Advise on mare

[L.equestrian]

Hi,

My 10 year old warmblood mare hates being in the school. She’ll walk around but anything more forward, trot or canter. She puts her ears back and will not go forward. Sometimes she’ll trot half the school, but has always completely refused to canter.
However in the field she is happy and forward going, will trot and canter. Which makes it really strange.

She’s been checked multiple times by a vet and chiropractor. Only thing wrong is occasional tense back muscles. She’s been on hormone balancer in the past and it didn’t make a difference.

Only other thing is when putting on her saddle, or even walking towards her with the saddle, she scrapes her hooves, ears back and can try to bite.

Any advise welcome

 

[Zoeypxo]

Has she been scoped for ulcers? Or back x rays?

 

[View]

Oh my, lots of possibilities. Just off the top of my head

School sour?
Soft tissue injury
what is she like to lunge in the school?
what is she like to lunge in th3 field.
when you say she is forward in the fiel, is this ridden or when turned out and having a bit if a hokey?
What is she like when hacking, alone and in company?
Saddle fit?

 

[L.equestrian]

Oh my, lots of possibilities. Just off the top of my head

School sour?
Soft tissue injury
what is she like to lunge in the school?
what is she like to lunge in th3 field.
when you say she is forward in the fiel, is this ridden or when turned out and having a bit if a hokey?
What is she like when hacking, alone and in company?
Saddle fit?

Oh my, lots of possibilities. Just off the top of my head

School sour?
Soft tissue injury
what is she like to lunge in the school?
what is she like to lunge in th3 field.
when you say she is forward in the fiel, is this ridden or when turned out and having a bit if a hokey?
What is she like when hacking, alone and in company?
Saddle fit?

I thought maybe she just is fed up of the school but she only gets ridden in there a couple of times a week. Forward to ride in the field. Happy to trot and canter. Don’t have any hacking facilities near us if not it would be interesting but I’m sure she’d be just as fine out. Only lunged her in the school and she’s fine. Saddle fits perfectly, she’s been fitted with a new saddle a couple of months to rule this out. It’s just really annoying as she’s sound but something is off

 

[L.equestrian]

Has she been scoped for ulcers? Or back x rays?

No she hasn’t. However she doesn’t have any usual ulcer symptoms. She eats anything given to her, hasn’t lost weight She’s fine with the girth being put on and done up just the saddle that’s a problem. X

 

[ycbm]

It could be many things but the only horses which I have had which have walked away when they see me approach with tack have turned out to have something wrong with them.

I would be very disturbed by a horse behaving the way you describe her when you approach with a saddle. Have you tried tacking her up loose in a stable? Will she even stand still for the saddle to be put on?
.

 

[L.equestrian]

It could be many things but the only horses which I have had which have walked away when they see me approach with tack have turned out to have something wrong with them.

I would be very disturbed by a horse behaving the way you describe her when you approach with a saddle. Have you tried tacking her up loose in a stable? Will she even stand still for the saddle to be put on?
.

Yeah I have. She wouldn’t stand still and gets very agitated. But after having a vet and a chiropractor and saddler out, I’m not sure what else is left to do. I don’t know much about her past only that she had a foal then got broken in a couple of years later.

 

[Zoeypxo]

Yeah I have. She wouldn’t stand still and gets very agitated. But after having a vet and a chiropractor and saddler out, I’m not sure what else is left to do. I don’t know much about her past only that she had a foal then got broken in a couple of years later.

id be requesting a full work up and back x rays personally. I hope you find out what is wrong

 

[Smoky 2022]

She could be just a very lazy horse and doesn’t want to be ridden . I had this problem with a mare that was left out on the field for years . She just wanted the retirement there was nothing wrong with the mare. she Just hated being ridden .

 

[shortstuff99]

I would also be considering PSSM, probably PSSM 2 as she is a warmblood.

 

[Bellaboo18]

You need a poor performance work up. There'll be something hurting.

 

[ycbm]

She could be just a very lazy horse and doesn’t want to be ridden . I had this problem with a mare that was left out on the field for years . She just wanted the retirement there was nothing wrong with the mare. she Just hated being ridden .

I'm not sure i believe in "just a very lazy horse" but let's assume for a moment that they do exist. Why would anyone want to ride a horse which hates being ridden?
.

 

[Barton Bounty]

It could be just that she does not like the surface! We used to ride in the school all the time until they changed the surface to a mix of stinky old carpet and sand, it was disgusting, smelly and horrid to ride in and my boy would not go forward in it at all, not even for a saddle fitting!
yet I can ride in the school at the new yard not a problem.

 

[ycbm]

Yeah I have. She wouldn’t stand still and gets very agitated. But after having a vet and a chiropractor and saddler out, I’m not sure what else is left to do. I don’t know much about her past only that she had a foal then got broken in a couple of years later.

I'm sorry, I couldn't put a saddle on a horse which consistently becomes very agitated and won't stand still for a saddle unless it's tied up.

I would put her in a hospital for a performance workup, probably to include back and neck x rays and PSD scans. There has always been a physical problem with any horse I've had which has turned its back when it sees a saddle.
.

 

[ycbm]

I would also be considering PSSM, probably PSSM 2 as she is a warmblood.

It doesn't really fit with going forward in the field?
.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Take her back to basics, a lot of people think you can just hop on and also a lot of people will tell fibs just to sell you something. Do some groundwork with her, do some join up, and then start doing things mounting! I am a great believer in trust is the basis for everything. Teach her to stand at the block! I taught an ottb to stand perfectly still
In a week! If you want any tips feel free to pm me ?

 

[shortstuff99]

It doesn't really fit with going forward in the field?
.

Could still be as it would be harder work for her and the muscles in a school rather than a field and therefore more inclined to be 'lazy' in the school.

 

[View]

Time for a poor performance work up.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Agree you need a proper work up done if you have checked everything else.

 

[Birker2020]

It could be many things but the only horses which I have had which have walked away when they see me approach with tack have turned out to have something wrong with them.

I would be very disturbed by a horse behaving the way you describe her when you approach with a saddle. Have you tried tacking her up loose in a stable? Will she even stand still for the saddle to be put on?
.

I agree. Even Lari with all his issues never minds be tacked up apart from being girthy which led me to falsely suspect him on having ulcers.

 

[SEL]

Now I'm not saying your horse has PSSM but I retired my mare (n/P1) after she started to nap badly in the school and put her ears back and aim legs at me when the saddle was brought out. Its been a year now and I went to just pop one of her old saddles on the other day to see whether it was a definite sell and her whole attitude changed in front of me - still not open to the idea of me saddling her up.

She was always better in a large field / hacking than on a surface. I think it was surfaces being harder to work on so her muscles had to make more effort. She loved the martin collins surface at the posh yard next door after rain, but hated the same surface in their indoor or if it was dry.

We thought my smallest pony was struggling with the saddle because of ulcers until x rays found kissing spine. Now that has been addressed she's much happier to be tacked up.

Whether its muscular or skeletal or saddle or any number of potential issues I really do think your horse is telling you they don't want to be ridden in the arena. Often ligament issues can be highlighted on a surface.

 

[ycbm]

I agree. Even Lari with all his issues never minds be tacked up apart from being girthy which led me to falsely suspect him on having ulcers.

B if you can borrow a WOW Free Space girth I'd recommend giving it a try with Lari. Too much to spend out on without trying first, probably, they're pricey!
.

 

[Hannahgb]

I would be scanning hind suspensories, hocks and back xrays