Training and Soundness

    This page is about soundness issues in Mountain Horses, from genetics to training issues.  We wanted to share some of the things we have learned over the years about breeding, training and managing Mountain Horses for long-term health and soundness. 

    The first section deals with various genetic conditions.  The second section deals with a soundness issue, particularly lameness in the stifles and  hocks, which we believe is a function of the interaction between how a horse is worked and trained, with the type of gait and conformation it has inherited.

I.  Genetics.  People ask if there are genetic issues particularly associated with Mountain Horses, as are seen in many other breeds of animals.  In our experience, Mountain Horses are a relatively hardy, healthy breed.  There are not many genetic or health issues particularly associated with this breed, but there are some that affect Mountain Horses that are found in gaited horses in general, and in all the various breeds with the silver dapple color gene.

ASD – the “Eye Problem.”.  ASD is short for anterior segment dysgenesis, and is the “eye problem” you may have heard about.  This syndrome is a color-related issue, not a breed issue, and occurs in only a small number of certain  horses who have inherited two silver dapple color genes.   Bottom line – vision issues due to this syndrome are NOT common in the breed, and if a specific horse does have affected vision due to this syndrome, it is readily detectible in a prepurchase exam - it will not develop later.  We have devoted a whole page on this website to the discussion of ASD, color and breeding – see our About Color (and ASD) page for more in-depth information. 

Club Feet.  Club feet are something we do have to be concerned about.  This condition is not uncommon in our breed (and is not uncommon in quite a number of other breeds).  They are associated with a tendency to be too upright and "straight" in angulation throughout the leg joints (see "leg issue" below.)  Unfortunately, the level of consciousness about this issue with many of our breeders is not as high as it could be. We see many youngsters in which the angle of the front hoof walls, particularly one of them, are overly steep. Often fetlock and pastern (as well as stifle and hock) angles are also overly steep or straight.  These conditions can make for a choppier, “jolty” ride and lead to arthritis and soundness problems later in life for the horse.  Remember to look for this when looking at any horse you may want to purchase, and consult your veterinarian.  Somewhat steep hoof walls may not be a problem for a pleasure riding horse, but a tendency toward this foot and/or leg conformation should be avoided for breeding stock.

Be aware that if you have a foal or yearling who seems to be developing club feet, there is a lot you can do about it to keep it from worsening, and even to make it regress.  Call your equine veterinarian immediately.

Leg issues.  In the early days I found that Mountain Horse folk were much more forgiving of deviations from classical ideal leg conformation than you find in other, stock type breeds.  Cow hocks, sickle hocks and turned in or out front feet were not uncommon, nor were they given much thought.  In the last ten years, the better level of  horses has come a long way, and breeders seem well aware of the desirability of having correct leg structure.  You will find a range of leg structure in Mountain horses.  It is worth paying extra to acquire a horse with good bone structure.  On the other hand, I myself have relaxed a little on this issue, and have come to believe that there are other factors much more to blame for arthritis and soundness issues than, say, a slight tendency toward cow hocks or a slight turning out at the front feet (which, in one recent study, was actually found to be associated with long term soundness in racehorses!).

One type of common leg conformation in Mountain Horses is a fairly straight stifle/hock angulation, or the "post-legged" horse.  This is discussed more in Section II below.  This conformation appears to be associated with increased risk of stifle and hock lameness, and breeders should attempt to improve on this trait in the breeding decisions they make. 

        The good news is, Mountain Horses in general have excellent substance, bone and feet, so that minor deviations from ideal often never really become a soundness issue, especially if the horse is not called on to do performance cow horse events.  We do not have many of the problems seen in other breeds.  OCD, suspensory ligaments, knees, shoulders and pasterns do not seem to be undue problem areas. 

II. Lameness and Training Issues in Mountain Horses

Mountain Horses can show one problem that is not uncommon in gaited horses.  This problem arises in the stifle joints in horses that have been worked for a time in gait under saddle, particularly for show.  A related issue is arthritis in the hock, which is mostly a "wear and tear" syndrome, highly associated with horses of any breed being started too early and asked to do too much too soon, or too much of just one type of repetitive work.  The hock in particular is a late-maturing joint.  Both conditions are aggravated by a conformation that is "post legged" or too straight in the angulation of the shoulder, hip, stifle and hock joints. 

(Aside:  If we could resist the desire to start our horses under saddle too soon, and gait them too much at earlier ages, many of these "problems" would not be with us.  Joints do not mature at different rates in horses - the joints of the most mature-looking two year old are very, very immature.  The knees are not the only joints that are important.  Any experienced equine lameness vet will tell you that if you want your youngster to stay sound for a long, long time, do not put weight on his back until he is three or four, and do not ride him “hard” until he is five, or better, six.  Unfortunately, the economics of the horse industry make this a hard ideal to achieve. )

  Many articles have been written on the subject of stifle problems, with reference to its occurrence in gaited horses.  There are a number of contributing factors to the predisposition toward this form of lameness, and they will all be touched on below, but I believe the greatest factor of all (after the factor of how early a horse is started) is how we tend to work and train our gaited horses, in combination with a breed that in general is fairly straight-legged. 

 The ability to fixate, or “lock” the kneecap in place is part of the horse’s natural ability to lock all four legs in order to be able to rest upright.  This mechanism, however, can sometimes become involved with the stifle joints when the horse is in movement and when it does, irritation, inflammation and lameness result.   Horses of any breed that have “straight” stifle and hock joint conformation are at risk, and that is way too common in our breed.  Breeds with extreme extension in the rear stride, such as the Tennessee Walking Horse, are at particular risk.  This hyperextension of the hind limbs in forward and rearward movement of some breeds contributes to the tendency for the patella to become upwardly fixated in the same manner as the straight joint angle conformation.  You will find many TWs in which the patellar ligaments have been cut to minimize the recurrence of this form of lameness, despite the instability in the joint and reduction in useful life which results. 

Mountain Horses sweep forward with the rear legs close to the ground in the same manner as the Walking Horse; there is little or no hock action.  However, our horses tend to be straighter in conformation than the TW breed.  While the legs do not extend as far as those of the TW, our horses tend to execute the gait with much greater speed, especially in training for show, which increases the potential for problems with the medial patellar ligament catching when it should not, especially when the angles of the stifle are not very great to start with. 

  Leg and hip conformation must be dealt with in the breeding shed if we are going to significantly reduce the number of horses with stifle problems.  Stifle angles that are too straight - the "post-legged" horse - can predispose a horse to stifle lameness.   This should be a major heads-up alert.  Particular care should be taken with the training regimen of the horse with straighter angles. 

(Aside: For breeders and buyers, we pass on the following.  Knowledgeable breeders and trainers we know in other breeds have told us that the more line breeding and "close breeding" you do back to certain champions or foundation lines, the straighter the leg angles successive generations will tend to have, in addition to smaller size.  It is as if there is a tendency in nature to revert to the post-legged, “ponyish” conformation, even with well-conformed ancestors.  We see a lot of people emphasizing "Foundation" or "old time" breeding, assuming there is something superior to be found in maximizing this, and we often do see this type of conformation as a result in Mountain Horses.  Unfortunately, too much of this breeding is not a guarantee of getting the best using conformation.  Be aware also that those Old Time horses had good qualities, but they were far from perfect, and in fact, horses of every breed have improved substantially from their Foundation Stock days.  Those who have see the Rocky Mountain Foundation stallion Tobe when he was alive have confirmed that he was somewhat straight in his leg angulation.  It does take a good dose of "Mountain Horse" breeding to get Mountain Horse characteristics, particularly the signature temperament. Pedigree is important.  But do not fall for breeding fads.   Line breeding should be done judiciously for specific purposes, not in response to sentimental notions of indiscriminately increasing the percentage of “Foundation” or “old time” stock.)

Sloping, rounded hindquarters that naturally tend to assist the horse’s back legs in forward movement, and to get under himself in the forward phase of the stride, are a positive trait.  Some horses have a short hip and a higher tailset, resulting in less ability of the back and hips to assist the rear legs in stride.  It is harder for this horse to develop true impulsion – the use of the back and hip muscles to aid in driving the rear legs forward.  When the horse strides forward, all of the power and length of stride must come from below the hip joint, from whatever degree of “straightening” at the stifle and hock, that the horse can manage with the muscling it has in these areas.  When the lower leg joints and muscles must work harder and stretch more because of less aid from the hips and back, the patella is at greater risk for catching and causing lameness, particularly when the horse is asked to work at speed. 

Ironically, good conformation and wonderful quality of movement - the long, flowing stride and extension – may also be a factor in disposition to lameness problems.  These horses have a great range of joint flexion and general athletic ability, and trainers tend to utilize and encourage this full range of movement and want to develop them for show at an early age.  The very strengths of the horse can become its downfall if over trained too young.

 Inherited gait genetics  plays a large part.  Very trotty–type horses are typically ridden with a more “hollow backed” or "ventroflexed" frame, with the head and neck held high, as this encourages the horse to gait instead of trot. Show horses are also encouraged to travel with their necks upright if they are in the higher show performance divisions.  This horse is traveling in the ventroflexed position referred to above, putting greater stress on the stifles and hocks, as the back and hips are restricted in the degree to which they can assist.  At the other end of the spectrum, some trainers have commented that they also see this problem more in pacey-type horses, as that horse tends to swing its legs forward and rearward with the least bending at the hocks and the greatest extension.  Horses that start out trotty or pacey can be at risk regardless of the hollow-backed frame issue, as the training program for these horses emphasizes getting them in gait, and the usual recipe for that is more and more gait work.  When this occurs, joints and soft tissues take a pounding with repetitive work at speed, and other muscle groups that could also help the horse to gait and to stay sound are not worked.

The Role of Collection.  Many people refer to "collection" in describing the desired frame of the horse in movement, but in truth, most gaited horses manage to achieve only containment, not a true collection in which the back is raised, the rear is tucked, the shoulders are elevated with the neck stretched up and out rather than sunk into the shoulders, and the desirable rounded-up frame or “bascule” is achieved.  This classical goal of collection not only allows for true athletic performance, it is essential for proportionate muscle development in the back and hips that enables the horse to travel with impulsion and to stay sound long term carrying weight on its back.  But collection and impulsion cannot be achieved to any significant degree when the horse is in a four-beat gait, and individual horses may deviate from this frame significantly.  This causes the same long-term problems as the conformational factors described above.  All the work of movement is borne by the stifle and hock joints; all the propulsion power must come from the lower leg muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments.  The stifle, and to some degree the hock joint, take most of the burden, and we see the results in arthritis and stifle pain.  The back and sacroiliac areas can also suffer, because a flat or ventroflexed back does not have the same strength as a rounded-up back to support weight.

Training and Riding styles contribute.  Still, when I first became involved in Mountain Horses over a dozen years ago, we did not hear so much about stifle problems and other lameness issues.  Why?  One reason may be that at that time, training was not nearly as long-term or intense, and horses did not work at as great a speed in the show ring.   Now horses remain in training year round in order to be competitive, the show season is almost twice as long, and the performance levels in the show ring have greatly increased.  As a result, our show horses are developing lameness problems more frequently, usually after a year or so of training.  Show training and commercial breeding/training facilities also have severe economic pressures and client pressure to get the horse performing at the youngest ages possible and in the least amount of time possible. There is a tradition in this breed to start the horse very young, even before it is two, and have it doing extensive work in gait during the two year-old year.  But gaiting requires more physical strength and use of the joints than any other way of going for a horse, and the two year old horse is several years from its mature strength and maturity of joints, as well as supporting muscles and tendons. 

        Traditional Mountain Horse riding focuses primarily on riding in gait, although the horse has the genetic ability to travel in many ways, including trot and canter.  Gaiting works one set of muscles, but does not proportionately strengthen muscles in the back and hips that are very important to protect and support the work of the lower legs.  Many gaited horses when started or put in show training are not worked or lunged on the ground in any other gait, do not go through a conditioning program prior to gait training, are rarely trail ridden, and are often not allowed to lower the head and stretch the back muscles up and out while mounted or after gait work.  (The stretching of the muscles constantly contracted during gaiting work is necessary for the muscles to carry away toxic by-products of work that can build up in muscles and result in injury if the contracted state continues too long.)  Horses worked for show are encouraged to develop length of stride and good speed.  The horse is not trotted or cantered, even on the ground, which would help balance out the muscle development to aid in gaiting work and to prevent muscle fatigue related injuries.  When you add in the young age at which many horses are started, when it is far from its mature strength and development, it is a tribute to the breed that many of our horses are actually able to stay sound in these programs.

        Training for Soundness.  At one point we had several horses in our home barn that were getting injections and other therapy for chronic stifle problems.  It was little comfort that they were not out of our own stallions; several were out of our mares or were purchased as show/breeding prospects, and had in fact had very successful show careers.  Several had been trained by different trainers outside of our own barn and a couple of them were products of our own home training.  We were forced to rethink our training and management.  We knew from our Quarter Horse days that after initial medical treatment, the classic long term prescription for avoiding recurrences of stifle issues was a lot of collected trotting, to develop back and quadriceps muscle groups. 

Our two most affected horses were both young show geldings that were very trotty and had to be held in just the right ventroflexed frame to maintain a gait.  Any extended gaiting at speed, however, caused them to develop that classic stifle "hitch" and inflammation.  We decided they needed new careers as non-gaited horses, and both were turned over to different dressage trainers who worked them at the trot and canter.  We were not surprised that after some months of this work the horses became completely sound. What was a surprise was the degree that the trotting and cantering regimen helped them to gait! After four months of this work, both horses would offer to gait voluntarily, and could gait more smoothly and at a wider range of speed in gait than they could at any time before this program.  Moreover, they could do it for longer periods without becoming sore.  We think that is also significant that at this point, they had both reached the age of five years.  We learned a lot from these horses.

         We have come to believe that for long-term soundness, any significant gaiting work must wait until the horse is at least three years old AND has been put through a gradual, balanced conditioning program.  Waiting longer is even better.  Some horses, by reason of gait genetics, conformation or both, will not develop their full potential for a strong, smooth gait until they are four or five years old and have mature strength. 

          We emphasize the following themes in our training efforts:

Starting Slow.  At our home barn, we start working horses at the age of two and one-half years, but riding is limited.  Initial work focuses on conditioning by work in the round pen, being ponied on the trail, learning the principal of giving to pressure, and work in long lines.  After this ground work, they are introduced to the saddle, mounted, and ridden at a walk, learning to accept the rider, developing balance and reinforcing basic cues they have learned on the ground, and going out on the trail for short rides. We then often turn them out to grow up for several more months before resuming a gradual conditioning program leading to more advanced training, including gait and canter, when they are three.  At our home barn, we do not generally show a horse until it is four.

 Cross training and conditioning:  Muscle development occurs the same way with the equine as with the human.  Significant work of a particular set of muscles causes some of the muscle fibers to break down with each workout.  A day of allowing these muscles rest or only light work allows them to repair, and when they do, they are rebuilt by the body larger and stronger than before – the desired object of strength training.  The "light" day for a particular muscle group is the key to allowing this strengthening process to occur without injury.  This is why body builders, and savvy horse trainers, try not to work the same muscle groups on successive days.  They work a different set of exercises, on an every-other day, or every third day, rotation.  Vary your training and work routine.  Work in gait one day, trail ride the next, canter and trot the third.

We use every method we can to increase conditioning and working of various different muscle groups, in ways that minimize potential for injury.  This may include work in bitting rigs at the trot and canter for collection, work over obstacles, trail riding up and down hills, backing up, and some lunging. Young horses are ponied on trail rides.  All horses are trained to canter as well as worked in gait.  The lope provides important muscle development in the back and hips.  It develops balance, enables the horses to work in a collected frame and develops the muscles needed for impulsion and long-term soundness. It jump-starts the conditioning program. (Care must be taken to train the horse to a canter depart from the walk, not from the gait.)  Gait work follows warm up and suppling.   Horses are always trail ridden as well as schooled in the arena.  The greater the over-all conditioning and strength of the horse, and the more balanced this conditioning is, the easier it is for the horse to gait and stay sound while doing it. 

Gaiting.   At all stages of training, gaiting is a minority of daily work.   As a practical matter, as soon as a horse of ours is responding well to gait cues under saddle, it is usually sold!  But for horses that we keep, cross training continues.

It may seem discouraging to think that the best thing for a gaited horse may be for gaiting to be a minority of what you do under saddle.  But in fact, most pleasure riders do this as a matter of course, and the gaited horse in a natural setting would do this also.  The horses most at risk are those that are exclusively gaited, with significant work loads, at younger ages, usually in the context of show training.  Yet for a show horse, cross-training can be even more beneficial than for a pleasure horse.

  Work Appropriate to Age.  Even horses that have always been pleasure horses are often overworked for their age in our breed due to their mental maturity and sensibility at young ages.  It is easy for the rider to forget that they are on a young horse that should not be taken on demanding rides, gaited for extended periods each day, or gaited too fast while young.  Because they are a delight to ride, you want to do just that!

The push to overtrain at very young ages is found in a great many breeds and types of horses.  In all of these breeds, high numbers of lameness and injury occur either during training or later in life; the numbers for “early training” casualties in Mountain Horses are probably comparably lower due to their inherent soundness and substance.  The pressure is partly tradition, and primarily economic.  Often, the only viable show and exhibition venues available in a breed or discipline virtually require that horses be worked to certain levels at certain young ages in order to compete.  Competition is a very necessary component in testing the results of a breeding program.  You will never truly know what you have in your breeding stock, mentally or physically, until the horse has been trained and asked to perform to its highest level.

Showing aside, each year a breeder keeps the horse adds tremendously to the cost that goes in to the horse.  It is very, very difficult for a breeder or trainer of sale horses to even begin to recoup the cost investment in a healthy foal, much less an older, trained horse.  And if we did not have our breeders and trainers, we would not have the constantly-improving selection of horses that are available to us for show or pleasure riding.  There is a certain natural selection factor that enhances a breed overall.  The horses that survive the stress of early training programs and prove themselves by rising to the top in competition have earned their comparatively young, if somewhat gimpy, retirements to be the breeding stock that improves the breeds for all of us.  These are the facts of life in any horse industry.

What horse you want as a consumer depends on your desired use.  Developing a show and breeding program allows you to consider the best stock regardless of background or prior use.  Finding that “for life” pleasure riding horse means that you want to be particular about prior use, if any, as well as conformation, pedigree, and future training.

 Immediate Medical Care.  Work on developing the ability to detect if a horse is starting to have a problem in movement.  Many horses continue to work through soreness, or are asked to do so, until it becomes chronic and much harder to treat. Be particularly aware if your horse started out gaiting easily and at some point later, he develops and uneven stride or begins to want to pace or trot or do anything but an even gait.  This is a major red flag that he is probably experiencing pain somewhere when being ridden.  Issues that humans tend to see as behavior issues are more often the result of discomfort and pain, or the anticipation of pain.

Any way of going, particularly the pace, is easier for your horse to perform than a four-beat gait, and even strongly gaited horses will start to "cheat" by swinging two legs together when something starts to hurt or is simply over-fatigued.  Rest your horse and call your equine veterinarian if your well-gaited horse develops gait problems, or any symptoms of pain in the stifles, hocks or back.  There are several therapies developed in recent years that can provide substantial benefits for even significant injuries.  They include joint injections, IRAP, stem cell therapy for ligament and tendon tears, shock wave therapy, a procedure called medial patellar ligament "splitting," and a new IV therapy for arthritis, “Tildren”.  In the meantime, don't forget traditional therapies of rest, icing, massage and stretching.

 A word on saddle fit. Many problems with our horses and their gaiting abilities arise from poor saddle fit.  This is a whole chapter in itself.  Be aware that saddle fit is more of a problem for gaited horses because of the ventroflexed body position in which they work, and of all gaited horses, Mountain Horses can be the hardest to fit due to the broad, curvy and short shape of their backs.  Most saddle trees actually “bridge” the backs of our modern horses, if not when they are placed on the horse’s back, then when a human’s weight is added to the saddle, which causes the middle of the back to drop another 1 – 1 ½ inch.  Increased flare in the shoulders does not address this issue.  The average Western saddle in particular is a very poor fit on the average Mountain Horse.  When you invest in a nice horse, you must think of a properly-fitting saddle, and usually more than one, as part of the investment.

         At Triple S, we do try to put the kind of extra effort and care into our horses that will produce a sound, long term riding horse, together with sound genetics to start with.  We are really motivated to try and make Mountain Horses accessible to the greatest spectrum of riders, and we try to stay in touch with the market in prices.  However, buyers comparing prices should take note of the type of care, handling and training a horse has received.  Quality breeding, the best health care and appropriate training in one package is a combination that is hard to find, and even harder to price.

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