Sacroiliac Pain - the Quiet Lameness

We all know what a lame horse looks like.

You’ve probably seen it in your own horse if they’ve ever had a bruised sole or hoof abscess.

They hobble around, and we often see the characteristic head bob. Most commonly this kind of lameness has something to do with their hooves and some kind of trauma to the hoof or leg. Frequently, this can be corrected by a good Farrier and a spell.

The kind of lameness that doesn’t show up with the characteristic lameness symptoms can often be due to the way we are riding and the way the horse is developing - and most commonly I see start with the pelvis not being aligned. This lameness is known as Sacroiliac Pain.

As riders we put a lot of stress on the horse’s sacroiliac joint. It is designed to be a very flexible area of their body but it also gives support to the rest of their back.

Misaligned pelvis, riding crooked, and lacking engagement of the postural muscles can all increase this pain.

“Long the neck, shorten the body”, Manolo Mandez

 Rectifying this lameness will need the incorporation of veterinary and chiropractic attention along with physical redevelopment through correct training methods.

Sign up to be the first invited into our course Foundations to Equine Development: Green to Self Carriage, where we go step by step through the exercises horses need for a sound back.