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The July, 2000, volume of _Western Horseman_ magazine has a good article
on page 124 titled "Why Horses Stumble". If you want the entire thing,
you'll have to get the magazine. Briefly, the causes of stumbling listed
in this article include:
Overdue hoof care:
Toe too long which delays break-over, causing stumbling
Poor condition:
Young horse or out-of-shape horse may stumble
Be sure to develop muscles, stamina, balance by a progressive
conditioning program
Fatigue:
Get the horse into shape so he tires less easily
Stop working him when he tires
Rider error:
Inexperienced, uncoordinated, unbalanced, inattentive rider -- get
riding instruction
Restricting horse's head by improper rein use or by using tie-downs
Way of going:
Heavy on the forehand -- work on collection and balance, ride over
poles, rails, uneven or rocky ground
Gait defect in which one front limb swings in front of the other during
each stride -- shoeing may be needed to correct this
"Corrective" shoeing for pigeon toe (where front feet toe inward) can
cause stumbling -- often best not to try to "fix" this problem but shoe
to fit the horse's movement
Daisy-cutter gait (feet stay very close to ground during a stride) can
be helped by riding over poles, rails, uneven or rocky ground
Attitude and attention:
Boredom or laziness causes stumbling -- keep horse alert and energetic
Vary your riding and training workouts
Ride over poles, rails, uneven or rocky ground
Can shoe with heavier or longer shoes for a time to make break-over
more difficult and thus make horse think about his feet
Use fly repellent so horse isn't distracted by flies
Shoeing problems:
Long toe and short heel put extreme stress on tendons and delay
break-over -- get farrier to balance hooves -- if necessary, use a pad
or wedge to elevate heels that are too low.
Feet with under-run heels (the heel slopes forward at an extremely
steep
angle) are often shod with a shoe that is too short -- this doesn't give
enough support for hoof and causes tendon stress, fatigue, stumbling.
Too much traction -- caulks, studs, borium chips, and other traction
devices on shoes -- give extra grip that can cause stumbling and tire
horse's legs -- think "optimum" not "maximum" traction -- a little
slipping is is better than too much "stick" -- also give horse time to
get used to traction devices.
Too little traction in back -- (1) shoes in front and barefoot behind
or (2) "sliding plates" behind -- can throw horse off balance and cause
stumbling
Physical problems:
Impaired vision; sharp teeth cutting inside of cheeks; wolf teeth being
bumped by the bit; hock or stifle problems; sore back, heels, soles or
feet; fractured sesamoid bone; narcolepsy (involuntary falling asleep);
navicular syndrome; joint stiffness; joint misalignment
Tack:
Should fit without causing pain or discomfort -- saddle shouldn't pinch
withers, saddle skirts shouldn't hit hips, bit shouldn't pinch lips,
headstall should fit properly, support boots are clean and not too
tight,
cinch shouldn't hit elbow and is clean, saddle blanket shouldn't have
burrs and trash
