17/11/2025
Mills Consilient Horsemanship Thanks
WHY DOES MODERN HINDQUARTER DISENGAGEMENT DAMAGE THE STIFLES AND HOCKS… BUT CLASSICAL LATERAL WORK DOESN’T?
There was some great discussion going on in the comments of my lead-up post.
Definitely give that a read before I share my follow-up:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1H58mS4Smz/?mibextid=wwXIfr
WHY DOES MODERN HINDQUARTER DISENGAGEMENT DAMAGE THE STIFLES AND HOCKS… BUT CLASSICAL LATERAL WORK DOESN’T?
To understand this, we first need to clarify which hindlimb is actually most often at risk in lateral work, and why…
This video offers a great visual of how the hind leg is designed to load slightly under the horse’s midline (though not necessarily across it), very similar to how the stepping-under, trailing hind functions during classical lateral work:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17KVAYkgqD/?mibextid=wwXIfr
In comparison, the leading hind is most often the one at risk…
DISENGAGEMENT & THE LEADING LEG
Modern lateral work, especially the extreme hindquarter disengagement common in some natural horsemanship programs, often asks the horse to travel so far sideways that the leading hind leg abducts unnaturally, swinging clear out away from the horse’s body.
Upon impact, this loads the joints at an angle, and when the horse moves laterally across that planted limb, there’s a lot of twisting and torque, as illustrated in Denoix’s diagram below.
Over time, this places chronic strain on the stifle and hock, which, unlike the coxofemoral hip joint that initiates the swing, are hinge joints.
We can also see negative effects down into the fetlock and coffin joints and surrounding soft tissues (like the collateral ligaments) that have to support this unnatural movement.
The risk compounds when this is done…
• At speed,
• Repeatedly, or
• With green, weak, or physically immature horses.
As a c**t starter, I still use hindquarter disengagement and hindquarter mobilizations as elementary communication tools, but I advance out of that as soon as possible, because I believe it’s not biomechanically sustainable.
As well, I believe that repeated disengagement can keep horses from progressing in their emotional regulation and relaxation, because they feel unbalanced and unsafe.
SIDEWAYS vs ROTATIONAL
Let’s look at another difference between modern lateral work and classical lateral work…
Take shoulder-in, for example.
Classical shoulder-in is not a 2-D, sideways exercise.
It’s a 3-D, rotational exercise, as illustrated by Heuschman’s drawing below.
When organized back to front, there is a cascade effect on the pelvis on three different axes…
The functional rotation of the pelvis on the vertical axis (yaw) that comes from correct bending protects the leading hindlimb, by allowing the coxofemoral joint to keep the joints in alignment with the line of travel.
And, because bend is always accompanied by vertebral rotation, this affects the longitudinal axis (roll), which is also affected by the pelvis being drawn under with the stepping-under limb…
Which in turn draws the pelvis under on the lateral axis (pitch), allowing all the hind joints to fold and load, rather than brace.
(I personally find this to promote emotional regulation and relaxation much better than a disengagement.)
This is how classical lateral work, works to protect the joints and begin to engage, rather than disengage.
Leading hindlimb trajectory is also why shoulder-fore, shoulder-in on a circle (Newcastle-style), or shoulder-in with the leading hind limited by a wall (Guérinière-style) is safer for most horses, until they can organize their pelvis correctly.
This is also why I prefer renvers through corners and on a circle, rather than straight line travers work, and is why the shoulders must lead in halfpass.
As well, when we ride lateral maneuvers as 2-D, sideways exercises, rather than 3-D, rotational exercises, with the horse ‘pulling’ themselves along with the leading hind, rather than pushing themselves with the stepping-under hind, I believe that has an effect on the lumbo-sacro-iliac system that causes ‘guarding’ or pain in these areas, but that’s a different post for a different time.
SUSPENSION IN ADVANCED WORK
On the subject of pushing vs pulling, in advanced lateral work in trot and canter, the greatest amount of lateral travel occurs during the suspension phase created by the stepping-under limb, with load and breakover occurring during a minimal support phase on the leading limb.
Meaning lateral work in suspensioned trot and canter potentially presents less risk than lateral work in walk.
In walk, there is no suspension, so it becomes even more important that lateral work must be careful and purposeful.
OBSERVATIONS…
In my years of farrier work, I saw an obvious association of increasing amounts of stifle and hock dysfunction in horses who were in ‘disengagement-focused’ natural horsemanship programs. It was heart-breaking.
But guess where else I see issues?
Programs that refuse to do any lateral work at all.
Programs where ‘forward at all costs’ loads braced joints at speed.
Some of us have grown wary of lateral work, and rightfully so, but without the ability to fold the joints and address how that influences balance, straightness-focused programs will encounter dysfunction as well.
More recently, I’m seeing issues in programs that focus only on the front end- thoracic sling, shoulders, etc.- and attempt to transfer weight to hind limbs and joints that again, are fixed, rather than folding.
This creates a ‘Push-Me-Pull-You’ effect over the bridge of the back that’s making for some pretty unhappy horses.
WHY CLASSICAL WORK ENDURES
Exploring and embracing more and more into classical work, I’m understanding more and more why it’s stood the test of time…
Because when we protect the joints through balanced, tempoed straight lines and circles, and develop progressive pelvic function and limb folding through careful, purposeful lateral work, rather than seeing it as sideways work, we protect and develop what is otherwise damaged by straight line hammering and sideways clamboring.
Add your thoughts and observations below!
PHOTOS:
Disengagement as a purposeful but temporary safety measure with a young horse. The Calvary stop is a great alternative, as well.
Showing the effect classical lateral work can have on the function and posture of the hind limb, after just a few months. In renvers pirouette, notice the limb is not crossing the midline, but folding and advancing forward to the diagonal shoulder, drawing the pelvis under along with it.
Heuschmann
Denoix
