I Love Being Wrong: What This Mare Taught Me

The moment I picked up her left fore, she snatched it away from me… twice.Her eyes changed, the left side of her neck trembled, and her left hind danced like it couldn’t find the floor.

But when I tried her right fore? Calm. Still. Easy.

That kind of difference between left and right isn’t random. And I knew straight away — there was more to this picture.

Why I Don’t Push Through

Instead of forcing the issue, I switched to curiosity mode.

I started watching her face. Her eyes were telling me something.I noticed a tremor in the left side of her neck. I saw the left hind lifting and shifting.

The horse was already communicating. My job was to listen.

The Full-Body Check

I began from her ears, working my way down the muzzle, neck, shoulders, following the front limb down towards the hoof. Then back up to the withers, down the spine, into the pelvis and hind legs.

I checked both left and right sides, front and back.I even stepped up on a block to look from above — because the view from above can reveal so much.

Here’s what I saw:

• The muscles around her left wither and shoulder were larger than the right.

• Her right pelvic side was bigger than the left.

• Her pectoral muscles were uneven — the right bigger than the left.

No wonder she reacted differently when I tried to pick up her left fore.Her body was telling a story of imbalance.

Why I Love Being Wrong

In moments like this, I have to actively stop my mind from going, “Yep, that’s the problem, I’ve got it!”

Because until I’ve seen the horse move, I don’t have the full picture.And honestly? I love it when I’m wrong.

Why? Because every time my assumptions are proven wrong, I learn something new.And that makes me better at what I do.

Why Movement Changes Everything

The stable gives you one snapshot.Movement gives you the truth.

Horses can mask discomfort when standing still.They can also reveal restrictions and compensations in motion that you’ll never see in a static assessment.

When I saw this mare in-hand on the hard, in the arena, and without a rider, it was nothing like I expected.The pattern didn’t match the muscle story I’d seen before.

Adjusting the Plan

Based on what I saw in motion, I decided to focus on two main areas:

• The cervicothoracic junction (CTJ) — the gateway between the neck and withers that impacts forelimb movement and posture.

• The lumbosacral junction (LSJ) — a key pivot point for engagement and hind-end power.

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I worked hands-on and gave the owner specific aftercare instructions to help her integrate the changes.

The Follow-Up

Three weeks later, I returned for a follow-up and was blown away by her progress.

She was softer, more willing to lift her left fore, and more balanced in her way of going.The tension I’d first seen had reduced dramatically.Her movement had changed because we’d addressed the root cause, not just the symptom.

Your Takeaway

Never assume you know the answer.Never skip the movement assessment.

Get curious. Observe without judgement.Because the horse is always speaking — and sometimes, what they’re saying will surprise you.

The stable is just one part of the picture. Seeing your horse move — in different contexts — gives you the living, breathing truth you need to work from.

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