Mollymillymoo
Well-Known Member
Hello again eveyone - I know I don't post very often but I need some advice.
Coco used to love jumping, he's never refuse or run out - we could jump nice 3' course, and he would be locking onto jumps just schooling around them he enjoyed it so much.
Then he went lame after a knock last summer while jumping and had to have 6 weeks rest. We started riding again but didn't jump till he felt totally himself again which was a couple of months later. At that point just little cross poles, just to get into it. These were fine, but when we put them up to straights he started to stop and run out. This was really off, so we stopped jumping again. We realised he had started to develope arthritis which isn't so unsual, he's a 13 year old cob who's always been rather forward going and active so we were kind of expecting it. Just meant some new suppliments and extra warming up till everything felt normal.
Fast forward a couple of months he was getting better with his jumping, se we put up some little 2' straights - jumping beautifully if a little hesitant. Then going up to it after having jumped a couple of times he bucked 3 strides before the jump, stopped from a canter and kept bucking till I fell off which is not his style. Usually his bucks are just out of excitement and a one off. So got back on and schooled and he felt totally wrong and tried again to get me off, so I got off and we went home. Stopped riding and got the vet out - he just told us he has arthritis - we already knew this. Nothing else seemed to be wrong and we really rate this vet - he's been seeing my family's horses for years. So made sure we did lots of warming up etc and didn't do anything too strenuous, he also went on a diet.
So started jumping again - got up to doing around 2'6 again occasionally if he was having a good day and this seemed to work, was getting more confident and enjoying it a bit more. As he's on a diet he's getting minimum calories, a low cal chaf and 3 cups of low cal balancer a day = a very lazy cob! So we added a cup of oats a day, slowly, and this seemed to get him back to normal energy levels. I clipped him on saturday, and then rode on sunday. Warmed up fine, nice and forwards and bending, lots of warming up then popped a cross pole - jumped beautifully and felt happy. Did it a couple more times and he was a good boy. Then went round again and 3 strides before the jump he stopped and bucked till I fell off.
I got back on but he was really horrible to canter, I could feel he was going to do explode, cantering really tiny strides and he just felt ready to explode. We didn't jump again, I just cooled him off and we went home.
So basically I'm too scared to even canter up to a cross pole on a horse I taught to jump and have had for 9 years. I'm not sure what to do?
Any advice at all would be really appreciated. x
Coco used to love jumping, he's never refuse or run out - we could jump nice 3' course, and he would be locking onto jumps just schooling around them he enjoyed it so much.
Then he went lame after a knock last summer while jumping and had to have 6 weeks rest. We started riding again but didn't jump till he felt totally himself again which was a couple of months later. At that point just little cross poles, just to get into it. These were fine, but when we put them up to straights he started to stop and run out. This was really off, so we stopped jumping again. We realised he had started to develope arthritis which isn't so unsual, he's a 13 year old cob who's always been rather forward going and active so we were kind of expecting it. Just meant some new suppliments and extra warming up till everything felt normal.
Fast forward a couple of months he was getting better with his jumping, se we put up some little 2' straights - jumping beautifully if a little hesitant. Then going up to it after having jumped a couple of times he bucked 3 strides before the jump, stopped from a canter and kept bucking till I fell off which is not his style. Usually his bucks are just out of excitement and a one off. So got back on and schooled and he felt totally wrong and tried again to get me off, so I got off and we went home. Stopped riding and got the vet out - he just told us he has arthritis - we already knew this. Nothing else seemed to be wrong and we really rate this vet - he's been seeing my family's horses for years. So made sure we did lots of warming up etc and didn't do anything too strenuous, he also went on a diet.
So started jumping again - got up to doing around 2'6 again occasionally if he was having a good day and this seemed to work, was getting more confident and enjoying it a bit more. As he's on a diet he's getting minimum calories, a low cal chaf and 3 cups of low cal balancer a day = a very lazy cob! So we added a cup of oats a day, slowly, and this seemed to get him back to normal energy levels. I clipped him on saturday, and then rode on sunday. Warmed up fine, nice and forwards and bending, lots of warming up then popped a cross pole - jumped beautifully and felt happy. Did it a couple more times and he was a good boy. Then went round again and 3 strides before the jump he stopped and bucked till I fell off.
I got back on but he was really horrible to canter, I could feel he was going to do explode, cantering really tiny strides and he just felt ready to explode. We didn't jump again, I just cooled him off and we went home.
So basically I'm too scared to even canter up to a cross pole on a horse I taught to jump and have had for 9 years. I'm not sure what to do?
Any advice at all would be really appreciated. x
