Lacey, The Haflinger...

From Jim: A few years back Lacey came to Home At Last. She had been labeled a behavior problem. Seemed she bucked every time someone tried to ride her. Experience tells those of us that have been around horses for awhile, that usually the bucking comes from something other than a bad attitude. When we got Lacey home and started to carefully observe her, it seemed she was short on her right rear and toed in about 15 degrees. Well, we thought, Aaron can trim a lot of that out and with some time all will be well. WRONG! When her right rear was lifted to be trimmed, She did not like it at all. Stifle? No, not that. Hock? Not at all. That left her hip. Dr. Darling came out to put his eyes on the problem and, sure enough, Lacey has a dysplasic hip, congenital defect, not injury. She can manage this issue by compensating her stride, but the weight of a rider causes excruciating pain. And, there's your buck! Lacey is a really neat pet. She can be a sassy-pants. I love it when she tucks her head down and shakes her head and trots off. She's a real lady on the lead and enjoys being groomed and made over. She's prone to the scours. Dr. Gary feels there's nothing really wrong, just her particular digestive system. It does mean more bathes and tail scrubbing. She accepts and enjoys this attention. We've put a rocker in the trim of her rear right hoof and pushed the toe out about 10 degrees. This has helped her stride to even up and taken some of the strain off of her hip. She hangs out with Babe, our Pony of America, Bow, the mustang, and, now, Jackson, Bow's mule friend. This little sub-herd is about diversity I guess. They make quite a parade as they amble past. Lacey is an example of how misunderstood horse behavior can be frustrating or dangerous. Defects, injuries, ill-fitting, broken, or poorly constructed tack can and will usually result in what we perceive as behavior issues. A horse person should make it a point to become a skilled observer of the animals they're with. Watching a horse "walk out" or even lounging them to observe their movement is important in gaining insights about an animal's soundness. Thoughtful palpitation and the ability to test for flexibility, range of motion, and soreness are musts. If you're not up to that, have a trusted trainer or vet take a look. Too many animals are needlessly and painfully "trained", when there's an underlying problem that will never be trained away. Lacey can't be ridden. Never will be able to be ridden. It's not a fault of her mind or personality. She has never been bred, and with her defect, never should be. She sure can be a pet. Gives it her best everyday! We love our Haffy!