Any help/advice needed please!

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Hatts24

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This might take some explaining (sorry) but I am totally at a loss and looking for some advice on where to go from here!

Bought a 6YO Cob in January, very inexperienced with bad habits etc. Lots of work gone into him and been foot perfect and able to go showing/sponsored rides etc over the summer. Always been VERY nappy in the school but never out. Absolute star pony then suddenly 3 weeks ago he flipped.

We've gone back to being worse than he's ever been. Naps so badly out hacking that I have had to walk him round just to get him moving, doesn't buck/rear/react he just plants. He's also suddenly changed his attitude and is being very testing with all aspects. Gone back through everything that I can think that may have changed to try and get to the bottom of it. He is now stabled (had been out 24/7 in the summer) but this only started happening a while after being back in, he had haylage for a couple of days and quickly taken off it as I thought it might be affecting him. Feed is the same, he's had his teeth done 2 months ago, tack all checked, regular farrier and has the physio in a few weeks. I am totally stuck and it's at the point where he is reducing me to tears and I can't get through it. Other people at the yard have tried to get on him and still he doesn't move for them. Do I turn him away for a month maybe? Or keep persisting and try and ride through it? Any help and advice is much appreciated - I will try anything.
 
Ulcers, brought on by the change in management and more time in the stable? My mare has had treatment for ulcers twice, both in the autumn. Her behaviour changes, she naps, spins, sweats etc. Sounds just like your horse. He's telling you he's unhappy! I'd be asking a vet for a lameness work up and scope for ulcers.
 
We had a homebred ID/TB horse which suddenly started napping. She was about 8 yrs. old and a brilliant hack, go past anything and go anywhere. Suddenly she started napping at the most normal things like gateways, wouldn't go round a corner, all sorts of "normal" situations became a scary proposition. We were at our wits end and did all the things you've done, so in the end called the vet out. He couldn't find anything wrong with her at all, but for some reason, suggested scoping her. Vet's instinct I suppose. Bingo!!!! Ulcers. Put her on a course of Gastroguard (at huge expense to the insurance company) and she made a complete recovery. We kept her on a supplement, which the vet recommended, until the end of her life, but she never looked back. Hope this gives you some hope.
 
Outdoorgirl said:
We had a homebred ID/TB horse which suddenly started napping. She was about 8 yrs. old and a brilliant hack, go past anything and go anywhere. Suddenly she started napping at the most normal things like gateways, wouldn't go round a corner, all sorts of "normal" situations became a scary proposition. We were at our wits end and did all the things you've done, so in the end called the vet out. He couldn't find anything wrong with her at all, but for some reason, suggested scoping her. Vet's instinct I suppose. Bingo!!!! Ulcers. Put her on a course of Gastroguard (at huge expense to the insurance company) and she made a complete recovery. We kept her on a supplement, which the vet recommended, until the end of her life, but she never looked back. Hope this gives you some hope.
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Thank you, I will investigate this and call the vet out to have a look asap :)
 
Also, my mare's ulcers definitely flared up when she was on haylage - too much sugar/acid. Switch to hay, and keep all unnecessary sugars within his hard feeds to a minimum too.

ETA - sorry, just noticed that you only had him on haylage for a short time and then put him back on hay again. Good move!
 
HeyMich said:
Also, my mare's ulcers definitely flared up when she was on haylage - too much sugar/acid. Switch to hay, and keep all unnecessary sugars within his hard feeds to a minimum too.
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Thank you, yes he hasn't had any haylage for about 3 weeks now and is on the Purefeed Fibre Balance and has been for months :)
 
HeyMich said:
Great. Mine is on Pure Fibre balance too - it's a fantastic feed! I feed extra Protexin and Brewer's yeast too, when I feel she might be getting ulcery again.
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That's interesting, I've had him on Protexin Gut Balancer at vets advice since he came to me as had issues with cow pat poos!
 
one of ours started planting when he built up muscle and his saddle no longer fitted - how long ago was yours checked?
 
Have you had your tack checked recently? I wonder if the work that he has been doing with you has meant that he has changed shape. If not I would start with a tack check and if that isn't the answer, definitely get the vet.
 
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