons in her back leg. After major surgery she is perfectly sound, meaning she is not in any pain but she does have scar tissue and loss of flexibility. That leg twists like that in the back. It could be a healed injury....


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

What I see is that the hrose does not reach under herself much with her hind, and conversely, they don't go out very far behind her during the trot or canter. So, it means she has a short stride that has to turn over kind of quiukcly. there is also not a lot of swing in her hind end. 
But, all that can be normal for that horse . She did a fair amount of tail swishing, but I think some of that is her wanting to go out the gate and being pushed past that. I would have liked to see her working without the running martingale to see if she wants to raise her head up.

I would not discount her too quickly, but it's possible she is sore in her pelvis. 
But, you know, we see what we think we are going to see. If you ask someone to look at the video without predisposing them to see anything wrong, I wonder what answer you'll get.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

FWIW, I've also seen that in improperly balanced hind feet. I had a customer horse come in a few months ago that traveled like that behind (though that was actually the least of his confo related problems LOL). When my farrier came to put shoes on him, he mentioned that the left side of both hind feet...and both front feet, was about 1/4 to 1/2 inch longer than the right side. Once he got the feet balanced and trimmed down to what they were supposed to be, the turning hocks stopped.

BUT, I would also strongly suggest a PPE before going forward with that mare.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

The QH X WB would go all day on the trails but I'm not seeing a dressage horse prospect for anything but low level as her conformation seems to put her too much on the forehand - I think you'd find it hard work to pick her up to get any real extension from her


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## Trinity3205 (Dec 21, 2010)

could also be a trimming problem. Lots of farriers leave the inside high in the backs for some reason. Improper trimming will certainly make a horse twist. It is also possibly a joint issue. Vet check.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I'm wondering about lower back nerve pinching, that she throws the ankle to the side to compensate. A good equine chiro might be someone to consider.


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## Ace80908 (Apr 21, 2011)

I have had two horses that twisted like that at the walk, and to be honest I ended up selling both (after long sales periods) because it was a distraction in the ring and they just look "off". Both cases they were hard to sell later for the same reasons. 

As for using this horse for showing, every detail counts. Why put yourself at a disadvantage in the first pass of the arena? I would pass.


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## 1322271927queen (Sep 17, 2012)

*Thanks*

I'm going to pass on the quarter horse. As for the thoroughbred I might still go look at her. Definitely will need a vet to look at her back end.


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