08/04/2025
Does your horse struggle on one lead versus the other? Do they seem short strided, have a hard landing, choppy gait, or lack suppleness under saddle? Did you know that the majority of horses are front right leg dominant by nature, just like humans are right handed?
As a result the back right leg is typically the weakest in the body for horses. Horses will typically put that foot forward when standing still. The pelvis will start to slightly rotate due to weak muscles in that back leg. This shoves pressure to the front left, causing tightness and a mirage of other issues in the front end. The front right becomes a stabilizer for balance, and is pulled further underneath the body, resulting in bigger chest muscling on the right side. You may see the back right look stiff, and feel like something is just off. If you watch the point of hips from the horse walking away from you, you’ll notice the left side breaks above the horizontal plane, but the right typically doesn’t. These horses need massage therapy to loosen up everything that’s pulling on the pelvis, and to retrain the fascia lines in the body. Muscle memory is very real, and it can take time to reset everything.
Notice the chest in this horse below. The horse’s right side (seen as the left in the picture) chest is larger than the left. He is also standing with the back right foot forward. These are classic signs of front right leg dominance with resulting pelvic rotation and compensation patterns. Know that these things happen by nature, although adding a right handed rider and riding the horse in circle patterns can contribute. Releasing all the tension throughout this body semi frequently in the beginning, having a chiropractic evaluation, and then working the horse in straight patterns for a while can all help to get him back on track.
If you feel like something is slightly off but can’t figure out what, give me a call at 903-354-4240. I’d love to evaluate your horse and get a game plan together that suits you, your horse, and your goals!
