Anyone else have/had this problem???

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MabelSyrup0511

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WHen we first bought mabel she wouldn't stand still to have her girth done up and had to be saddled up in the yard, have one person hold her whilst someone else did up her girth. She is a lot better now and some days she stands completly still. But has anyone else experienced this as we don't know why she does it. We bought her from where we used to irde and the YO suspected that she might have been abused as sudden movements used to really scare her and she was quite withdrawn and used to stand at the back of the stable in the corner. She is much more relaxed and friendly now but could it be connected??? (sorry bit long) =]
 
it could be fear related reaction following harsh girthing in the past, ot it could be an ulcer. Try giving her a about 30/35 Tums every day for a week and see if it improves.
 
A mare in our yard is similar, in her case it was because one day when being ridden thru a gate rider got saddle caught in the gate and horse was stuck, and ever since then shes been a nightmare to do girth up as she associates it with being trapped and caught like that. Doing the girth up makes her panic again.

I do think mares find it harder to forget anything unpleasant with their tummy area too .

Well done with the progress being made, it is a hard one to crack so sounds like you are doing well with her.
 
they can have a tight muscle problem in the girth area, i have seen horses that were very sensitive and twitchy in that area and were treated by a good back person, and were instantly calmer about being touched there. it's an avenue to explore, anyway.
 
we have a gelding on the yard who has had broken ribs in the past and is only just settling with girthing now. he was diagnosed by our back man who i think felt where the rib/s had healed, getting back etc checked might be plan!
 
Sounds like shes maybe had an incident which still bothers her a little to be scared of sudden movements, but maybe shes just had a really rough handler which has made her a bit twitchy / withdrawn.
Maybe not the same thing, but my TB mare is really tickly around her girth area, when i first bought her she used to throw her head in my dierction as though she was going to bite me or lift a leg to shoo me away (like with flys) and generally twitch, ive had her back checked and its not pain related.
So now, sounds silly really but i make a point of rubbing or tickling her girth area on purpose, shes just come to terms with it now and its boring to her and doesnt bother.
Some mares do apear just to be very ticklish? However it could be any of the other complaints mentioned by the others.
 
We have a horse on loan.She wasnt excercised much before we had her and her shape has changed drastically because she is ridden every day.Her old saddle caused bruising on her back have you had her saddle checked.
She is still sensitive but much better with her new saddle ,could it be that her saddle is causing the problems.Ours is much more sensitive around her belly than my gelding and is ticklish especially with clipping .We have to do her girth up really slowly.If she is uncomfortable with her saddle it would make her irritable for tacking up.
 
My mare was like it for a while last summer. She got bitten by a fly where the girth goes and it got infected and all gucky and swollen. For abt three months afterwards she was sensitive.
 
I agree with Kerilli - I would be inclined to have her back checked. My lad came to me with a bad back and was very unhappy being saddled. Regular treatment, and sympathetic handling has worked wonders.
 
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