Cannot stop thinking about what's going on with my horse...

G

girlmoose

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 May 2009
Messages
366
Location
Devon
Visit site
I am truely going round in circles.

He is 8 yrs old anglo arab who I've had for 2 years. He gets hot sometimes, as you would expect but he is generally very chilled and even if he does get hot it's nothing terrible.

End of last summer I started competing him very very lightly, I hadn't done much due to lack of horsebox. Started at local show, where we won riding club horse and got eliminated out of 2'3" jumping. He got a bit stressed in jumping ring and went over the first couple, but scary fillers got him stopping. Anyway, what is not the point of this post and we did the clear round jumping and went home. Also last year did 2 pre-novice dressage tests, won both :)

I've been having lessons the whole time I've had him, he's very good, specially with the dressage and last year I was able to collect and extend, we had the lateral work and the transitions inc walk to canter etc going nicely. He was very round underneath me, willing to work and I really felt we'd made a connection and were getting somewhere.

At the moment it feels like all that is a dream away. I brought him back into work last spring after injury to his knee had healed. I've had a lesson every week, I've taking him to 2 dressage comps, 1st one he didn't feel like he was bending as well as he could, was a bit spooky and a bit strong. It just felt like his mind wasn't really on the job. My isntructor suggested he was bored cause we do a lot more in lesson. So took him to do a pre-novice and then a novice test. This was outside in a field on grass, but that's how we competed last ear and it was no problem, but he completely blew up. So I walked him a little calm him down cause he wouldn't work through it. Got off, tried warming up again and he blew up again. Eventually got him settled went into to first test. Was fine, but his canter was rubbish and it's usually his best pace. Anyway next test was very soon after so just calmed him and took him in. At first it was better than the first test, but he soon tensed and then in free walk on long rein he jogged the whole time and then he wouldn't go into canter and even when he was in canter wouldn't go straight. In the end I abdoned test as he was backing up and whipping round and just generally being difficult. Had a lesson since then where he had another (smaller) paddy about doing lateral work, but instructor rode him through it (she wanted to feel what he was doing) and then got him going nicely so I got back on and he was fine, but we didn't try any more lateral work that day.

I've not had time to do so much riding with him (I probably ride 3 or 4 times a week instead of the 5 or 6 last year) so that may have some bearing. He's fine when we hack, but I have been asking him to work a bit and sometimes he's good, but he looks for any excuse.

The thing is I have no real plan. I'm thinking I'll have his teeth checked as my instructor thought that may be the problem, but I don't think it is . It think it is more likely to be saddle, I had it checked and the saddler said that it was slightly too narrow (he's filled out since I got it) but also too long. She said it would be fine in the short term.

So maybe I'll get those 2 things looked at first, even though they don't really associate with how he's misbehaving?

Another question is shall I keep riding him while I sort those things?
I was leaning towards yes as he is still positive about his work and everyone from instructor to dressage judge say they don't think he's in any pain!

Could he just be misbehaving? If so, what could have brought on this spate of bad behaviour after I have had him for over 2 years I havn't changed anything!

Anyone who has got this far is a saint! Thanks
 
I would get his back, teeth and saddle checked and look at his feeding regime. Is he getting enough work, other than schooling. Maybe long hacks and just going out and about would help. I sometimes think they get bored with schooling, maybe try to vary his ridden work. Hope that helps.

Jane
 
(((hugs)))

In my mind I think you should keep riding him and get him moving forwards and through out on hacks, do long slow work in canter if you want to and maybe let him stretch out and not do collected work for a while.

The knee injury sticks in my mind as it might have knocked something out of kilter further up or down. Maybe his shoulder hurts a bit or even his pastern? Its a long shot but worth looking at. Often if they find it hard to bend something is stiff in the shoulder or the leg which then affects self carriage. Perhaps even his knee is a bit 'out' and even though he doesn't show pain, it may be stiff.

Do the necessary to rule out the obvious and work from there. It's guesswork from now on...
 
have you had a fall or accident yourself horse related or not?

I know this sound silly but my pony was displaying similar behaviour to your horse. I finally decided to get myself to the mctimony chiropractor due to headaches not my horse! I had alot wrong but still didn't think of my horse bar i'd stretched my right stirrup leather 3 holes! Well after one treatment I got back on her and she's a different horse, she's supple, using her back and generally much better. Now i'm almost of final treatment she's never gone better. It's amazing how much WE affect out horses, might be worth getting yourself checked out too.
 
Once you have had all of the above checked (I would add especiallyu the saddle fit)
The other thing to consider is that he is going through a stage of "teenage" tantrums. He is just starting to find his strength and is trying his luck....especially in pressurised situations i.e. comps.

Have you tried going to a comp just to warm up and ride around and not enter him? Or taking him away for a group schooling session so he gets used to working with lots of other horses in starnge surroundings?
 
Ella19 said:
have you had a fall or accident yourself horse related or not?

I know this sound silly but my pony was displaying similar behaviour to your horse. I finally decided to get myself to the mctimony chiropractor due to headaches not my horse! I had alot wrong but still didn't think of my horse bar i'd stretched my right stirrup leather 3 holes! Well after one treatment I got back on her and she's a different horse, she's supple, using her back and generally much better. Now i'm almost of final treatment she's never gone better. It's amazing how much WE affect out horses, might be worth getting yourself checked out too.
Click to expand...

Another point well made, not riding for a while could have made you a wee bit stiff too?
 
your post seems to be pointing to the fact that your horse is really blowing up at competitions? maybe if he has been away from parties for a while he finds it all too exciting - have you thought about giving him a calmer before he goes out? till he gets used to it again? My normally chilled out boy is besides himself at parties if he hasn't been out for a while to the degree that I need help to get on! fortunately he is a typical boy and is all mouth and no trousers so settles once I am on board but he gives an excellent impression of being a real handful. Once he has been out for a few times he forgets all about his showing off..
 
Janah said:
I would get his back, teeth and saddle checked and look at his feeding regime. Is he getting enough work, other than schooling. Maybe long hacks and just going out and about would help. I sometimes think they get bored with schooling, maybe try to vary his ridden work. Hope that helps.

Jane
Click to expand...

Thanks for reply. His feeding regime at the moment is grass! And he's rather a fatty. I mainly hack tbh so it's not that, but I do think I could be doing longer hacks :)
 
SJ_Superstars- He had his teeth rasped by vet probably june. He ususlly has them done once a year and has been fine with that. My instructor suggested getting dentist to look at them to check though, she thinks that may be affecting him.

It might be worth getting myself checked out actually. I haven't had anything major, but I get really stiff through my lower back and I have been wonky before, so it's possible. My backs never that great and I got checked maybe a year or 2 ago so theres time for it to have gone out again!

Ella- it's amazing it made such a difference!

Mrsmozart- If he was in pain/ears back when riding I would give him time off, but he is happy as larry most of the time. He likes his work, he had last week off cause I was ill though.

Luci 07- Mah he's usually really chilled at competitions! It was just that one time! Sorry my post came off that way! oops!

Also having said he's rather a fatty. He's got a grassy tummy, he's not really fat! He justdoesn't need anything else.

Agh, it drives me made though 'cos I start to blame my riding (why I think my riding has changed so much I don't know!) and then I start to overthink it, so it's almost detrimental I think.

It also has a negative affect on my relationship with my horse cause I am always looking for things that might give me a clue as to whats going on.
 
My guess is that when he injured his knee he put his back/shoulder out and this wasn't noticed/treated. So I'd get a physio/chiro to look at him
You already know that his saddle doesn't fit, so obviously that needs remedying. Just because the saddle thinks its ok doesn't mean that the horse does.
I would certainly give him some time off until everything has been checked -and I speak from painful experience here!
 
Sit_Up said:
Once you have had all of the above checked (I would add especiallyu the saddle fit)
The other thing to consider is that he is going through a stage of "teenage" tantrums. He is just starting to find his strength and is trying his luck....especially in pressurised situations i.e. comps.

Have you tried going to a comp just to warm up and ride around and not enter him? Or taking him away for a group schooling session so he gets used to working with lots of other horses in starnge surroundings?
Click to expand...

good advice there - keep him in light work whilst checking things
 
CalllyH said:
good advice there - keep him in light work whilst checking things
Click to expand...

yeah I thought it was good advice. It does feel like tantrums and he has quite a sense of humour, he thinks it's quite funny to press my buttons, but if I try to tell him off he can get quite upset (over-sensitive arab!) so I just have to work him through it and kind of wait for him to decide to work. I don't know whether I just haven't given him enough time recently.

We'll get everything checked out, then see :)
 
girlmoose said:
It think it is more likely to be saddle, I had it checked and the saddler said that it was slightly too narrow (he's filled out since I got it) but also too long. She said it would be fine in the short term.
Click to expand...

I think you have answered your own question here. A saddle that's even slightly too narrow and/or long can cause a lot of discomfort. Saddles should fit, not just in the short term. You risk restriction, pain, brusing, changes in movement and muscle atrophy amongst other things. You *can* get away with a saddle that's slightly too wide by use of pads but it's not ideal. If you had to run in shoes that were a little too tight they would soon cause you to alter your gait and that would then lead to pain and you wouldn't want to run. Bear in mind as well that a too narrow saddle will tilt it backwards and if your saddle is also too long that could be causing a lot of pain.
 
I agree with suzysparkle. A saddle that is too long and too tight is bound to upset the horse, the fact that his behaviour gets worse the longer you are on board back this up imo.
 
Sounds like u have an intelligent horse who's trying to tell you something. Keep trying to find out what it is, you will get it sorted eventually. It could be back, teeth, feet, vet, or feed, turnout etc. It's a process of elimination I'm afraid. Have you tried cutting down even his grass? grazing muzzle? Also more work always helps.
Having said that mine also turns into a loon when he goes out - Some places he settles and we do well in dressage. In other places his head is in the air and his brain in outer space! It's really frustrating when you have worked hard preparing for a test.
 
suzysparkle said:
I think you have answered your own question here. A saddle that's even slightly too narrow and/or long can cause a lot of discomfort.
Click to expand...

Your'e right. I have known that I have to do this. It's just a shame. Anyone want a 2 year old saddle that was £900 new?

Also anyone got any hints as to how little I will pay for a new one? I don't care what it looks like or how it feels for me as long as it's comfy for him!

How much of a bargin can you pick up?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top