Could it be the haylage that’s making her crazy?

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Enzomf

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Hi everyone, looking for some advice.

I currently have a young horse who used to be such a gem to work with. I planned to produce her to showjump and I was so excited for her future, she showed real jumping ability.

However, recently she has taken a complete turn. She used to be very forward, now she won’t trot when asked by any leg aid and will only go with spurs or a crop. But they make her very tense so I try and ovoid using them. She will buck out of nowhere and will kept bucking until I hault her. Sometimes I can’t even get her to walk forwards.

She has a complete melt down when I ask her to canter, she just puts her ears back and bucks and spins.

I have had everything checked, teeth, saddle, back. She can get quite sore where she is a tense horse but we were recently told she isn’t in pain.

Since she is young and is still learning her job I originally thought that she was bored of flat schooling. But she does it on hacks and with jumps up. this is just completely out of sorts for her to be so backwards and be bucking all the time.

I’m wondering if it could be because she is on haylage? She has a simple feed twice a day, nothing in it to make her crazy. Has anyone had any similar experiences with youngsters? Does anyone have any advice on what I could try?
Thanks!
 
We had a chiropractor out who said that she’s fine. Next step is to get the vet out to x ray her back or something. She lunges with and without tack completely fine and is her normal self on the ground.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
She may be reacting to haylage, or any other feed but who told you she isn't in pain? The horse seems to be telling you that she is.
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That definitely sounds like pain and even a vet often cannot rule it out without extensive investigations, just seen your second post, I would want a proper work up done by the vet so they know where to start looking.
If she is sore anywhere and carrying tension I don't see how a decent chiro can say she is fine and not in pain, there are a lot of people out there who are qualified but seem to lack any real feel or empathy for the animals they work with.
 
I do trust our chiro, he’s worked miracles. She’s not usually sore but we have the chiropractor out now and then when we thinks she’s been finding her work hard so has built up tension as she is naturally a tense horse and carries herself quite high.
 
Myloubylou said:
For me it was saddle. Fitted to her by master saddler I trust but she said no. Changed saddles and she’s a different pony.
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I had that on Friday when trying a couple of saddles. One she was fine with, the other was a definite no, did the wall of death round arena with humping. Swapped back and all good again.

OP, you def need a vet to carry out diagnostic work up.
 
You're describing classic symptoms of equine gastric ulcer syndrome. Not sure to what extent your vet has examined her but I'd be getting booked in for a gastroscope pdq. And haylage can aggravate ulcers. (speaking from experience here )
 
Chiropractors... they are NOT vets. They are cheaper and look at one specific area only. I have seen many cases where the owner was told the horse was fine, just naughty, by well respected trainers, physios and chiropractors. In each case, there was much more going on - the longer you wait and trust the far less qualified professional, the more damage is being done and the less likely the vets will actually be able to fix the problem quickly (or at all in some cases). Please get a good vet out. Those are all classic signs that your horse is in pain.
 
Enzomf said:
We had a chiropractor out who said that she’s fine. Next step is to get the vet out to x ray her back or something. She lunges with and without tack completely fine and is her normal self on the ground.
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I would have had the vet as the first step. A chiropractor shouldn’t be telling you there is nothing wrong when they can’t possibly know that.
 
You need a good vet to take a look if you are absolutely confident the tack fits (not that it used to fit, but that it does now). It really does sound pain related but it could be anything! Feet, mouth, back, ovaries, ulcers. A chiropractor is really not able to consider all these properly nor qualified to do so. Also, how confident and experienced a rider are you? The other possibility is simply that she has hit the "teen" years and is testing the boundaries with you. The haylage would be one of the least likely causes I would think.
 
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