Weak hind fetlocks - how big a problem is it for the horse?

Hi 🤗

For weak hind fetlocks on an older horse, you first look at its conformation and movement, and from there discuss whether you can support it with something like a suspensory shoe. This is a shoe with a wider toe and tapered heels, designed to reduce how far the fetlock drops and so ease the load on the suspensory ligament. Try also to find out whether the horse has always looked this way, or whether it has crept in gradually or come on suddenly.

Strengthening a horse like this can be difficult, and you first need to rule out a suspensory ligament injury as the cause. The suspensory ligament is a muscle that has evolved into tendon-like tissue. Some adjustments can be made through trimming and shoeing depending on how things look, but enlist an experienced vet and farrier who are happy to work together, so you get a proper answer on whether it can be put right or rehabilitated. If you are unlucky, the horse may already have problems with its suspensory ligaments even if it does not look lame. A bilateral hindlimb lameness is especially hard to spot.

The vet can use nerve blocks to see whether the stride and movement pattern change for better or worse, and can x-ray and scan to check that the bone, suspensory ligament and surrounding structures look healthy, then give you recommendations for the next steps in treatment or training. As a rule, though, the horse should not be worked on soft surfaces that increase fetlock drop, or on curved tracks, unless you can find a way to reduce that drop 🥕🐴🥕🦄🥕