RE: hunter's bump

[JOltmann@FANCYPUBS.COM]

My experience is that a hunter's bump is caused as a result of the pelvis
tipping downward, hence creating a "hinge" at the point of the bump. This is
a structural weakness that can lead to atrophied muscles and overall
weakness in the hindquarters. I've also noticed that endurance horses with
hunter's bumps have a tendency to "slip." I'm sure that many have
experienced this--you're going along at a nice extended trot on a flat
surface and your horse suddenly slips with one of his under-reaching back
legs, resulting in a instant, jarring collapse of the back end. I have been
told that this happens because, with the pelvis rotated downward, the horse
can reach farther underneath himself than normal, and does in fact reach too
far and slip on that back leg. This, unfortunately, aggravates the already
tilted pelvis and further stretches the soft tissues attached to it. Horses
with hunter's bumps are typically very light in their rear ends (not a lot
of muscle development), which is a result of, in their weakened condition,
working more off their front ends.
I have found that regular chiropractic care followed by strength and
balance-building exercises (such as riding balanced figure-8s, which forces
the horse to use its rear-end muscles) can reduce the hunter's bump and
gradually reposition the pelvis. This results in a horse that is better able
to use its rear end, once the muscles are rehabilitated, and slips less with
the back legs.