How do I know if my horse is subluxated?
Horses with subluxation complexes may present with many symptoms, with the most common symptom being pain. Horses that are in pain often exhibit this with changes in their posture, by refusing to work, or by changes in their behavior. The animal attempts to compensate for the pain by changing their posture and way of going, which can result in other problems such as joint changes.
The following symptoms may indicate that your horse is in pain caused by a subluxation:
- Abnormal posture while standing
- Horse may show discomfort when being saddled
- Horse may show discomfort when ridden
- Reduced performance
- Difficulty bending or flexing of the neck or back
- Evasion issues such as throwing its head up, grabbing the bit, or hollowing the back
- Pinning ears, bucking, or swishing tail
- Refusing jumps or knocking rails
- Difficulty with collection or lateral movements
- Horse may exhibit abnormal behavior issues
- Facial expression of pain or apprehension
- Sensitivity to touch
Subluxations can also cause changes in muscle coordination and flexibility. Additional indicators of a possible subluxation include:
- Horse is not tracking up
- Inability or difficulty engaging the hindquarters
- Differences in muscle size and/or tone
- Irregularity of gait, which cannot be assigned to a particular leg
- Difficulty flexing at the poll
- Inability to stretch or lengthen topline
- Brushing or interfering
- Stiffness on one side of the body or neck
- Lack of coordination in gaits
- The horse may seem “off”
- Shortened stride in one or more legs
- Stiffness coming out of the stall
- Horse pulls against one rein
- Overall decreased range of motion in gait
- Back does not swing
