6yo Mare won't canter, and has started refusing

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manorfarm1969

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I have a 6 year old competitive showjumping mare. She is normally very forward and willing, and LOVES the competition ring.

However, recently, she's started to refuse to canter on the left lead (she just pins her ears back and trots faster). This doesn't always happen, but it's become more and more regular (I'd say 50% of the time now). She's now started refusing jumps too, when we're on the left lead. She has never stopped before - and now is refusing 70cm jumps (we scaled back our training when the problems started, but she'll easily clear 110cm - 120cm normally). Last weekend, in the competition ring, she simply refused to move forward and started rearing when I asked her to.

At first, I thought it was her hormones. But she's not obviously in season. Her food hasn't changed, her farrier hasn't changed and she's recently seen the dentist.

Has anyone got any experience in this? I've got the chiro/physio coming this week. She could very well just be testing me, on the basis she got away with a couple of refusals, and it's now become a habit. But I have this overwhelming feeling that something is wrong.

Any advice hugely appreciated.

Many Thanks
 
Interesting about worse on one rein, this could point to an injury where pushing off on the opposite leg hurts, i.e. my horse with a suspensory branch injury near fore was worse on the right rein as his near fore was pushing off more on a circle.

Like others say a vet visit will diagnose in order to treat.
 
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Birker2020 said:
I know you've written on another post how she is spooky too and this can be due to an undiagnosed injury.
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Yes she’s a handful! But one thing she never, ever did, was refuse to jump or move forward into a canter. Our coach thinks she’s taking advantage of me and picking up bad habits, but I’m not convinced. Let’s see if the vet comes back with anything!
 
manorfarm1969 said:
I have a 6 year old competitive showjumping mare. She is normally very forward and willing, and LOVES the competition ring.

However, recently, she's started to refuse to canter on the left lead (she just pins her ears back and trots faster). This doesn't always happen, but it's become more and more regular (I'd say 50% of the time now). She's now started refusing jumps too, when we're on the left lead. She has never stopped before - and now is refusing 70cm jumps (we scaled back our training when the problems started, but she'll easily clear 110cm - 120cm normally). Last weekend, in the competition ring, she simply refused to move forward and started rearing when I asked her to.

At first, I thought it was her hormones. But she's not obviously in season. Her food hasn't changed, her farrier hasn't changed and she's recently seen the dentist.

Has anyone got any experience in this? I've got the chiro/physio coming this week. She could very well just be testing me, on the basis she got away with a couple of refusals, and it's now become a habit. But I have this overwhelming feeling that something is wrong.

Any advice hugely appreciated.

Many Thanks
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Call a vet and physio, possibly a saddler- end of story. The mare is literally saying “I’m in pain!” You might want to also evaluate how long she’s been showjumping for. Although it’s socially acceptable, science shows that young horses wear out quicker due to lack of development.
 
Mine stopped wanting to canter on one rein when she had a soft tissue injury on her lead foreleg. She really didn't seem lame but when she cornered in the field flat out on the wrong canter lead I decided it was time for a work up.
 
My_old_warmblood said:
Call a vet and physio, possibly a saddler- end of story. The mare is literally saying “I’m in pain!” You might want to also evaluate how long she’s been showjumping for. Although it’s socially acceptable, science shows that young horses wear out quicker due to lack of development.
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I very much doubt she is worn out the horse is 6!
 
I agree with the vet check. Seems like a certain leg if she is only not cantering/refusing on the left lead.
Also here is an unpopular opinion but you could possibly try an animal communicator/animal psychic. Has worked wonders for some of my horses. Some psychics will let you ask your horse questions, maybe try that?
If you are looking for an animal psychic, look up 'Animal Listening with Kali Crosby'. I think she will really help you out, she's one of my favorite animal psychics. However I'm in the U.S, I don't know if she can do overseas. Look at her website.
P.s I didn't believe in animal psychics either, I'm not a very eccentric person, but there are some crazy things that make sense that psychics have told us about our horses.
 
Agree with warmblood, I've seen so many sj horses physically wrecked by 6. The horses are often jumping big heights while joints are still forming, and people totally under estimate the damage tight turns on surfaces do. Plus you have horses that have spent most of their lives ridden on surfaces, so aren't as conditioned through roadwork etc. To get a horse at 6 jumping 1 20s, you usually have to get a good bit of mileage on them and thats a big strain on joints that are still forming.
 
Vet and Saddler would be my first port of call. My old lad started striking off on the wrong lead on one rein (can't remember which) and that turned out to be his saddle needing adjustment. It caused some soreness so after a couple of weeks of flat work he was back to his old self again.
 
Goldenstar said:
Its certainly possible for a horse to be worn out and dealing with chronic lameness by six .
OP your horse needs a vet work up quickly .
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This exactly. There is a five year old on my yard that ‘jumped’ in his last home (not sure what?!). He has both hind suspensories de-nerved through PSD and a twice medicated coffin joint. Unfortunate, but possible.
 
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