Bucking & now rearing - advice needed...

FleabittenT

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My mare, T, reared this morning. She's never reared with me before & I'd really appreciate some advice.

She's a 15.1hh, 9yo connie x & I've owned her 18 months.

In Feb, I bought her back into work after she'd been roughed off for 6 weeks. We were hacking when she bucked for the first time. I came off & broke my collar bone.

Had physio out, saddle re-fitted, teeth checked, everything seemed fine. So, after 4 weeks healing, she came back into work again.

Since then, we've had periodic bucks. There's no pattern to them, we'd go some weeks with her working nicely & then she'd drop her shoulder & go up at the back. The physio's been back, again nothing came up, & her saddle's been adjusted & re-flocked.

On the lunge, she'll lunge nicely for 6-7 minutes before bucking. She'll buck constantly for a couple of minutes, before settling & working nicely again. This is the same whether under saddle or not.

In Sept, after a couple of buck-free weeks, we went to a local show (we competed last summer). Produced an ok dressage test & on leaving the arena, she bucked. I didn't see it coming & this time broke my other shoulder
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So, got back on this morning. She's been lunged regularly over the last 4 wks. Got on in the indoor school, warmed up in walk, asked for trot & she reared, then bunny-hopped across the school. She's never reared before.

I don't know where to go from here. Rearing is such an extreme reaction, I feel like I'm missing something.

Is she in pain? What do I have checked out next? Or just throwing her toys out the pram?

Sadly, after two broken bones, I'm fast losing confidence.

I know I have two options, persevere or (try to) sell. What would you do?

Thanks for reading
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Have you had her seen by a vet? I rode a horse years ago that started randomly plunging me off - turned out to have kissing spines.
If it's nothing physical, try looking Balance saddles. I'm a total convert to them and one of their saddles really helped a friend's horse who intermittently bolted before he got his new saddle.
You could also try someone like Debbie Marsden or another behaviourist who should be able to tell you if the horse is naughty or in pain.
 
A friend of mine had a mare who behaved similarly to this - she turned out to have fractured withers. This must have happened in the field as there was never any clue that she had had any sort of accident, but the bad bucking, plunging etc was on and off for months before they finally got the vet out and got a diagnosis with x-rays. Defo get the vet if you haven't done already, it does sound like there is an underlying problem. Good luck
 
I would get the vet too. You need to rule out an underlying physical problem. It sounds like pain to me.

Also, It could be related to discomfort when shes in season.
Possibly get a second opinion on the saddle.
 
I think she staking the pee and you need to work her more in al honesty!

only other thing I can think of is kissing spines..
 
If she had kissing spines she would be sore down her back and stiff? my old horse had it, and surely the pysio would pick that up straight away but i do agree get her checked out by the vet. still anything is possible with horses :/
 
Thanks all.

We're lucky enough to have a fab vet on site. I've booked another consultation on Weds so will take it from there.

Littleme, tbh I thought she was taking the pee until yesterday's rear
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The bucks are protest bucks rather than 'get off my back' bucks. But rearing's so much more extreme, can see we need to investigate possibility of pain issues in more depth.

Wish us luck
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[ QUOTE ]
I think she staking the pee and you need to work her more in al honesty!

only other thing I can think of is kissing spines..

[/ QUOTE ]

Why would you automatically assume the horse is taking the piss, especially when you haven't seen the horse??

Sorry, but my first reaction would be that the horse is in pain or something along those lines. Horses IMO don't generally bronc for no reason.
 
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