# Dragging Toe



## myvada (22 October 2008)

Has anyone experience their horse dragging the hind toes. I have an ex race horse who drags one of his back feet catching the toe on the ground. He does it on the flat but not down hill as expected.I don't allow him to slop along and try and ride him forward but it doesn't help. Is there any exercises i can do that may help suggestions welcome.


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## 3Beasties (22 October 2008)

I can't help really but will be interested to hear what people suggest.  I have an ex-race horse who does the same, His back shoes used to be square at the front.  I have had him nearly 5 years now and I think he is a bit better then he was.


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## Rollin (22 October 2008)

I have and old horse now 29 who still does gentle hacking.  He does on occassion drag a toe but this is due to arthritis.  He wears magnets which help also vet recomended toes on hind shoes rolled.

Another thought does he lock his stifle at all?  that can cause toe to drag


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## saskia295 (22 October 2008)

A friend at my yard had this recently with her horse... I'm afraid the short story is that her horse went to the vets for the day for nerve blocks, scans and x rays. They found he had upright and/or twisted pedal bones (or something like that - it meant that the angle his pedal bone was at was quite severe). 

He has had some remedial shoeing which has helped a bit but he won't be able to do what she wants with him (affiliated dressage) so he is being sold.

I hope your horse has a more positive prognosis.

Oh, this horse wasn't an ex racer.


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## EquestrianFairy (22 October 2008)

I have this problem with my loan horse although his is recent (and hes only 6) It turned out to be a very bad back from previous person and he has an a-symetical pelvis allignment (basically just an abnormality from a possibly injury as a baby) it will get better when hes more muscled but at the moment the physio keeps an eye on it.


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## burtondog (22 October 2008)

sometimes it can be an early sign of bone spavins


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## Nudibranch (22 October 2008)

Also agree on bone spavins, it was an early symptom of my horse's. She wears the toe of the worst hind down something chronic, but then again hers is very advanced. Also - and I might be wrong here - but if he is not doing it downhill this MAY be due to him carrying more weight on the forelegs, freeing up the hind movement....?

How old is he btw? My ex racer did get very early arthritis, I'm assuming down to wear and tear. Good luck though.


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## myvada (22 October 2008)

he is only 6 and i  have owned him 4months but ive only recently noticed the dragging by the klinking of the shoe on the road. He has suffered an injury on the other leg when racing not sure of details, do you  think he may be favoring one for the other.


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## Sali (22 October 2008)

Does he do it in walk or trot? 
Just interested to know as my mare drags her hind legs in trot and only on the roads?  Fine in every other pace tho...


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## Ottinmeg (22 October 2008)

my daughters horse who was diagnosed with hock arthritis today also drags his toe on that leg. He is 10 but only been in regular work since we bought him 2 years ago


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## MrsMozart (22 October 2008)

My four year old mare has slight toe drag on both hind legs. Suspensory ligaments chronically fibroised. Not a good outcome. Now I would always get the vet in as soon as there is something 'not quite right'. Hope all is well.


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## timmy1977 (23 October 2008)

i have a young horse who had a very silillar problem when he started work he was dragging a hind toe. i got gavin schofield out to look at him and he said he was slightly unlevel in his pelvis, after one session with gavin the problem disapeared completely,  i still have gavin out every 6 weeks to give him the once over and he said hes absoloutley fine now.


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## sue_ellen (23 October 2008)

I had this happen with my 17hh 12 yr old hunter and more recently a friends 6 yr old warmblood had the same problem, and in both cases the pelvis was out of allignment.  If you stand directly behind the horse,(if its safe to do so, of course!) and look at both hip bones, hold your arms out wide then bring hands in slowly one on each side to wards each hip and touch with your index fingers, this will show you if the pelvis is level.  It can usually be put back by a good back man, but this is what happened with my horse, the horse physio diagnosed the problem and she put me on to a really good chap who was able to help.  Hope this is of some use to you.


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