The 'Trot Up' - Part 1 - The Walk

The Trot Up – why do we do it and what am I looking for❓

There are exceptions, however in most cases when I visit your horse I will ask to see them ‘Trotted up’

This is really a ‘slang’ term for a Locomotion Assessment.

As I only get a relatively short time to spend assessing and treating your horse I will start with a basic Locomotion Assessment and I will ask to see the following, on a hard surface and in a straight line.

▪️Walk

▪️Trot

▪️A small circle around the handler in each direction

▪️Back-up

(I can then always ask to see more if necessary)

The Locomotion Assessment is to firstly help me quantify if the horse has any lameness and if it has if I should continue with the Assessment & Treatment of if the horse should in fact be referred to a vet 🏥

In majority of cases there is no obvious lameness requiring veterinary care, and I am actually assessing minor restrictions and asymmetries in a horse’s movement that will benefit from Equine Massage Therapy ✔️

So what am I then looking for in each of these movements and what can the Locomotion Assessment tell me❓

Today I am going to focus on the Walk

In the Walk I am looking for:

▪️An even 1,2,3,4 rhythm. Right hind, Right fore, Left hind, Left fore

▪️Even rise and fall of the pelvis

▪️A relaxed and symmetrical swing through the back and ribcage

▪️Even protraction and retraction of each limb

▪️Head held centrally and moving slightly up and down in a relaxed manner

▪️Tail held softly and centrally and swinging gently with the back

▪️A slightly heel first landing of the feet

▪️For the limbs to have minimal and even rotation in the ‘swing’ phase

▪️For the limbs not to twist in the ‘stance’ phase

So you can see there is lots to observe just in the walk.

And the way your horse moves in the walk can give me a good indication of how your horse is likely to move in the trot and feel under saddle when you ride them 🏇

Assessing the walk can also give me an idea of how your horse is likely to feel when I get my hands on them and where they may have restrictions and asymmetries in the soft tissue.

This can help me to detect areas of tension more quickly as well as compensation patterns in the horse’s body.

There are many common compensations patterns that horses have, however every horse is an individual, and it’s surprising how horses can adapt their bodies to compensate for an issue❗️

Some horses still surprise me and so watching them move can be key to putting the pieces of the puzzle together in order to come up with an effective treatment and therapy plan ✔️

Look out for my next post coming soon where we will have a look at what I am assessing in the Trot 👀

Jess | Jessica Limpkin Equine Massage Therapy