Excessive snorting/puffing/blowing/groaning in canter ?

[Jericho]

anyone have any ideas what this might be/ why she might do it? When schooling, trot work is fine but during canter work on each rein my horse spends a lot of time really huffing, snorting, groaning, grunting, lots of urgh, urgh, urgh urgh and errr, errrr, eeerrrr with every stride, stretching forward and generally making a real palava, there is no awkwardness or tension in the gait other than a bit of laziness, just a lot of noise - difficult to describe but I cant see a logical reason for it and why she does it... Generally I have to ride through it on a looser rein and keep legging on but it sounds and feels like she is about to pass out!!! It does improve as the canter work continues but the first ten minutes sounds like I am torturing her and pretty embarrassing in warm ups! She isnt terribly fit but she manages to canter out on hacks without the dramatics. Just wondering if she is using it as a way to avoid work and contact and what the best approach to deal with it would be?

 

[Laafet]

Mine sounds like a right diva in canter in the school, never does it out hacking. The canter transition usually accompanied by a massive grunt, then every stride is a urgh, urgh, sometimes if I ask for collection, extension or some lateral work there is more grunting. I did comment to my trainer, as in general, my horse is forward going so not like I am booting him along or anything, she didn't know why, just that he was being a diva about the amount of effort he was having to put into it! My old good horse was the same! The more he has to concentrate the less he does it....

 

[siennamum]

my gelding snorts and sneezes in canter due to allergies/headshaking, could be something similar.

 

[Jericho]

Thanks for the replies. Didnt think of allergies, although she only does it when schooling, in all weathers and seasons, indoors, outdoors on a surface and grass and doesnt have any headshaking problems. Doesnt do it out hacking. Maybe its just the effort of cantering in circles...

 

[aspirit]

Mine was similar ,excess snorting in canter / puffing and eventually stopped dead in gallop snorting & puffing and I thought it was her heart. She is a snorty horse who snorts rather than naps at things ! I eventually got her scoped by vet and she had collaspsed pharynax . There is nothing they can do , but have told me to go at her own pace - try telling her that !

 

[AmyMay]

Possibly a wind problem??

 

[L&M]

Mine makes noises like that if I ride straight from the field, especially if he has a belly full of grass.....just a thought.