Toe dragging

Question
I currently have a 5 year old quarter horse mare. Small frame- about 13.3 hands tall. She is ridden daily for about 2 hours and shows in team penning and sorting every weekend. She is in great athletic shape and has shown no signs of lameness but she drags her back toes when allowed to do a jog trot. The front of her hoof on the back feet are worn down to look more square than round.
I had a friend take a horse to the vet and was told toe dragging is the first sign of lameness? If this correct?

Answer
HELLO CAITLIN...THANKS FOR YOUR QUESTION...

FIRST...Sorry for the delay, I was out-of-state working and covered up !!

Yes and No... No because "you" know your horse better than anyone. Is she alittle "lazy" at the walk or trot ?? Most horses will drag at the walk also !! THAT WOULD make me feel that
a lameness HAS begun or is just starting. Being she does it only at the trot; then either alittle flat gaited or lazy.

That being the case,your farrier can "roll" the toe in the hind shoe if she is shod. ONLY slightly, because they need toe to "push-off" and drive with their hind end. If you are keeping
her barefoot, then it WILL continue to be a problem, with NO way of stopping the "wear-off"
of the anterior wall.

AGAIN...IF she ONLY does it at a"jog-trot" it is "probably" not lameness. IF YOU are making a trip to your veterinarian anytime soon, you could have him/her check her stifles and
patella with a flex test to determine if there is any arthritis starting or changes. Boxing
or dragging hind hooves is MANY times more conformation than lameness.

I wouldn't be alarmed or worried that she will "fall apart" quickly...just an ounce of prevention and have her checked at YOUR conveince.

Happy to answer anything else...Best to You !!

Joepaul Meyers,C.J.F.