Horse Conformation angles
The line from the point of the hip to the point of the butt should be the same length or shorter than the line from the point of the butt to the stifle. If this line conforms to the previous statement then your horse has a greater capacity to bring his hind leg under him and engage better.
The other location I want to tell you about is the lumbo-sacral joint [LS] location. This is the joint that is where the lumbar vertebrae and sacrum meet. Think of it as a hinge that flexes and extends. You can find it on your horse by running your fingers down the spine and where you no longer feel the spinous processes is most likely it. Usually it is around the croup. This joint should be in close relationship to the point of the hip so that the hinge [lumbo-sacral joint] is close the the pelvis [hip point] to allow max. ability to engage and thus flex the hind end. If your horse has an LS joint behind the point of the hip then they will have chronic sore lower back and develop a hunters bump or jumpers bump. This bump is a product of having an LS joint behind and overdeveloping the lumbar muscles to compensate.
All of the above cannot be changed since your horse is born this way but it will allow you to modify your training and give you a better understanding of managing your horse with chiropractic and massage.
