By Gillian Rogers


                Mounting / dismounting and leading from the left,


Is it not from our mistakes that we learn? I firmly believe that admitting being wrong shows not a sign of weakness, but  that of strength. That being said, why is it that the equestrian world stays so stubbornly ensconced with traditions that  are beyond archaic? This really is not a matter of who is right and who is wrong. This is a matter of what is best for the horse. So if you care about the well being of your horse read on.

I’m going to keep it simple for sake of content. There are two trains of thought, “Traditional” and “Natural”. Now, I’m not trying to pit the two against one another. Just the facts.

The traditional approach consists of mounting /dismounting the horse from the left side, leading the horse from the left side . Where does this tradition come from? When men used horses as means for transportation during war, they mounted and led from the left hand side so as not to poke the horse in the side with their sword. 

The “Natural” approach consists of mounting / dismounting and leading your horse from both sides.

Do you ever wonder why your horse is so one-sided? Pick up the left lead easier than the right?  Have you ever really looked at your horses musculature? The alignment of the spine? Where is legs and feet are? I f you did, what you see might just surprise you.  Looking at horses that have been in traditional works for a number of years you most likely will notice some of the following:

(Stand behind the horse from a safe distance, on top of a mounting block) Look at the left side versus the right. I will put money on the table that you will see that the left side has considerably more muscle definition. The mane will lie on the right., because there is less muscle there.The spine may not make a straight line from tail to withers. The tail may deviate from the tail bone to one side. This is because every time you put your foot in the stirrup the horse will brace on the left side as your weight pulls that way. When you lead your horse from the left, he/she will bend slightly towards you, this causes shortening of the muscles, which is why you may find it hard to bend your horse to the right. Another interesting fact that I have noticed, most horses that I have observed (there are exceptions to this rule which I will discuss) the left front hoof will tend to be flatter (less heel, more toe) and the right front will tend to be steeper (more upright, less toe, more heel). The reason this is occurring is that as the horse applies more pressure to the left side as he braces, the right side does not do so much work. Anytime a hoof does not work as hard, there is less circulation , you will  therefore see it grow longer.  This is also true if the horse has injured at sometime the right front, thus bearing more weight to the left. Horses have pain memory, even if the leg is fully recovered, the horse may well still favor one side. The opposite is also true, which would be the case of the left front being steeper. Knowing the horses history will help you in evaluating this. Often the hind leg diagonal to the imbalanced right will start to compensate, thus starting a bio-mechanical issue.  Over the years I have seen an awful lot of left front  injuries, a leg that bears more weight is more likely to become injured. It is proven that when a horse injures any leg, you must be very concerned about other legs following suit. Remember Barbaro. You goal is to keep your horse balanced. If he cannot do it by himself it is for you to figure out why.


If you have ascertained that your horse has muscular imbalance it is safe to say that there is also tendon, ligament and skeletal imbalance. Now look  further into this, the hooves. Without question the hooves will be imbalanced. (Which came first?, it’s the chicken or the egg syndrome). I shall be addressing this in detail in part 2 of Bucking Traditions. To achieve balance in the musculoskeletal system the hooves must be balanced. it is for every owner and trainer best interest to know what a healthy hoof looks like. Hoof pathologies run rampant in every barn. Images of incorrect  trimming grace the pages of horse magazines, catalogs. Worse still, the horses of professional riders competing at the highest levels are seen with horrifying hoof pathologies.

Here comes the hard part:  Once you have figured out your horses imbalances, and are working on new balance,   it is of the utmost importance to proceed slowly. I cannot stress this enough. As you introduce new angles the work load you put on your horse is crucial. Depending on the the length of time your horse has been imbalanced, the severity of the imbalance and also if injuries have been sustained. You cannot expect your horse to go into full work. This is asking for trouble. As the muscles, tendons, ligaments, skeletal system start to adjust there will be discomfort involved. Chiropractic/massage/acupuncture would greatly benefit your horse in the transitional period. A specific exercise program should be developed to ensure effective recovery. This is where having a trained  Natural professional is key. Each case will be different and must be treated as such. The time that this takes is also dependent on the issues that you are dealing with. Patience is most definitely going to be a virtue here. It is also worth noting that sending your horse on “vacation” to a rehab or retirement type place where there will be professional supervision and hoof trimming is an excellent option. If left alone, horses do have a way of figuring it out for themselves.

Seek professionals in your area who will be able to help you. There is a vast amount of “Natural” professionals around the world. If you are unable to find one in your area, online and phone consultations are a great option. You could discuss your horses issues and send pictures/videos which would enable a correct evaluation and treatment protocol. Do not feel alone, seek others who are like-minded. Support is essential. There are many blogs and web sites available. But choose wisely, there is also a wealth of bad information out there. You must learn to be able to differentiate, if in doubt, consult a professional. If you feel that your trainer is not understanding what is best for your horse, that the vet and farrier are still trapped in the Dark Ages it may just be time for you to relocate, or bring in your own vet trimmer and trainer. Don’t always believe what is said by a professional, seek the information yourself. You will be quite surprised that you just may well have been grossly misled. This is about understanding the needs of your horse. It is not  an attack on any individuals being wrong, it is about rethinking traditional methods. It is the traditional thought process that must change. Remember we once thought the world was flat.