ADVICE SOS : Problems with my horse pulling a lot, galloping, etc

[Hug]

and this in several ways... Pulling in trot to canter transitions, when I ask her to trot while lunging her...Starts to gallop for no reason...

To give you the full picture... I have a TB mare whose age cannot be determined due to really bad teeth condition, but should be over 15... I bought the horse two years ago from a yard where she was not fed properly, and not exercised properly. The dentist when he saw her said "I can't believe she is still alive" due to the really bad condition of her teeth.
Anyway for the past two years she has been exercised regularly, is fed properly (3 times hay and 2 times hard feed consisting of chaff, sugar beet and nuts), benevit vitamins and joint supplement. To sum up, girl is looking so much better now.

She is not the easiest horse to ride, as she was never trained properly and for a short period of time raced, but she was always the safest horse to ride (if we exclude some galloping moments) never spooks, so relaxed while hacking out, does not buck,rear etc....

In mid December I gave her a week's break as I went abroad. And then when I came back, what she did'nt do in the two years I had her she did in 4 days. Day 1 Group hack she flipped, initially she backed a couple of times, then stopped but another horse flipped, reared, threw the rider off and started galloping, and she followed her galloping to her paddock.... I managed to stay on out of luck but the jumping position did help me to stay on...
Then the following day while riding her I asked for a canter transition from trot several times, and she would pull so much with her neck ( i also think she bucked) that she managed me to throw me off once! Never have I fallen off this horse during flatwork the two years i had her! This was so demoralizing!!!

This was not typical behaviour of her. Then the following day the farrier would come, i wasnt there but the groom who took her back to her paddock told me she reared while he was walking her back.

And then yesterday, after all these incidents, I decided to lunge her. She was tense all along, and I was tense and nervous as well I must admit. Anyway she walked fine for 3 minutes, then I asked for a trot very gently, wasnt even holding a whip, and the she suddenly exploded and pulled me so hard i ended on the ground, thank god I was wearing a helmet..

Past week was not pleasant.... I hate not feeling safe... I am afraid to ride her at the mom as I am at an age that I do not want to get hurt.....

I am just wondering... She is a mare, is this one of her phases? she had moody cycles before but not to the extent she would become so unsafe to ride and be around her... Is this because it is getting colder and perhaps I should reduce her feed? Is it the combination of long break, feed and cold (I am not in the UK, I do not consider 18 degrees in the day to be that cold). Or is it just that she is getting stronger?

Please let me know what you think.....

 

[Hug]

Also i forgot to mention sth else that may be of importance. I use a very mild bit on her (french link with D-rings) and i am generally very mild with the hands... Sometimes I just wonder if I should just be a little bit stricter with her...

 

[smellsofhorse]

I think a change of feed.
Chiropractor and physio.
Teeth check again?
Saddle check.

Does she have enough turnout?
Adlib forage?

The first time she could have been feeling fresh from her time off but as its still happening id say something was up.

 

[Hug]

I think a change of feed.
Chiropractor and physio.
Teeth check again?
Saddle check.

Does she have enough turnout?
Adlib forage?

The first time she could have been feeling fresh from her time off but as its still happening id say something was up.

Dentist was here a month ago so teeth checked.
Physio will have a look this morning...
She is turned out all day long, has a big paddock for the self.
Saddle fits her perfectly...

I think I will ask for a blood test....

 

[Grinchmass]

I'd say get all track checked.
Get back checked.
Perhaps change feed to something with less fizz.
Also get the vet out as for a horse to change so rapidly usually indicates a problem, and as you say get them to do bloods.

Also when you where away did the person you had looking after her ride her at all? Have you spoken to the person who looked after her and found out what she was like while you wern't there?

 

[wench]

vet...

 

[Hug]

I'd say get all track checked.
Get back checked.
Perhaps change feed to something with less fizz.
Also get the vet out as for a horse to change so rapidly usually indicates a problem, and as you say get them to do bloods.

Also when you where away did the person you had looking after her ride her at all? Have you spoken to the person who looked after her and found out what she was like while you wern't there?

I think I will reduce the feed and will get the blood test done.
I thought of giving her a break so I did not ask anyone to ride her as usually the break really does her some good....

But couldn't all this be just bad behaviour?

 

[spike123]

Is she still on the same amount of feed now as she was when you were putting weight on her? If so it could be diet related as she will be getting more energy than she needs hence the naughty behaviour. Also she maybe going out in the field for a long time daily but if all she does while out is graze and mooch about then she won't be using up any energy at all doing so. If the physical checks find nothing then either get someone confident to take her out for a good blast up a nice hill if it's not too wet to do so or take her for a fast hack yourself to try and use up some of the excess energy and see if she then calms down a bit. She sounds like a sensitive mare who has been upset by the galloping off of the other horse but from your description of her stretching her neck out possibly bucking and not willingly wanting to do the trot to canter transition it sounds pain related. Hopefully the physio will find something and it can be sorted easily.

 

[PandorasJar]

I think I will reduce the feed and will get the blood test done.
I thought of giving her a break so I did not ask anyone to ride her as usually the break really does her some good....

But couldn't all this be just bad behaviour?

I tend to come to the conclusion that if you've had her long enough to know her then if something is out of character, they haven't simply decided they're going to turn into a cow. There's a difference between fresh, and knowing something's not right.

If a character is wrong I take it more seriously than a physical sign, they are telling you loud and clear they are not feeling right, so I always have vet straight in.

Is she moving happily in the field? If you get vet in and rule out pain I'd only hack out with a safe and sane horse who won't take off. But personally this sounds too out of character and a very extreme reaction (rearing when led etc). Id be checking feet in addition. Any chance of lami? Rearing and refusal to cross certain terrain wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Goldenstar]

I think this sounds like a job for a specialist equine vet.

 

[Hug]

Thanks a lot, will wait and see what the physio says today, will call the vet tomorrow, if all ok, i will ask somebody else to ride her and see how she goes....
If problems persist, even though all health checks are ok, then something else is wrong...

While being hacked alone, she is great, she spooks very rarely.
She should either be worked more or have less hard feed...

I hope this is just a phase.. Because I miss my stubborn though safe and relaxed girl.. :-(

 

[Grinchmass]

I think I will reduce the feed and will get the blood test done.
I thought of giving her a break so I did not ask anyone to ride her as usually the break really does her some good....

But couldn't all this be just bad behaviour?

What I meant by has anyone been riding her when you where away, is basically can you trust them, are you sure she's been off work, or has she been ridden and been injured in some way while you were not there?

I know this most likely isn't the case but I'm overly suspicious.

But yes I would be getting everything checked as if you know her well and say its out of character then it's probably a sign of something else, I.e pain.