How do you train your horse to find his feet

As silly as it sounds, my 4 yr old QH is very clumsy - he stumbles and doesn't know where his feet are. I was told to put logs in his pasture in front of the water tank or feeding tank so that he has to step over them. While this is a good idea, where I board - she won't put stuff in the pasture - she likes to keep it clean.

Any other ideas? I do trot him over logs but that isn't working.

Any ideas?

Ride him over poles in the arena and over logs on the trail. The more obstacles he comes across the more he will learn.

Go into woods...ride on a loose rein. He becomes solely responsible for his feet. It's either figure it out or fall down. Took my horse about 4 rides. Now he's as sure footed as a mountain goat.

If you have acess to poles, ride them over the poles on a loose rein.

Good for fitness, your balance, and teaches to lift the legs aswell..

This is my boy 5 goes later after being trotted in hand over them for hind end building.

You could try using cavaletti if poles on the ground isn't working, or just raisign them using tyres?




Red used to drag his feat, stumble over poles, knock them when jumping and knock his feat on tufts of grass. This is gone now, he's mroe careful and wary, it just takes time and patience !

Get a vet check to figure out WHY he's stumbling. Could be a soundness or neurological problem.

Yup, training is good, but is this the same horse whose legs "shake" when he's lying down? Ever think the two issues may be connected? Time for a vet check.

His legs SHAKE when lying down O.o That would be an ever so huge concern for a vet check, I probably couldn't' even ride him till I knew what was going on :L

When I ride my horse in the woods, I always give a vocal cue when he needs to think about his feet,. I say "easy"...it takes a couple of times but they learn to think feet when they hear easy.
You can do it at home over ground poles or tires...

Yes the vet checked them out - I had them exrayed. No problems - vet thought he was just growing and his legs are so long. Someone else said he just dmay not have enough muschle back there and to build his muscle in his hind quarters - I will start to back him up more and possibly walk/trot over logs that are lifted a couple of inches off the ground. - Any other ideas?

By any chance is he long in the toe?

If so, regular trimmings might help.