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When I sit with my right knee bend so my leg is folded up under me for 
any length of time there is about a 50% chance that my hamstring will 
cramp. It's pretty easy to work out - but it hurts like the dickens. My 
MD says this is common. I asked my farrier who just left about this with 
horses and he said it's quite common for a horse to get minor cramps in 
the hind leg while shoeing.

Truman

Cynthia Eyler wrote:

> My gelding has what sounds like a similar problem.
> It's never caused lameness, but when you lift either of my gelding's 
> hind legs, especially the way most farriers do it, the leg starts to 
> jerk uncontrollably. Various farriers and vets have told me that it's 
> involuntary. My current farrier has pretty much gotten around the 
> problem by not lifting those legs very high, which he's able to do 
> because he's a yoga practitioner and can hold what would be an 
> impossible position for most others.
> I had massage done on this horse a few years ago, but the subject of 
> needing a chiro was never raised. (To be fair, I never thought to tell 
> the person doing the massage about this issue.) How do I find the 
> right massage/chiro to investigate this further?
> Cindy
> (in central Maryland)
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     This is a more commom problem than most people think.
>     It sounds to me like this horse has a spasm in his
>     hindquarter muscles, which is made more painful by
>     being in the position required for shoeing. The horse
>     may also need a chiropractic adjustment in the pelvic
>     region. I would try finding a good equine massage
>     therapist first, who could tell you whether an
>     adjustment is also necessary. If the horse does get
>     chiropractic work, it is important to also get a few
>     sessions of massage afterward or the tight muscles
>     will just pull it out of alignment again and you will
>     be back to square one. I am a certified equine
>     bodyworker, and one of my project horses during my
>     certification had this very problem. The owner was
>     buteing or giving banamine to the horse every time it
>     had to be shod until I worked on her and solved the
>     muscle spasm problem. In this case no chiro was
>     needed. Good Luck.


--

“Ethical axioms are found and tested not very differently from the 
axioms of science. Truth is what stands the test of experience.” Albert 
Einstein



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