Is the horse okay?

The horse I ride is a sweet chestnut, with lots of experience. He's old, but not too old, probably early twentys anyway, when I trot on him he tends to trip a lot, but finds his footing again. My diagnol for riding isn't the best. its winter im sure u know, and this is the first time Ive seen him trip. I rode him a lot last summer and he had perfect footing. Has this happened to anyone before? is it normal? How can I improve my diagnol?


P.S. I ride English Hunt Seat

Is the horse okay?
How bad is the tripping and how sudden was the onset of the tripping? It can sometimes indicate a medical problem so you should probably have him seen by a vet. Otherwise...





We half lease a very large mare who happens to be heavy on the front end. If we don't keep her "collected" she does a whole lot of tripping. A lot of leg and a lot of front end support with your hands and make sure you aren't leaning up onto his shoulders, so make sure you are sitting back and staying very square.
Reply:If he's just started tripping you may want to have a farrier (horse shoe specialist) look at his feet. Sometimes they can get sore feet if the shoe is not fitting properly or has been nailed on wrong.
Reply:i rode my horse up to her thirtys and sometimes she tripped. usually when she was tired or not paying attention because she was ready to quit. i think if you rode bareback now and again that might help your seat. have a more experienced rider watch you and ask for suggestions.

flower