Advice needed please!

[barkinghorse]

I won't turn it into a long post,
but William seems to feel very front heavy...
I don't feel very safe when i ride him, i think he's going to fall and he trips a lot.
My instructor doesn't feel it although she did say he can be heavy on the forehand.
Even when i lead him, he feels as though all his weight is at the front.
I don't know whether it's because Jess was very light on her feet and always worked from behind or whether it's just i have got a clumsy horse.
Have even considered buying another horse as i don't like riding him and don't feel very safe, even in trot i feel i am holding him up!
Anyone else got a horse like this?
Any advice is welcome
Jo

 

[magic104]

My sister! I understand just where you are coming from, I hated riding her for the same reasons. Trying to get her to work from behind was very hard work, as she would just want to rush off. I stopped riding her as she aggravated a back injury, I also found her heavy to lead. None of my horses are like this & they at least can manage to carry themselves when led. If she was mine I would try more lunge work & raised poles to try & get her to pick her feet up & try to work more from behind. I am sure you have tried this so perhaps someone else will have some ideas for you.

 

[barkinghorse]

Thanks, i'll try that, how far off the ground should the poles be raised?
Jo

 

[eahotson]

Just an idea. I had a horse that stumbled a lot. Did it on the vetting and vetsaid just idle. However on advice from saddle fitter I got the back lady out (equine physiotherapist). She treated his back and neck and 95% of the stumbling stopped.

 

[Parkranger]

Not sure how long you've had him but my boy was terrible for stumbling and working on the forehand.

6 months later, 2 physio appointments, schooling (in walk and trot only) and a set of balancing shoes and he's a different horse! Doesn't stumble when we're out anymore either (he would stumble atleast 5 times on every hack although some of that was probably laziness)

 

[barkinghorse]

Have had backwoman and vet out, he was sore in his back but that was a while ago, had his back checked again last week and it's fine.
He was lame for about 3 weeks and the vets xrayed for fractured pedal bone, this was negative, so they did navicular tests on him, these also came back negative so i know it's not that.
I have had him 2 years and he has alway felt this way, although to be honest i have only been working him properly for the last few months since Jess died.
I rebroke him june '05 and turned him away for well over a year.
Victress,
he has natural balance shoes on already, but he has only had them on for the last 5 weeks, should i find a difference straight away or does it take time for him to adjust?
Jo