Holistic Horseworks Talks with April Love

Caring for Older Horses: Tripping, Stiffness, Hoof Imbalances, and Body Alignment

April Love

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0:00 | 1:04:46

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Carolina has spent the last six years helping Tamarindo, an older gelding who came into her life with signs of years of neglected care. His teeth had apparently gone untreated, he was underweight, and his tongue and mouth showed extensive scar tissue. Today, he looks much healthier, but Carolina is still trying to understand why he trips, struggles to turn right, becomes defensive when being girthed, and remains stiff through his neck. 

🍏 IN THIS EPISODE

April Love evaluates Tamarindo from head to hoof and connects his movement problems to a larger pattern of imbalance. Her assessment identifies first-rib misalignment, a right hip positioned farther back, psoas compensation, uneven hoof loading, and cranial imbalance. She explains how these issues may make it harder for Tamarindo to lift his shoulders and hind legs effectively, contributing to the tripping and difficulty turning that Carolina has noticed.

April also takes a closer look at Tamarindo’s feet after recently transitioning to barefoot. She points out crushed and uneven heels, deep grooves and what she identifies as white-line separation, and explains why addressing hoof comfort alongside the body is an important part of her approach.

The conversation also explores Tamarindo’s history of severe uveitis, his stiffness, previous colic, sensitivity around the girth, and the arthritis Carolina has noticed as he has gotten older.

For Carolina, this is about more than keeping an older horse comfortable. Tamarindo has inspired her to think differently about the younger horses around her, including the wild horses living on the Baja ranch where she hopes to help develop an equestrian center. By learning to recognize imbalances earlier, she hopes to give those horses a healthier start before they ever enter training. 

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