The Power Behind the Horse:

Understanding the Hind End 

Have you ever watched a horse move and been amazed at the grace and power behind it? Much of that power comes from the hind end of the horse, providing impulsive energy to drive it forward, along with balance, and control. To understand how to better support your horse’s performance, let’s take a look at why the hind end is so important in horses and what you can do to help your horse move more efficiently. 

In my chiropractic practice, after I inspect a horse for general evenness and conformation, I look at gait. My first look is always from behind to see if the hind end is working properly with each stride. I'm looking for an even, gentle swing through the pelvis. Most of the time, I see some disparity or unevenness in the movement from left to right. Much of that can be attributed to an imbalance in the two sacroiliac joints. When the SI joints are working against each other we also find a sacrum imbalance. After that we can examine for movement down the hind legs, through the hips, stifles, etc. Given the connection between the pelvis and the femur at the hip we often see difficulties arising from within that joint, leading to poor pelvic movement at the SI.

If the SI joints are not moving freely and evenly we start to see problems arising in the front end. We will see the Serratus Anterior stressed, the posterior trapezius hollow out and the failure of the thoracic sling. This failure leaves a horse without proper support in the front end through the sling and relying on the locomotor muscles in the role of support while trying to move the horse forward. The pecs become overloaded strained and sore making for a miserable time for the horse while trying to move forward.

The hindquarters are also where much of a horse’s strength comes from. When training or riding a horse, focus on strengthening their hind end to get maximum use out of their power. Exercises like lunging with poles or cavaletti rails can help develop strong muscles in this area that will lead to better performance in riding disciplines such as dressage or jumping.  This strength in the hindquarters is also how the horse overcomes the approximately 90 degree angle of the hip and the subsequent reduction information going to the brain. This strength helps propel neurological input to the brain from the hind end, without the strength the equine brain would be disengaged from the hind end and movement would suffer.

Additionally, it is important to pay attention to your horse’s gait when riding or exercising them. As they move forward, make sure that both legs are working together evenly; if one side seems weaker than the other then you may need to focus on strengthening exercises for that particular muscle group. A good way to check for evenness is by having someone observe your ride from behind—they should be able to tell if one leg is doing more work than another! 

The hind end of a horse provides much more than just sheer power; it provides balance and control too! Taking time to understand how this part works will help you become a better trainer and rider in the long run. By focusing on strengthening exercises for this area you can improve your horse’s performance in any discipline – from dressage to jumping! It is also important to pay attention during rides so that each side is evenly propelling your mount forward; an observer from behind can help with this task easily! With some attention paid to these details you can rest assured that your time with horses will be efficient and enjoyable!