Falling Over ???

[Gentle_Warrior]

My boy is soo heavy on the forehand that he fell over whilst hacking the other day, with me on him ! I have tried, bitless bridle, eggbut snaffle and a Mullen steel ported with no affect and cherry roller - he hates schooling so we mainly hack - any suggestions ?

 

[EMZ]

he needs to learn to carry him self i would carry a big schooling whip and wake him up as this could prove dangerous u need him to be forward from brihind get him working! He should respond after a few sharp smacks

 

[SpruceRI]

I'm afraid only schooling is the answer, but doesn't just have to be in a school going round in circles, though it does help!

If you really can't stand the schooling, do some lungeing or get someone else to school him. He needs to do loads of transitions, change of speed within the pace, large and small circles, and even some jumping to help get him off his forehand.

One of mine used to trip a lot. She'd not been schooled much and was fairly stiff. 6 months of lungeing, hacking, schooling and jumping and she's so much less trippy

 

[Blizzard]

Also be sure to rule out any health issues that could be causing it, is your farrier good?

I ask because a shire at our yard used to constantly trip and stumble, turned out the farrier who had done her feet at the previous yard was rubbish, had the wrong size shoes on etc causing her to trip and stumble, and unbalance her.
She is so so so much better now she has a farrier doing her feet properly.

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

Waterford bits are quite strong and he has a sensitive mouth, 1 squeeze on the reins and he grinds to a halt. He used to be at a riding school for 7 years so as soon as he goes in the skool he hangs and goes slothingley. I have started skooling out hacking though. The farrier seems brilliant, I will be mentioning the fall to him though. Trouble is he can't have natural balance shoes as his fit are too large. He is also 14, 15 in May so I don't really want to skool him too much.

 

[Bossanova]

Bits arent going to stop half a tonne of horse coming down on you. Make sure you ride him in knee boots, get a second opinion on his feet and try when you ride him to keep him very up-together and dont let him get long and strung out.

 

[Patches]

I haven't read the other replies.

However, my own horse used to stumble alot when I first had her. She used to fall almost to her knees. I always use knee boots though and thanked God I do when she first tripped! Very hairy moment.

I had rolled toes put on her fronts to try and help her. She was better, lessened the frequency, but she would still trip. She would stumble hacking, in the school, over fields....anywhere.

Sooo, we took her to the vets and she trotted up lame on a tight circle. X-rays and mutterings of navicular followed. Results of the x-rays though were surprising. Patches has no evidence of any deterioration in the navicular area and in fact all that was wrong, was her feet were terribly out of balance. To look at her, her feet looked nicely shod with toes a nice length - not too long etc, farrier had done a great job. However, the x-rays made her feet look very long. You'd never have put the x-rays with her feet in a month of Sundays. You really wouldn't.

So, she was re-shod according to the x-rays with heel support (shoes extended back more so now she has to wear over reach boots to stop her treading on them) and the rolls on the toe was over exaggerated plus her actual toe was cut as short as the farrier dared without causing her pain. He had to rasp a rolled toe shape in her toes, the shoes were rolled that much. Cue a horse who no longer trips!

I wish I had gone to the vets months before I did with her. I had everyone telling me it was my riding etc etc. It wasn't. She was clearly in discomfort from the way her feet were balanced.

I'd recommend getting your horse checked out. Cost me about £260 with all the plates, but well worth it to be able to sit on her without worrying about when she's next going to stumble and whether I'll fall off when she lands on her knees. (not to mention worrying about her damaging herself).

For the record....does not matter what bit you have in your horse's mouth. I truly don't think it'll stop this.

To rule out your riding though, do what I did, get an instructor to ride your horse and see if your horse does it whilst they are out with them.

 

[Patches]

Has he always been shod?

The reason I ask is that Patches, the horse I mention in my other post, only started tripping when I had her shod.

She never used to trip with her previous owner (who'd had her 4 years). Sadly we have very stony bridle paths and Patches got footy hacking out on them, hence the need for shoes. She wore her feet a very strange shape...wide foot and no toe at all. This is how she was used to going. As soon as the farrier got her feet to a more normal appearance and shod, the tripping started.

Hence why she's now with her toes cuts back really short and very rolled toes. Trying to mimic how she was used to going when barefoot.

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

he has always been shod and his feet are good - 2 farriers input !! what do people the below bit

Medium Wide Port Comfort Snaffle Myler B 05 5½ inch (W) Eggbutt w/ 2 Hooks
Item Numberabm 3005W7

 

[Blizzard]

A bit alone isnt going to sort the problem, like other people on here Ive known horses do this and its their feet.
If it isnt he feet then schooling and keeping him awake and switched on will help, like someone said a bit isnt going to stop 500kg of horse falling over.

The shire I mentioned had excellent feet and looked well shod, but her shoes were a quarter inch too big and her toes were too long, hence her tripping.
If I were you I would have another farrier or vet check him out.