Canter Troubleshooting: How back pain could be causing issues in your canter

Struggling to maintain canter? Picking up the wrong lead? Disunited behind? Bucking or 'humping' when asked for canter transition?

Canter difficulties can present in several ways, and not all of them are immediately obvious. Perhaps your horse consistently picks up the wrong lead. Maybe they struggle to maintain canter for more than a few strides before breaking back into trot. They might become disunited, feel noticeably crooked, or find one rein considerably more difficult than the other.

You may find yourself repeatedly asking for the canter, correcting the lead or using more leg to maintain the gait.

Occasional mistakes happen. Horses lose balance, riders give unclear aids, and younger or less established horses may need time to develop strength and coordination.

However, when a problem is persistent, noticeably worse on one rein, new, or becoming progressively more difficult, it deserves investigation. One should not automatically assume that every canter problem is a training problem.

One area worth considering when investigating canter difficulties is the back and pelvis, particularly the lumbosacral junction.

In my opinion, all horses will experience some degree of back discomfort at some point in their life, regardless of discipline or level of work.

Anatomy of the Lumbar, Sacrum and Pelvis. horseeducationonline.com

The lumbosacral junction is the region where the lumbar spine meets the sacrum. It is an important transition between the mobile lumbar region and the sacrum, which connects with the pelvis. This area forms part of the system that allows the horse to coordinate movement between the trunk and hindquarters. During canter, the horse must coordinate the movement of the spine, pelvis and limbs while managing the forces involved in propulsion, balance and weight-bearing. The ability to move comfortably and coordinate these structures is important for athletic performance. If there is pain, inflammation and dysfuction in any of these structures or surrounding soft tissues (muscles, ligament, tendon, fascia) the whole locomoter system is compromised.

What are some of the signs that something is not quite right?

Symptoms may include:

• Consistently struggling to pick up one canter lead.

• Difficulty maintaining canter or repeatedly breaking back into trot.

• Disunited canter or repeated changes of lead that appear unbalanced.

• Resistance to transitions or difficulty moving forward.

• Reluctance to bend or work in one direction.

• Changes in willingness to work, performance or behaviour under saddle.

• Loosing balance on circles, turns

• Canter is uncomfortable 'bouncy' or 'bunny hopping'

• Unable to maintain consistent stride pattern or rythmn

• Unable to reach distances in between poles or jumps - stride is short & choppy

• Heavy on the forehand

• Bucking, tail swishing, ears back

• Abnormal posture - standing close behind, leaning against wall to poo in stable, standing up on banks

All of these symptoms are not exclusive to back pain alone, it can be an indicator to a range of issues, back pain is often a secondary compensatory issue. As an Equine Musculoskeletal Therapist, I see a high number of horses with hock or stifle pain, 9 times out of 10, this is actually the primary issue, not the back pain itself. However, on many occasions the dysfuction is looked at in isolation, this is why it is so important for a Veterinarian to use a 'whole horse approach'. This brings me back to one of my favourite phrases I learnt in training...

"Treat the cause, not the symptom"

"My horse checks alot of these boxes, what next?"

If you believe your horse is experiencing back pain or is showing signs of subtle hindlimb lameness (remember, lameness does not have to be an obvious head bob or non weight bearing!) or if you say to yourself after a ride "he's just not quite right, but I can't put my finger on it". Firstly, the most obvious thing to do is book at lameness workup with your vet, I would strongly recommend using the guidance of a lameness specialist vet. Depending on the vet, there are a few things they may or may not talk to you about but are significantly important for your horses overall soundeness when dealing with back pain

• Feet angles - are feet balanced? Long toe/low heel syndrome? Flaring?

• Saddle fit - Is your saddle impinging your horses spinal mobility and comfort?

• Training program - is your horse fit enough for the level of work you are asking?

• Daily routine - Is the horse getting enough daily turn out?

• Overall Musculoskeletal health - Is the topline and core stability sufficient? Atrophy?

• Diet - Is the diet balanced and providing enough essential nutrients to maintain muscle activity and repair?

  
  

All of these factors play a role in your horses Musculoskeletal health, its not just about looking at one problem limb or one area of pain, its about the whole picture.

Along with the guidance from your vet, it's good practice to involve your physio/bodyworker/osteopath and farrier so you can maximise the outcome of the veterinary treatment.

Written by Emer McNamee, EquiFlexx Therapy — Equine Musculoskeletal Therapy, Rehab Support & PEMF.

This article is for educational purposes and does not replace veterinary advice, diagnosis or treatment.