Is your horse tracking up and symmetrical?

For the horse to use its back effectively, the hind legs should be stepping well underneath it. Check whether the hind hoof is landing in the print of the fore hoof. In walk, your horse should over-track – the hind hoof should land well in front of where the front hoof left the ground. It’s pretty common to start to spot problems in extended or very collected work.

The vertebrae also have protuberances called articular facets, and these interlock, stabilizing the spine and through their joints allow different movement at different regions. Thoracic regional mostly allows lateral bending and axial rotational, lumbosacral mostly about dorsoventral motion (rounding and hollowing).

An incredible 83% of horses have asymmetrical facets, and yet we’re surprised if one rein is easier.