Any ideas appreciated - personality change.. (sorry, long)

Zabby

Zabby

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Crow has acted very much out of character lately. He's normally a very sweet, willing and cooperative horse. Reactive but not a nervous wreck. Also, when he indeed is stressed, his response is usually to bounce or ''nearly rear'' in front, he has never bucked before, even when first started under saddle. In fact he's normally so sensetive and obedient, that when he got himself really worked up, he'd first try to go forward, which I blocked by just squeesing the rein. Then sideways, blocked that with my legs, backing was blocked by the seat and he knew he wasn't allowed to rear up. The final thing he could think of was to sit down on his butt. Any other horse I know being that worked up, would have ignored some of the riders aids, but not him. It was a while ago and he has become calmer. The past years he's been the perfect trail horse, crossing water, bridges, going everywhere and listened perfectly. Some dressage work alongside the trail riding and just wonderfully building confidense.

But now the past weeks, he's changed. First he didn't want to move forward one ride, just sidestepped, it starting just as I got up in the saddle. The other day he'd stress, not his usual slight stressing but really bad, galloping around the arena and not stopping.. etc. Then been ok, and then not himself anymore.
I gave him some days rest and decided to just start slow, not demanding any real work but just shuffle along around the yard..
This was today:
Today it started with not coming in the pasture. Fine, I brought the other horses in and left him alone, then opened the gate for him when I came back down. Had the mood that I'm not gona force him to stay with me if he doesn't want to. I expected him to take a run up to the barn and his buddies, but he stayed walking just behind me, like saying ''sorry, I DO want to be with you!'' I even made a few turns and stuff, stopping and so just to check, and yeah, he folowed me around like a puppy walking 'heel''.. It definetly softened my mood alright.

Tacked him up loose in the barn, Dad riding Dacke outside. Crow stood like an angel, even when tightening the girth, which he's a bit sensetive about some days.

I got up and rode and he was like butter, soft, lovely, nice.. feeling I got my horse back :3 I kept it very easy, walked, turned asked for a bit of gait and a bit of trot but not demanding anything. Then suddenly he changed, I dunno how to describe it, he just didn't feel like himself anymore and before I knew it he started bucking...

I managed to stay seated, get him to stop and then go forward and he started to get back to himself again.. then it just snappd again, he started to run up the hill and buck, and refused to stop, the more I tried to slow him down, gently and somewhat calmly, the more he tried to buck, he seemed terrified, the white of his eyes just glaring at me.. finally he stopped, I lunged him, mounted, walked two steps, stopped and got off again..

I rode altogether no more than 30 minutes. First 10 in walk, then mixing trot, tolt/gait and walk, and it had been some 20-25 minutes before he snapped and bucked the first time... He's a horse with a good basic fitness, even after a few weeks off there has never been any problem going on a one or two hours easy trail ride, so I can't imagine that he's been tired or anything..

What's happening to him? It's not at all what he usually is like, I've never seen him like that before.. it feels so unnatural.. sure he'll stress at times and everything, but now he just snapped.. twice..
He spooked several times from Akiro and Ceddie running around us too, which is not like him either, he's used to have the dogs around him and never reacted to that before.. no matter if they suddenly jumped out from bushes etc, and now they were in the open so there were no surprises.. I just don't know what it can be..

I've checked the saddle, bridle and everything. He's not sore when I press my fingers along the back, doesn't react when I stretch him (bending his legs in all different positions and also asking him to bend his head and neck to both sides as well as up and down), no reaction when I make the belly lift (scratching down his butt making him lift his back a whole lot for stretching) and no reaction to swaying the back either.. He's lunged in walk, trot, gait and canter, showed no lameness..

Something is wrong but I can't see what.. the changes are so sudden. If it's my weight or the saddle causing a soreness, I don't see why he snaps like that.. only pain related thing I can see would be if it ''stabs'' when he put his back in a certain way, but then again I can't see what way that would be all suddenly after working nicely for 10-20 minutes.. and why getting scared by the dogs all of a sudden?

I'm not going to ride him more untill this one's sorted out.. I'll have to have my (good) trainer get out here and look at him as well.. perhaps I can work him on the long rein. I've wanted to learn that and if he snaps again at least I can't fall off...

I'm worried about him.. :(
Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong?
I've thought about ulcers or such but.. it wouldn't explain anything.. he's ben put on probiotics anyway just to make sure..
 
I figure it is pain somehow too, but where? Why? From what?

I've talked with the vet over phone, she can't think of any other way to check him than what I've already done. Apart from x-raying, but she thought I should wait with that.

He'll get some time off, I'll just not ride him. We'll explore long reining with my instructor - who'll also take a look at him just for good measure - and work him without any added weight. Since he's supple and shows no stiffness or pain or odd behaviour except these few moments when riding, that shouldn't hurt, but rather help if it's some muscle problem. Not good to stay inactive and get stiff either.. And if he starts acting up on the rein, perhaps we have a bettr chance of seeing why.

If he's not better in a few weeks without riding, I'll call the vet again and have her come over, or get him to a clinic where he can be x-rayed..

Wolf teeth are pulled, btw.. if his mouth would be sore for some reason, wouldn't he be annoyed first and buck later? :/
We can long rein him bitless anyway, just to be safe,..
 
Could be anything, if he's young, ive heard of horses going through almost 'teenage phases' but if he looks scared he is most probably in pain. A good way of checking for pain would be those thermal imaging cameras? I've never used the method myself, but have seen stalls at shows etc, and they show heat anywhere in the horse and results would be quite interesting :)

http://www.equinethermography.co.uk/index.php

Hope this helps, and hope Crow improves! :)
 
Could be behavioural, hormonal etc or as other people have said, he might just be going through a grumpy teenager stage.

Before you do any other sort of work with him, I would have his back checked, then his teeth, then his feet, if still nothing, his saddle.
 
Zabby said:
Wolf teeth are pulled, btw.. if his mouth would be sore for some reason, wouldn't he be annoyed first and buck later? :/
Click to expand...

Although you mention wolf teeth,you don't mention when his last general teeth check up was?? If it was a while ago is well worth checking that out.
Friends horse bucked her off recently (out of character for him),and turned out he has ulcers in his mouth from sharp edges on teeth,and is highly likely what caused his behaviour.Was only seen by dentist few months ago as well,so shows things can change quickly.
He was ok for first part of ride as well like your lad AFAIK,so don't always show annoyance straight away I guess.

Anyway just a thought in case it helps,I do think like others said that it sounds like a pain issue with your lad somewhere,and if you are confident back and saddle are ok,and are no soundness issues then maybe look at teeth next??
 
If he is young then I would suspect that he has changed shape and the saddle is causing him discomfort, worth having someone check it out.
 
Mouth was checked some months ago (might be the first time in his life actually) by a vet that specialized in teeth. Nothing at all needed to be done, except wolf teeth, he's one of those horses with a good bit I suppose. And he's getting the same amount of hay and grass etc as before so wearing should be good.

He's 9.. isn't that a bit old for teenage issues? :/ Been ridden regularily for 3 years.. The saddle is a treeless (not the cushion type but the type with actual panels and normal built) so even if he changed a little in muscles, it should still fit... , I've checked every inch of it, checked spinal clearance, sweat patterns... He does have a rub near his hips from the saddle pad (a western type pad) since it was too long, but I fixed that a while ago so there's no preassure near that area. And it's just some rubbed hairs and he shows no tenderness. I've checked the pad too, making sure it's still as thick and filling as it should be, even etc and I make sure to pull it up under the saddle so it doesn't press on the spine. I'd try riding bareback but I don't really want to sit on him at all right now..

If it is pain (and I sure hope it is, because otherwise it could be brain injury.. and I've just heard that some of his sibling or mothers siblings or something was put down due to behavoral problems and they believed it was some sort of bleedig in the brain.. so I definetly hope it's a pain issue and that it will go away..) but if it is pain it got to be in the back.. no lameness, no showing anything except those sudden issues when I sit on him..
I don't know what it is, but I don't think it will help him to stand still. Bodies doesn't heal well when not moving. So I think working on the long rein (kinda like ground driving) should benefit him even if it is pain in the back. Unless he gets grumpy or show anything or any unwillingness there I can't see the harm. And if it's the mouth, he should show it then too..

I have a bad back myself and the last thing I should do is just sitting down, backs need to move..

But of course I won't ride him untill I know he's fine..
 
I agree you should keep your horse moving and turned out, long reining is unlikely to affect him unless he has ligament injury and even then walk should be fine.
 
If it's ligament, wouldn't he show something when he's stretching or everything I've done..? :/ Not just standing relaxed no matter what I do with him apart from the riding..
 
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