# Dragging hind legs- am I being silly?



## Pantherlily (Apr 18, 2014)

Hi,

I've noticed, since I've started asking friends and such to video my riding so I can review it that the horse I'm riding, Cit-Cat, tends to drag her hind legs, particularly her left hind leg.

She has scarring on her back legs from when she got tangled in wire- especially in her left leg. Is it just because of the scarring and stiffness from that? 
There isn't anything else that I can see as the problem- I check her hooves (fine, nothing in them) and there is no heat/swelling.

Are there any exercises I can do with her that will encourage her to pick up her hind legs?


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## gssw5 (Jul 30, 2013)

What do you mean by dragging hind legs? Is she dragging her toes across the ground and just not picking her feet up? Or is there an obvious hitch in her hip?

If she is dragging her toes across the ground it could be laziness, it could be her feet are not trimmed properly, perhaps pain in her back or hips.

A video would be helpful.


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## Pantherlily (Apr 18, 2014)

gssw5 said:


> What do you mean by dragging hind legs? Is she dragging her toes across the ground and just not picking her feet up? Or is there an obvious hitch in her hip?
> 
> If she is dragging her toes across the ground it could be laziness, it could be her feet are not trimmed properly, perhaps pain in her back or hips.
> 
> A video would be helpful.


She drags her toes across the ground- but quite significantly, enough to leave prominent grooves in the sand of the arena. She just had her feet done by a farrier. It seems to me that the problem isn't in her hips, it's more from the hock to the fetlock/pastern, which is where the scarring is pretty intense.

 yeah, I tried that, but um....  didn't work, i'm not that smart


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## mariahreeves (Mar 9, 2015)

Can you include photos of her hooves? Even if her hoof has had a fresh trim, it never hurts to have a second opinion of how the hooves look. Anytime I have had a trouble with a horse dragging toes, it's been due to them being to long or the heel area being to tender. In order to get stronger, more robust heels, I've removed shoes in the past and only used hoof boots.


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## SaraM (Feb 14, 2014)

Does she still do it if you get her going faster?


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## Pantherlily (Apr 18, 2014)

SaraM said:


> Does she still do it if you get her going faster?


Yes, though not as badly. At a canter you can barely notice it.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

Not a bad read: http://www.thehorse.com/articles/34551/improving-a-horses-proprioception-during-rehabilitation
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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