MK Equine PTY LTD

26/02/2026

This is a well researched article and an important read for anyone working with young horses. The key takeaway being that it's not so much a matter of if young horses should start work but what type of work they should be asked to do and what considerations should be made to accommodate their growth stage. My goal is always to optimise soundness and longevity. For young horses, variety is the spice of life. Not too much repetition or high intensity exercise if you want to keep their bones strong and their joints healthy!

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬 🏇 🦴

If you’ve followed my page for any length of time, you know I don’t sidestep controversy. Whether it’s blanketing, NSC in grass, or even salt (yes, that one surprised me too), the most debated topics are often the most worth examining. Because where uncertainty exists, I prefer to replace opinion with evidence. And there is nothing I love more than digging into peer-reviewed research to determine if what’s commonly accepted truly holds up to scientific scrutiny.

And few topics ignite more debate in the horse world than the question of when a young horse should begin work.

On one side, there’s concern that starting too early risks long-term soundness issues.

On the other, some argue that thoughtful early training may actually support bone development.

So instead of arguing from a point of instinct or tradition, I think it’s time to take a look at what the research actually says.

𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬

Let’s begin by addressing the color-coded diagram of an equine skeleton that frequently circulates social media. This diagram illustrates when growth plates close, which begins in the lowest parts of each limb and moves up the skeleton sequentially, ending at the spine. This diagram is popular as many use it to justify recommendations on when to start horses.

I decided to do some digging to track down the origin of this information, and my investigation led me to a table in a book that was published in 1975. This table cites literature that evaluated the closure of the epiphyseal growth plate in the appendicular skeleton (forelimbs and hindlimbs) through radiographs (Getty, 1975).

Since then, a review by Rogers et al. (2021) was published and concluded that the majority of growth for horses is completed by the time they are 2 years old. Additional research evaluating the vertebrae suggest that longitudinal growth of the spine ceases when wither height growth is complete (Butler et al., 1993). Based on these findings, the reviewers suggested that starting horses at the age of 2 is an acceptable practice that aligns with their developmental potential.

But that begs the question whether we should base recommendations on growth plate activity and active bone growth or on growth plate fusion and closure – as these are two very different metrics. This was detailed in a presentation by Collar et al. (2020) in which growth plate activity of lumbosacral vertebrae in Quarter Horses stopped when horses were 2 years old but growth plate closure or fusion was not complete until horses were between 2 and 8 years old.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐚𝐲?

When evaluating race horses, Santschi et al. (2017) found that horses who began training at 2 years of age did not have a higher risk of injury during their racing careers. In fact, they tended to have more successful careers including more lifetime starts, wins, earnings, and years raced.

At first glance, it may seem counterintuitive. But young, growing bodies are built to adapt and specifically, bone development is supported by high cellular activity, an active periosteum, abundant blood supply, and open growth plates. As the body matures, it gradually shifts from a state of building to maintaining. Hormonal changes occur, bones become less adaptable, and osteoblasts (bone-building cells) struggle to keep pace with osteoclasts (cells that break bone down).

In other words - the window for skeletal adaptation is early and we accept this reality in humans all the time.

Young athletes routinely begin training long before their growth plates close. Elite gymnasts, swimmers, and figure skaters often compete internationally as teenagers. Many children enter organized sports as early as five or six years old despite the fact that human growth plates typically remain open until they are 14 to 17.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬?

I believe the controversy is not tied to the work itself, but rather the conditions surrounding the work.

Youth athletes are typically offered diversity in the exercise they are allowed to complete, do not have to carry an external load, and can refuse participation or voice concerns. Youth sports are also framed as a crucial part of both physical development and confidence building.

In comparison, young horses are often subjected to repetitive, discipline-specific movement, asked to carry a rider, tend to be confined outside of training, and have no autonomy regarding their participation. Equine sports, specifically those centered around young horses, tend to be tied to economic benefits, tradition, and human timelines that do not always put the horse first.

I believe this is where we have significant room for improvement in the equine industry.

Another consideration is the amount of research we have to provide recommendations. There are a wide variety of breeds and disciplines in the equine industry and the current data is not representative of all demographics. Additionally, for many, performance outcomes aren’t the whole picture. And at the moment, equine research does not extend past a horse’s athletic career, so we may not currently grasp long-term implications of early work.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞.

One of the clearest risks in youth athletics isn’t early movement, it’s repetition without variation.

While sports offer health benefits, single-sport specialization in children has been strongly linked to higher injury rates (Jayanthi et al., 2019). These risks are associated with children performing the same movements repetitively, which puts stress on the same joints and strains the same muscles.

Overuse injuries are especially likely during rapid growth phases, when muscle imbalances and coordination shifts are common (Arnold et al., 2017). This is because active growth is often tied to bone growth that outpaces muscles and tendon development. This imbalance can result in tight muscles, reduced flexibility, and structural instability, which temporarily declines coordination and balance and increases the risk of injury.

Youth athletes also face an increased risk of early-onset osteoarthritis which is linked to high-impact activities, repetitive movements, and severe joint injuries, all of which can accelerate cartilage degeneration (Saxon et al., 1999). However, osteoarthritis wasn’t identified until later in life due to a higher pain tolerance in youth and the time it takes for the condition to develop. I believe a long-term study evaluating this relationship in horses would be extremely insightful.

𝐒𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤.

The key takeaway is that early training is not inherently harmful, rather the structure and approach to that training are what make the difference.

Variety is critical. Cross-training helps distribute stress across tissues and reduces the risk created by repetitive movement patterns. Youth athletes who were highly specialized in a single sport were almost twice as likely to sustain an overuse injury compared to someone competing in multiple sports (Bell et al., 2018). Trail rides, cavaletti work, or practicing a new discipline are all opportunities to not only improve musculoskeletal health but also support a horse’s mental wellbeing.

Short, intentional bouts of higher-intensity loading may stimulate bone adaptation more effectively than long periods of low-intensity exercise – as bone requires a dynamic strain above threshold to elicit bone formation. This was demonstrated by a study evaluating endurance horses completing ‘long, slow’ work, which found that horses in endurance training did not increase bone strength compared to horses allowed to freely exercise on pasture (Spooner et al., 2008).

Meanwhile, sprint exercises have been shown to result in greater bone strength (Logan et al., 2019), increased endosteal circumference (Firth et al., 2012), and greater bone mineral content (Hiney et al., 2004). However, balance is critical. When young horses were sprinted excessively, it had harmful impacts on joint health as the horse was responding to an unnatural amount of work (Van de Lest et al., 2002). While we still need to determine the appropriate level of high-impact work for horses, one study found that just one sprint a week could increase bone strength (Logan et al., 2019).

Load matters, too, and some weight-bearing can be beneficial. Research found that horses carrying 100 lbs while trotting had greater bone mineral deposition of the cannon bone compared to those who did not carry weight (Nielsen et al., 2002). However, it is important to note that the load these horses carried does not reflect most riding situations. In comparison, excessive loads could be detrimental to the horse and rider size is a real consideration when starting young horses.

Movement also builds coordination, balance, and proprioception. Expecting a horse to enter athletic work at maturity without foundational motor skills would be like asking a 22-year-old to learn and compete in a sport like soccer or gymnastics against someone who has trained since childhood. Early exposure to low-intensity technical challenges such as balance, body awareness, and varied terrain, can be incredibly valuable.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲: 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

Work is only a small part of a horse’s day.

A two-year-old that is lightly trained but lives in turnout and is allowed to move freely, navigate space, and engage in natural behaviors, is experiencing something very different from one that lives in a stall for the majority of the day.

This is backed by research in which young horses pastured for at least 12 hours a day had greater bone mineralization and cannon bone circumference in comparison to their counterparts who lived in a stall (Bell et al., 2001). Since young horses often live in stalls during sale prep or once they enter training, they may be more likely to have bone loss or an increased risk of injuries. While that stall may be convenient for us, movement outside of structured exercise is critical for musculoskeletal development as well as mental wellbeing.

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

Perhaps the real issue isn’t if young horses should work or even what age to start them, but whether the work we ask of them is age-appropriate.

Most horses are still in an active growth phase until around 2 years of age, and during this time, structured work should be limited while free movement through pasture turnout may be the most appropriate and beneficial form of loading.

Once rapid growth begins to slow, workload can be introduced thoughtfully and tailored to the individual, taking into account breed, maturity, and current developmental stage. At this point, how we develop the horse matters far more than simply when we begin.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

If I had to summarize some recommendations, they would include:

🌱 House your horse in a pasture or paddock over a stall.

🏋️ Cross train to reduce the risk of overuse injuries.

⚖️ Focus on low intensity, technical work at a young age to improve coordination and proprioception.

🏇 Utilize high-intensity work strategically to increase bone strength.

📈 Minimize work during any growth spurts.

🐴 Make decisions for your specific horse based on individual growth and characteristics.

The bottom line is that early work itself isn’t the issue - what really matters is how young horses are trained, managed, and allowed to live.

If you want to read more on this topic, I encourage you to read an open access review (which means it is accessible to everyone!) by Logan and Nielsen (2021) which highlighted a lot of the research I covered in this post. I will include a link in the comments!

There’s always more to unpack, but hopefully this reframes the conversation in a way that allows us to use science to mold our decisions instead of tradition.

Cheers,
Dr. DeBoer

Table 15-2; Getty R(ed): Sisson and Grossman's The Anatomy of the Domestic Animals , ed 5. Philadelphia , WB Saunders Co , 1975, p 272.

Rogers CW, Gee EK, Dittmer KE. Growth and bone development in the horse: when is a horse skeletally mature?. Animals. 2021 Nov 29;11(12):3402.

Butler, J.A., Colles, C.M., Dyson, S., Kold, S., Poulos, P. Clinical Radiology of the Horse. 1993.

Collar, E. M., Russell, D. S., Huber, M. J., Duesterdieck-Zellmer, K. F., & Stover, S. M. (2020). Investigation into lumbosacral vertebral anatomy and growth plate closure in Quarter Horses [Video]. AAEP Proceedings. American Association of Equine Practitioners.

Santschi, E.M.; White, B.J.; Peterson, E.S.; Gotchey, M.H.; Morgan, J.M.; Leibsle, S.R. Forelimb Conformation, Sales Results, and Lifetime Racing Performance of 2-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racing Prospects Sold at Auction. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2017, 53, 74–80.

Jayanthi NA, Post EG, Laury TC, Fabricant PD. Health consequences of youth sport specialization. Journal of athletic training. 2019 Oct 1;54(10):1040-9.

Arnold A, Thigpen CA, Beattie PF, Kissenberth MJ, Shanley E. Overuse physeal injuries in youth athletes: risk factors, prevention, and treatment strategies. Sports health. 2017 Mar;9(2):139-47.

Saxon L, Finch C, Bass S. Sports participation, sports injuries and osteoarthritis: implications for prevention. Sports medicine. 1999 Aug;28(2):123-35.

Bell DR, Post EG, Biese K, Bay C, Valovich McLeod T. Sport specialization and risk of overuse injuries: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2018 Sep 1;142(3):e20180657.

Spooner HS, Nielsen BD, Woodward AD, Rosenstein DS, Harris PA. Endurance training has little impact on mineral content of the third metacarpus in two-year-old Arabian horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2008 Jun 1;28(6):359-62.

Logan, A., Nielsen, B., Robison, C., Manfredi, J., Schott, H.; Buskirk, D., Hiney, K. Calves, as a model for juvenile horses, need only one sprint per week to experience increased bone strength. J. Anim. Sci. 2019, 97, 3300–3312.

Firth, E.C., Rogers, C.W., Rene van Weeren, P., Barneveld, A., Wayne McIlwraith, C., Kawcak, C.E., Goodship, A.E., Smith, R.K.W. The Effect of Previous Conditioning Exercise on Diaphyseal and Metaphyseal Bone to Imposition and Withdrawal of Training in Young Thoroughbred Horses. Vet. J. 2012, 192, 34–40.

Hiney, K.M., Nielsen, B.D., Rosenstein, D. Short-Duration Exercise and Confinement Alters Bone Mineral Content and Shape in Weanling Horses. J. Anim. Sci. 2004, 82, 2313–2320.

Van de Lest, C., Brama, P.A.J., René Van Weeren, P. The Influence of Exercise on the Composition of Developing Equine Joints. Biorheology 2002, 39, 183–191.

Bell RA, Nielsen BD, Waite K, Rosenstein D, Orth M. Daily access to pasture turnout prevents loss of mineral in the third metacarpus of Arabian weanlings. Journal of animal science. 2001 May 1;79(5):1142-50.

Nielsen BD, O'Connor CI, Rosenstein DS, Schott HC, Clayton HM. Influence of trotting and supplemental weight on metacarpal bone development. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2002 Sep;34(S34):236-40.

13/02/2026

Hit the nail on the head....once again! I cannot fault Dr Shelly Appletons expertise.🙌 Thankyou for putting into words the tangle of thoughts I continuously fail to put into any form of logical online post. Legend. Keep doing what you do!

Breaking News: The Horse Has Voted. It Does Not Care About Your Moral Label.🤯

Apparently the horse world is now a spaghetti western.

On one side, the Gentle and Kind.🫶
On the other, The Villains. Twirling moustaches. Plotting cruelty before breakfast.🤠

It is a great story.

It is also nonsense.🙄

Most horse people are gentle and kind. Especially women. Socially conditioned to care. Biologically wired for it. Many of you apologise to inanimate objects when you bump into them .😆

But horses do not sort humans into moral categories.

They sort us into predictable or unpredictable. Clear or confusing. Secure or unsafe. Non-threatening or threatening.

That is it.

You can be deeply kind and profoundly confusing.😕
You can mean well and still create insecurity.😕
The horse will not think, “She means well.”
The horse will think, “I do not understand this person and I feel threatened.”

Here is the real spectrum of "gentle and kind people"...

At one end - Gentle, kind people without skill hesitate, second guess, apply pressure accidentally, release it too late, panic, then feel guilty. Conflict grows.

At the other end - Gentle, kind people with skill are clear, timely, and deliberate. The horse feels secure because the communication makes sense.

Same kindness. Different competence.😎

Horses do not prefer “gentle people.”
They prefer skilled ones.

Gentleness without skill is not ethical. It is good intentions colliding with reality.💥

Ethics is not a label. It shows up in ex*****on and outcomes. Being ethical is an argument, not a statement of fact based on some ideological belief.

So ask yourself one honest question.
Has your quest to be gentle and kind resulted in your horse being calm, willing and confident to handle and ride? Or are you struggling?🤔

If you are struggling, you are probably not unkind but you are likely under-skilled.

And if the path you tried kept you stuck, maybe you do not need more gentleness.

Maybe you need a better teacher (we are out there!).

Hit save. Share wisely. No moral capes required.

Collectable Advice 157/365. Please no copy and pasting, hit the share button instead.

04/08/2025

Sensitive Sole Dysregulation Disorder (SSDD):
Why Your Horse Isn’t a Jerk—He Just Has Sore Feet 🐴🔥

⚠️ This is long. Possibly the most important thing you’ll read this year about your “frustrating” horse. So dig deep and let me transplant some good ideas into your head....

People come to me for all sorts of reasons.
Some are curious about my nerdy, no-nonsense take on horse training.

Some want help building a better relationship with their horse.
And some arrive clinging to the last threads of hope, unsure whether their horse is traumatised, dangerous… or they are just not good enough to own a horse 😔.

Most of the time, the horse is just confused.
Once we clear up the misunderstanding, lay out a process, and build some real skills, the change is phenomenal.
✅ Communication improves.
✅ Confidence blooms.
✅ Partnerships are born.

It’s effective.
It’s beautiful.
It works—until it doesn’t.

Because there’s a subset of horses—genuinely lovely horses, with well-meaning, capable humans—who still struggle.
Not from lack of effort.
Not from uselessness.
Not because the horse is a waste of time.

It’s because the horse isn’t physically in a state to learn.
And the top culprit?

Sore. Bloody. Feet. 🦶💥

Which is why I’m proud (and mildly exasperated) to introduce a term that I believe deserves a permanent spot in the equine lexicon aka lingo:

Sensitive Sole Dysregulation Disorder (SSDD)

A multifactorial, stress-induced hoof spiral that masquerades as a behavioural problem—but is actually your horse’s way of saying, “Human, I cannot cope. And what you're asking me to do is bloody uncomfortable and I feel threatened.”

Why We Need a Term Like SSDD

If you’ve read my blog on New Home Syndrome, you’ll know how powerful naming things can be.

That post gave thousands of horse owners a lightbulb moment:
💡 “Ah—it’s not that my new horse was drugged and sold by an unscrupulous lying horse seller. He’s just completely unravelling from the stress of relocation.”

Naming gives us a grip on the slippery stuff.
It stops us chasing trauma narratives, mystical contracts, and fantasy horsemanship rabbit holes wasting our time, money, and enjoyment of horses.
It invites clarity.
It invites action.

So let’s do it again.
Because SSDD is real.
It’s widespread.
And it’s quietly ruining training, relationships, and confidence—for both horse and human.

The Official Definition (Because I’m Nerdy Like That 😎)

Sensitive Sole Dysregulation Disorder (SSDD):

A stress-induced, multifactorial syndrome in horses, characterised by systemic dysregulation and poor hoof integrity. It results in chronic sensitivity from inflammation, poor structural balance. It causes altered posture and movement, and unpredictable or defensive behaviour—especially when the horse is asked to move, load, or engage physically.
Commonly misdiagnosed as poor training, bad temperament, or “being crazy, dangerous, or… a bit of a dick.”

How It Starts
(And Why It’s So Sneaky 🕵️‍♀️)

Stress—whether from relocation, dietary change, social disruption, intense work, poor training, or all of the above and more—disrupts the gut.

We talk about ulcers and hindgut issues, but gut disruption reaches much further. It impacts:

- Nervous system regulation
- Nutrient absorption
- Muscle and fascia development
- Sensory processing
- Postural support
- Biomechanics
➡️And yes… hoof quality

Systemic inflammation gets triggered, and it ripples to the hooves.
Thin soles.
Inflamed hoof structures.
Suddenly, every step hurts.

And when all four feet hurt at once?
There’s no limp.
No giveaway unless you know what to look for.
Just a horse who suddenly doesn’t want to:

🚫 Go forward
🚫 Bend
🚫 Load
🚫 Be caught
🚫 Be mounted
🚫 Leave its friends
🚫 “Trust you”
🚫 “Connect”

From the outside, it looks like resistance and unpredictability.
But inside?
It’s one long, silent “Ouch.”

And just because they run, buck and gallop in the paddock does not mean it isn’t festering away.

Case Study: The Off-The-Track Time Bomb 🧨
Meet the OTTB.
He’s fresh off the track with the emotional resilience of a sleep-deprived uni student living off Red Bull and vending machine snacks.
His microbiome is wrecked.
His feet are full of nail holes.
His hooves are thin and genetically fragile.

Hoof balance and form has been considered for the next race—not the next 20 years.
And someone’s just pulled his shoes in the name of “letting down naturally.” 🙃

Cue: SSDD.

Now he’s bolting, spinning, rearing, planting, or shutting down.
The forums recommend groundwork, magnesium, a different noseband, an animal communicator, or an MRI for a brain tumour.
The horsemanship world says “move his feet.”
The trauma-informed crowd say “get his consent.”
Kevin at the feed store says “get his respect.”

But nothing changes.
Because it’s not a behaviour issue.
It’s a hoof–gut–nervous system–biomechanical spiral.
And until you break the cycle, no amount of connection, compassion, or carrot sticks will touch it.

What SSDD Looks Like:
🔹 Short, choppy strides
🔹 Hesitation on gravel
🔹 Tension through the back and neck
🔹 Braced posture, dropped belly, collapsed topline
🔹 Popping hamstrings
🔹 Loss of bend, swing, or rhythm
🔹 Explosions without warning
🔹 Refusal to leave the paddock
🔹 Sudden regression in training
🔹 Being labelled a “dick,” “bitch,” “jerk,” or “nutcase”
Imagine removing your shoes.
Now walk barefoot over gravel, or Lego hidden in shag-pile carpet 🧱
Add a backpack.
Now have someone control where you have to move and how fast.
Now smile, be polite, and do what you’re told.

Sound like trust and connection to you?

That’s SSDD.

Let’s Be Clear 💡
This isn’t an anti-barefoot rant.
And it’s not a pro-shoes crusade.
It’s about recognising that stress undermines hoof quality…
And compromised hooves undermine everything else.

Hoof pain is a master dysregulator.
It breaks posture.
Fractures movement.
Feeds stress.
Causes breakdown.
Blocks learning.
And it’s hard to see—especially when you think your horse is acting like an idiot.

What To Do (Especially for OTTBs, STBs, and New Arrivals)
✅ Be strategic.
✅ Be clinical.
✅ Be kind.
- Replace shoes or hoof protection, don’t rip off shoes on Day One.
- Support the gut from the start.
- Prioritise routine, rest, and recovery.
- Make sure they’re sleeping—properly.
- Work with a hoof care pro who understands stress transitions.
- Wait before reassessing shoeing choices.
- Stop mistaking pain for personality.
- Choose insight over ideology.
- Choose systems thinking over magic silver bullets.

Why It Matters

When we name SSDD, we stop blaming horses for not coping.
We stop shaming owners.

We stop spiralling into horsemanship cults where stillness is the only sign of success.

We start looking at the actual horse.
In the actual body.
With actual problems.

Because sometimes, it’s not temperament.
It’s not training.
It’s just a hoof—
Tender, tired, inflamed—
Whispering softly:
“I can’t cope.”
A hoof that needs support and protection.

📸 IMAGE TO BURN INTO YOUR MEMORY BANKS
Study it.
See the posture searching for comfort?
The tension lines?
The zoned out face that says “pain”?
The weird stance?
That’s SSDD at a standstill.
Even if you can’t see it yet—please consider it.
I might’ve made up the name…
But the thing itself is very, very real.

Just like New Home Syndrome, SSDD deserves its own hashtag.
Okay fine— is a bit long.
Let’s go with:

If This Blog Made You Think—Please Share It 🙏
But please don’t copy and paste chunks and pretend you wrote them.
There’s a share button. Use it.
Be cool. Give credit. Spread the word.
Because if this made you stop and wonder whether your horse isn’t being difficult—but is actually sore, stressed, and stuck in a spiral—
That moment of reflection could be the turning point that changes everything.

We’ve just released our Racehorse to Riding Horse – Off the Track Reboot course, plus other clear, practical resources to help you understand OTTBs & OTTSTBs and support these incredible horses, as they are more prone to this than most.

Because with the right information, what feels impossible…
Can become totally achievable. 🐎✨

I’ll pop some references in the comments.

10/07/2025

Balance, for the racehorse, is a tricky thing. In the ridden horse, balance is attained by engaging and increasing the elastic kinetic energy storage of the hindquarters while simultaneously amplifying the trampoline-like function of the engaged thoracic sling muscles. By moving in such a way, the horse can transfer much of the weight of his massive frame and free his already disproportionately burdened front end from the concussion it receives when a rider is added to his payload.

Harnessing the pure strength of the powerful gluteal and hamstring muscles, the horse’s center of gravity moves backward, enabling him to evade the destabilizing effects of inertia and become more immediately responsive to his rider’s commands for speed and direction.

However, this is where it gets tricky for the racehorse. In order to create such high velocities over the ground, a racehorse must transfer the extraordinary propulsive forces produced by his musculature into the ground and quite literally catapult himself over his own legs. During the finishing strides of a race—often the only time a true double-bounding racing gallop is fully activated—the horse produces his maximum catapult force.

In a standard gallop, there is typically one main suspension phase, occurring when the legs are fully outstretched as the horse shifts weight from hind to fore. In contrast, the racehorse in full flight travels nearly as far after his front legs leave the ground as he does when bounding forward from hind to fore. This results in an additional suspension phase that occurs when the legs are gathered together underneath the body after the forelimbs leave the ground. Using the counterweight of his long neck and heavy head, the racehorse creates a second catapult action, effectively "vaulting" over the forehand while drawing the hind legs up and under in preparation for the next stride.

The Thoroughbred is purpose-bred for extraordinary acceleration and efficient force transmission. His ability to smoothly "touch down" with the front limbs and immediately roll into one massive stride after another is what separates a good racehorse from a great one. In this unbridled, near-horizontal frame, the racehorse is encouraged to run with lowered shoulders and maximal ground contact to generate immense ground reaction forces, thus maximizing speed.

In contrast, classical dressage defines balance as the horse’s ability to shift weight rearward, lighten the forehand, and engage the hindquarters to support more of the body mass. Here, the frame is characterized by an elevated forehand and a lowered, flexed pelvis, allowing the horse to coil his loins and lift through the thoracic sling. The result is increased maneuverability, self-carriage, and the ability to perform advanced movements requiring precise weight shifts and controlled impulsion.

At first glance, these two expressions of balance—horizontal balance in the racehorse and collected, uphill balance in the dressage horse—seem diametrically opposed. Yet they share a fundamental physics-based foundation: both forms rely on finely tuned timing of the "catapult" phase and on the dynamic interplay of muscle chains that manage forward thrust and vertical lift.

It is crucial to recognize that when a rider, even a tiny jockey, is added to the horse, the entire biomechanical equation changes. The horse’s natural balance is altered by the additional load, increasing the demand on both front and hind limbs to maintain propulsion without excessive concussion. Strengthening and training the lift and extension muscles of the forehand, as well as the carrying and pushing muscles of the hindquarters, becomes essential not just for collection, but also for preserving long-term soundness and maximizing stride efficiency.

Dressage training can support the racehorse precisely because it develops this fine-tuned muscular control. Systematic dressage work teaches the horse to better engage his thoracic sling, stabilize the scapula, and coordinate the forelimb flight arc with the powerful thrust of the hindquarters. By improving the timing and symmetry of each catapult phase, dressage reduces premature or uneven limb loading, minimizes concussion, and helps to maximize stride length while maintaining balance and control.

Furthermore, dressage work enhances proprioceptive awareness, allowing the horse to adjust subtle shifts in mass and force throughout each phase of the stride. This results in a horse who is not only faster but also better able to withstand the physical demands of high-speed work without breakdown.

In essence, though it may seem counterintuitive, introducing principles of dressage to the Thoroughbred or other speed-oriented breeds is not about slowing them down or collecting them into a purely academic frame. Instead, it is about improving their ability to coordinate lift and thrust, to manage their balance dynamically under a rider, and to optimize force transmission in a way that both enhances performance and preserves soundness.

By embracing both classical and modern understandings of balance, we can create athletes who are not only more powerful and efficient in motion but also more resilient and harmonious in their biomechanics.