More help for back pain

“What to Do About Your Horse’s Sore Back” (EQUUS 452) offered excellent options to help owners understand what is causing their horses’ back issues and how to go about treating them. But I would add the suggestion, when considering the source of back pain, to look at the hooves.

I have worked with horses for more than 50 years now. I became an equine massage practitioner in 1994 thanks to a series of articles EQUUS did on alternative therapies, and I learned plenty about back soreness coming from the feet up and/or the saddle down. In my experience, feet seemed to be the biggest problem, followed by saddle-fitting issues. I trained and certified in barefoot trimming in 2009 because I could not fix all the problems above the hoof without also addressing the hoof issues. Long toes combined with low/ high heels seem to cause the most problems by locking the hocks back and causing the pelvis to tilt. This also wreaks havoc on the stifles. Throw in small feet or four feet that don’t match, and the issues compound.

If you have a horse who has back issues, cannot pick up leads easily or is sore in ligaments or tendons, look at his feet. They should look like they match and belong to your horse. Remember, some farriers have no formal training; they may not be riders or horsemen; and they may not watch your horse move before working on them---and yet we trust them to know what angles and hooves should be on our horses. Candy Giordano Davie, Florida