Corner By Judy Wardrope A
Hindquarter Variations in the Dressage Horse 2
lthough we tend to be impressed by flashy movement of
the forehand, ask Olympic- level judges and they will tell you that they look to see if the horse is engaging the hindquarters, coming from behind and/or loading the hocks at the upper levels. No matter the terminology, the discipline of dressage, the dressage phase of eventing and dressage as a training foundation for a variety of disciplines all require shifting of the horse’s weight rearward or off the forehand. From a structural perspec-
tive, several variations of the relative lengths of the ilium side and the femur side of the rear triangle are possible, but most horses that excel in dressage and stay sound at the upper levels have an ilium side (point of hip to point of buttock) shorter than the femur side (point of buttock to stifle protrusion). Assuming similar stifle
placement, in this column we will identify the consequences of variations in comparative lengths of ilium and femur in dressage horses, specifically, or those asked to carry more weight on the hindquarters, generally. Unfortunately, there are
consequences for horses that are asked to sustain loads on their hocks, especially if they have a femur side shorter than the ilium side. Some of them
66 September/October 2013 3 4 1
Photos 1 and 2 are of a horse with a shorter femur side than ilium side. Photos 3 and 4 are of a horse with a shorter ilium side than femur side.
Conformation
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