"bone idle" or getting old?

maletto

maletto

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This thread has been inspired by my thinking a lot about this situation over the last couple of weeks and also by the several glasses of chablis (so sorry in advance if I make little sense.....)

My horse, B, has always been "lazy". What I mean by this is that I have to work very hard to get the work I want out of him and my instructors and several more experienced horsepeople than me have commented to this effect.

Anyway, so I was loose jumping him a couple of weeks ago after I'd schooled for 20 minutes (I was tired and didn't want to do our usual 40 minutes so thought I'd spice things up for him). He is a "showjumper" - bred and trained thus - but I started with a 2'3" cross pole & jumped him both directions and he was very lazy with his legs and had a pole a couple of times. Once he'd cleared it fine, I put it up to just over 3'. He flat out refused.

I had him going into it in quite a nice canter but about 2 strides out he broke down into trot and refused. I'll admit I don't loose jump him that frequently but I was pretty surprised as whenever I've done it before he's flown over them and looked very pleased to be doing so.

Anyway, so I dropped it down and sent him over it no probs. Put it back up again and once more he refused. Someone else wanted the school so I made him go over a small x in both directions and then stopped.

Friend said it was because he was lazy but as he's getting on a bit now (16) I'm getting worried that this is him "showing me he's had enough". I've never had an older horse so just wondering if this is what people mean when they say that the horse will tell you when they've had it.

Goodness I didn't mean for this to be so long. dregs of chablis for those still reading.

Any comments would be very much appreciated. starting to worry about the little man

(I should actually just mention as a little post script that the girl who looks after him during the week loose schooled him this weekend and said that, although sticky, he eventually cleared 3'6".

I should also mention that he used to jump competitively BSJA, placing at a few foxhunter classes

One last comment is that his back hasn't been seen to for about a year - chiro was due to come monday but has cancelled so that is pending & hopefully should be seeing him soon)
 
Cheers! Hic :D

I wouldn't let a one off session worry you. He could have just not been feeling quite up to scratch on that particular day. I like my job, but sometimes I get into the office and think 'I wish I didn't have to do this today', I'm sure horses are the same.

If he seems otherwise sound and happy then I would write it off as one of those things. If you start noticing other things that are wrong or out of character then it might be time to think about what you could do to support him better in terms of feeding, supplements, shoeing etc through his middle age, or to speak to your vet.
 
Thank you Steorra. I really do hope that that is the case - trouble is, since I lost my confidence, I can't ride him over jumps to his full potential so I can never really be sure. always feel more on the horse than on the ground (obviously!)

I know I wasted the best years of his competitive life but if I could just squeeze a few more out of him that would be fantastic. I heard there was a horse that went round badminton successfully at 18..... I keep holding on to that as promise that there's hope for us yet!

Any comments from others would be massively appreciated (although i understand it's likely I will have to wait till the morning!)

Chablis all gone now though :(
 
possibly, although he hadn't been to the pub the night before so he didn't really have the same excuse as me.
 
Sounds like something could be niggling him. If he looks sound & there are no obvious problems I'd be tempted to get a chiro or physio to take a look. Horses can be very stoic about pain & just keep going, if it's back/neck/pelvic pain there might not be obvious lameness so you wouldn't know anything was up. However something like jumping can be too much so they just jack it in or get 'sticky' as you put it. Poorly fitting tack, early stage navicular-type issues (what are his feet like?) or teeth causing pain are also things I'd want to eliminate before writing him off as an old lad who wants to take things easy ;)
 
I agree that there might be something a little bit stiff or something. My IDxTB occasionally was like that, I couldnt see any stiffness but my instructor could. A week or two of rest and he was perfectly fine for another year before it happened again.

Maybe take him out to a little show or something that will perk him up. Not neces to compete, just for fun/excitement for him, tho you could do an in hand veteran class (tho he's only just qualify).

Its a tricky age with horses, they do age quicker than ponies but most are still perfectly capable at your horses age to go on a good few years.

If hes not ok after a rest and an outing, I would get a back/physio in but would try first.
 
good thinking guys, thank you. Had the saddler out last week and he sorted saddle so that should be ok.

He has fantastic feet so that's some reassurance. will try some rest and then a pick me up show and see how he feels.

Hopefully it's just a one off.
 
i might get the vet to look at bi-lateral lamness in the front, the higher they jump the more it will hurt and if it in both feet they will not look lame even if the feet look great.
 
Sounds like he's feeling a few tweeks, because if he's an honest sort of horse, he'd have had ago at the jump, not run out. 16 isn't old but he could be feeling a few aches and pains, like the rest of us we all age differently.And I'll bring the wine.:):):)
 
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