ridecamp@endurance.net: hunter's bump?

hunter's bump?

Laney Humphrey (laneyh@mbay.net)
Mon, 27 Oct 1997 07:42:35 -0800

Linda - What you describe doesn't sound like "hunter's bump" to me. Others
have replied with good descriptions of hunter's bumps. It sound more like
what some would call "roach back" - a raised area of the spin in the loin
area in front of the point of hip (tuber coxae). In young, undeveloped
horses especially, I would guess that what you are seeing is more lack of
muscle development than boney deformity.
I just completed a 4 day clinic on biomechanics, applied anatomy and gait
analysis where we looked at conformatin and muscular development in horses
of different breeds and doing different "jobs," i.e., dressage, cutting,
reining, (a little endurance). Each job requires different conformation
and different muscle development. We talked a lot about the differences
between how dressage and endurance horses use their bodies and how
important it is not to compare what it right for one sport to what is right
for another (apples to oranges kind of thing). Endurance horses often have
undeveloped backs/loins because they are not asked to work under themselves
the way dressage, cutting and reining horses are (jumpers too) since it is
not appropriate for what they are doing. My guess is what you are seeing
is an inherited tendency towards upward curve of the top of the spinal
processes in the loin area made more apparrent by lack of muscle
development. We discussed "roach back" and it did not raise any horrendous
red flags amongst the group.
Cheers,
Laney,
Certified Equine Body Worker

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