Ex race horse who throws her head as soon as I put a bit in her mouth

[Annabellerawlinson]

Hi all,
I’m looking for advice regarding my ex racer, I think I’ve come to the point where I’m going to give up on any hope of a ridden career for her all together.
I’ve had her just over a year, when I got her I was told that she could be sensitive in the mouth but nothing more than than. I noticed when she was mounted that she put her head up and took a couple of strides fighting the bit and then seemed to settle. When working she raised her head occasionally too, not like head shaking more like a jump or jerk. I felt sorry for her so we brought her home and I started her from the ground. I spent 6 months long reining and lunging and she actually started to stretch down and relax in her work. I then began ridden work with her and she again did the all of the behaviours I had seen when viewing but after a week or two of consistent schooling these behaviours became minimal and I actually felt like we were making progress!
two weeks into ridden work she totally changed she began kicking out and sticking her head up high and running so I called the vet. She also and has always, had to have the bridle taken to pieces to remove it as she takes hold of the but when you lift the bridle over her head and runs off with her head up panicking. He thought that she had some pelvic damage and a possible old stress fracture. She had a month of hand walking and Bute and then we were told to introduce the ground work again. I began the ground work again and she seemed to be sound enough behind again. Although her right hind Pastern does still fill sightly Overnight if she’s been messing around in the field, this doesn’t happen if she’s kept stables and hand walked/grazed. Anyway, when I started to work her again I experienced much of the same as when I called the vet but now as soon as I put the bit in her mouth she hits me in the face or nearly does jerking her head about. I can’t long rein her anymore because she runs off with me frantically and I can’t lunge either because she just gallops around causing further strain! shes seen the dentist 3 times since we got her and our dentist doesn’t see anything untoward in her mouth, niether did the vet and when I called him back to look at her her said he could see improvement in her evenness behind and that he saw no reason as to why she could proceed with ridden work! I’m totally at my whits end with this mare, shes even began kicking out at me when I groom her. I feel like she hates me!
my question is, has anyone experienced anything similar or does anyone have any suggestions? I can’t afford to spend allot more on vets and physios as she’s already amounted costs into the four figures.

 

[paddi22]

sounds like a pain reaction somewhere. one of my exracers did something similar and on further inspection he had kissing spine and an SI issue. when these were treated the head shaking stopped, but then started up again when he go sciatica down the line too.

I get different horses in to ride and sometimes get ones similar to your in that are heady. a lot of time owners said they had dental work down, but sometimes when my dentist looks he can see damage from power tools etc. so maybe get a second opinion of another dentist just to rule that out.

the grooming kicking out thing could be ulcers either?

being honest, some horses just never come right no matter how much time, energy and money you pump into them. I've had exracers that I spend probably tens of thousands on over the years for stuff, and they never came right.

 

[CJoe]

ulcers, KS, would check those and if nothing found you may well never find the issue but does sound like reaction to pain...

 

[Dyllymoo]

Deffo sounds like pain to me so just echoing above posters really. Is she insured at all?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Agree with all of the above advice it's worth checking it out, I would also check her poll I had a mare that was incredibly sensitive in the mouth and really head shy, a physio I used actually found that she probably had an old poll injury she had lumpy areas in her poll, it can be caused by hitting it on something or being ridden in draw reins or in a forced outline as a young horse can also cause damage in the poll. It might be worth checking her ears as well ear plaques can be quite painful.

 

[Wheels]

Agree with the above - head chucking and not wanting to bridle are not necessarily to do with teeth or anything else in the head region but almost certainly a sign that something is sore.

I would get the physio to check around the TMJ just to be on the safe side but TMJ issues can also indicate problems elsewhere and can be a stress related issue too

 

[Carrottom]

If she is ok doing groundwork in a halter could you try riding her in that to see if it is the bridle that is causing the problem.

 

[Trouper]

For me she would be a classic case for a call to someone like Tom Beech (The Osteopathic Vet). He takes a holistic view of the horse and often finds things that other vets miss. You may have to wait a while for an appointment - unless you are in an area where one of his clinics is being held - but he really is worth consulting.

 

[bubsqueaks]

yes Ive had similar reactions because of glandular ulcers.
Im surprized having spent that amount with vets & physios you haven't scoped already especially as ex racer
Only costs approx. £400 so well worth ruling in or out.

 

[Mynstrel]

Have you tried bitless? We had a tb who was very unhappy in his mouth and became a different horse in a hackamore.

 

[tallyho!]

Have they x-rayed the head/jaw? Surprised dentist hasn’t suggested it. Bitless might work for you otherwise.

 

[Equi]

I’d do further investigations on her. Ulcers, kissing spine, jaw xray etc. I’m sure others get sick of me referring back to this horse always but the tb I worked with had the same issue, couldn’t get him bitted unless you were seriously firm. His owner would build a bridle on his head but more often than not got ran off with and bridles snapped. He was aggressive too and his back didn’t flag any issues with physio etc

eventually xrayed and Horse had massive kissing spines issues and had to be pts and must have lived his entire life in torture.