# Tripping horses - causes and solutions?



## Eriskayowner (16 December 2008)

My 11 year old, but very green, gelding is very good at stumbling and tripping.

He trips occasionally on hacks, but he has tripped a few times on trotting poles as well now - one of these resulted in him falling on my sister and twisting his fetlock. The last time he did some polework I was riding him and kept a VERY tight contact (as I didn't want him to fall again) but he still tripped and would have fallen if I didn't have hold of his head. He knows the poles are there but sometimes he just doesn't seem to see them!

Any ideas of how to get him to realise that the poles will always be there?! He does drop his head more now that he has fallen, but still has lapses of concentration!


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## Morrigan_Lady (16 December 2008)

Is this something he's always done, or only started recently?


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## Eriskayowner (16 December 2008)

I think he's always done it. I've got him on loan (as no one else will ride him!) but all I've really been told is "he has no brakes (sorted with a myler long shank combination bit) and he's done nothing". I know that the YO was saying he was tripping a bit when she lunged him a while ago (he's on full livery). I now do all the exercising, so that I know what he's doing. He's slowly getting fitter and seems to be tripping a bit less, but it's just the lapse of concentration over poles which is starting to worry me!

I want to event him eventually, even if it's just intro or PN, but can't if he's going to keep tripping!


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## sarahhelen1977 (16 December 2008)

It can be down to a variety of reasons, including toes being too long, working on forehand, being unbalanced, laziness etc. Try to get him working a bit more 'uphill' and get your farrier to have a look too - see if that improves things


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## Eriskayowner (16 December 2008)

His feet are already pretty good - they're a good shape and he puts them down well. 

I try to ride him uphill as much as I can, especially on downhill slopes (if you see what I mean!) and he is improving - he's actually taking some weight on his quarters at least, and he's got more muscle building up on his quarters as well so he should start to find it easier soon.

Hope it's something easily fixable!


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## little_flea (16 December 2008)

Natural balance type shoeing with very squared off toes stopped my horse tripping completely.


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## Eriskayowner (16 December 2008)

Thanks - I might try that one. My mother's horse has Navicular and he's on natural balance and he's completely sound on them.


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## Mrs_Wishkabibble (16 December 2008)

There may be lots of reasons for this but I would firstly mention it to your farrier and get him roll the rears to make the breakover easier and see if that makes a difference.


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## kate081 (16 December 2008)

Does he fall over when he trips? 

I don't want to alarm you but it could be nerve related. My old horse broke his withers &amp; a couple of years later he got nerve damage. It started with him just dragging his toes and progressively got worse until he would stumble &amp; completely fall over. I had to retire him because he became dangerous to ride.

There's a simple test - get someone to trot him up and someone else to pull on his tail. If his quarters swing then he's not in control of them. A fit horse will resist you pulling &amp; keep tracking up in a straight line.

If not, then talk to your farrier. You could try putting hind shoes on the fronts as I think others have said.


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## Eriskayowner (16 December 2008)

He picks his feet up well when he's walking and trotting normally, but then he will completely stumble. I ride him with a good contact so he doesn't fall but it wouldn't surprise me if he did go down if I didn't have hold of his head.

I was told that when he was being loose schooled years ago he fell flat on his side (from being completely up in the air) and he was tacked up as well so had a saddle on. The vet and chiropractor have completely checked him over and said he's fine, many times but I was told by a friend that she knew a horse that had nerve damage and he literally couldn't feel his feet at times, so that would explain a lot!!

I'll go down the shoeing route to see if that improves things - then I might have some other tests or nerve blocks done. That's a good test you said as well - not heard of that one before!


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## kerilli (16 December 2008)

ditto about the nerve damage, i had a new livery once which continually tripped over trotting poles, luckily the owner believed me when i voiced concern and it turned out to be something major.
it can be an early sign of navicular, i've been told.
i had a homebred who tripped a lot from a young age, it made me decide never to try to event him... if they are clumsy over a pole on the ground i do not believe they are going to take good care of themselves (or you) over 3'+ fixed fences.
fwiw 'normal' horses trip very very occasionally... it's worth bearing that in mind if you ride him all the time!
what you could do is some TT (linda tellington-jones) stuff, tapping his feet with the end of a whip etc to teach him proprioception (where his feet are), this can be really beneficial. best of luck!


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## spookypony (16 December 2008)

Perhaps this is a silly question, in which case I apologise profusely, but...can he see?


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## sar1 (17 December 2008)

Mine trips if he's allowed to slop along, if he's not fit or if his feet are left for more than 6 weeks.

He doesn't do it apart from in walk and doesn't do it at all when he's half-fully fit!


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## Eriskayowner (31 December 2008)

Had a lesson last weekend and my instructor said that he has got some nerve damage as he drags a toe...

Thanks for all the advice though - am very grateful! Just need to figure out the best remedy for it now!


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