# Horse drags his back feet?



## Viranh (Apr 7, 2013)

How old is he? Is he possibly sore in his hocks? My mare has hock arthritis and drags her toes, particularly when she is more sore. Might be worth looking in to possible pain.


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

As indicated could be hock...could also be stifle. I'd say a vet check is going to be needed...


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## ThunderingHooves (Aug 10, 2013)

He is 2. He doesn't seem sore or anything. I think he is just being lazy. Like I said he only does this when he is in his stall/pasture.


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## Cynical25 (Mar 7, 2013)

My western pleasure bred 2 year old does this if he slows his walk or jog too much. If he's loping or otherwise moving with more impulsion, it's not an issue, so I blame laziness...


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I'm also inclined to believe it's just laziness. Some horses are that way. I've got one in my pasture that always has square hind toes unless he's got shoes on....then the squaring just takes longer LOL.


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## DriftingShadow (Jun 4, 2012)

If he is still that young then I agree with just lazyness.

Drifter dragged his feet due to a stifle issue a few years ago. But it was constant. In the pasture, in the arena - everywhere, they were dragged. If he walked, they dragged. if he trotted, they dragged. If he trotted faster, they dragged harder. You get the picture.

My 4 year old Whiskey will occasionally drag his toes when he is trying to be lazy. I call it his "look im trotting like you asked and still putting forth minimal effort" gait. As soon as you get after him and get him to add energy and impulsion to his strides, the dragging ceases. I had him checked out by the vets to double check and it was just lazyness. So I would assume your guys' is too


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## 40232 (Jan 10, 2013)

That's what my 6 yr old QH has done for his whole life.. Just lazy.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

smrobs said:


> I'm also inclined to believe it's just laziness. Some horses are that way. I've got one in my pasture that always has square hind toes unless he's got shoes on....then the squaring just takes longer LOL.


Our youngest mare is like this. She's not lazy in the sense of not wanting to work because she doesn't drag her feet at all when under saddle, but when she's just wandering around the farm grazing, she just does not pick up her feet as much, and they'll get squared off when the ground has been very dry and brick hard.


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## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

It could be a number of things: 
His back: Prod his back firmly and look for a reaction. If at any point he flinches, snaps at you.... etc, it probably means hes sore and you would need the back man out. 
Check his stifle and hock areas. Look really hard, and see if you can find anything. 
Laziness. Some horses just couldn't be bothered!


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

If he does not do it under saddle or when being worked, it is just laziness.

We like to run young horses out on rough ground. They are much better suited for saddle horses when they have had to watch where they put their feet and had to 'work' at just getting around.

Is this horse Western Pleasure bred? If he is, you need to consider that these horses are now being bred to travel so flat kneed and to pick up their feet very minimally that they need a lot of help to keep their shoulders up and to pick up their feet. They do so only with help.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

I have a 15 year old Paint mare. She does this in the pasture all the time. Under saddle she is fine. But when the former owner said she was kinda lazy, she wasn't kidding. This has to be the laziest horse God put on the planet...unless jumping in the air and high-tailing it is her idea!


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