Head shaking and teeth grinding when being lunged?

tonitot

tonitot

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Hi all

I lunged Ethel for the first time in a long time today and she acted a bit odd. In walk she was absolutly fine, but in trot she shook her head a lot and started to grind her teeth, it looked as though something was annoying her. I checked around her bridle and couldn't see anything obvious, so took her noseband off as normally she has a fluffy on but I'd taken it off as she doesn't really need it and thought it could be because she no longer had the fluffy and found it uncomfortable. She carried on head shaking and teeth grinding, this was all on the left rein. I put her on the right rein and she behaved like a tit, rearing up and spocking out, charging off and bucking, all things she does when she's fresh and on the right rein, she soon settles and behaves. She settled and didn't show any of these signs, so I'm going to get the dentist out ad I think she might need her teeth doing, but was wondering if anyone had seen this in other horses and what the problem was. Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated :)
 
Hi,

I am having a similar problem with my horse at the moment minus the grinding of the teeth.

My boy will go fine in walk, trot and canter on the left rein, but when I put him on the right rein he goes mental, rearing, bucking, ears flat back, head shacking and going at me rather than round me.

My boy has the dentist coming out on Saturday, he had a new saddle fitted last June/July so that will need checking shortly, he is shod every 6 weeks, jabs all up to date, I have a massage lady coming out too to see if she can feel anything.

I really dont know what to suggest, I await replies from others

I hope you get it sorted as I know how frustrating it is

Thanks :D
 
As well as the dentist I think I'd have a chiro or bodyworker out to check there's nothing out in her poll. With the conditions over winter it would be easy for them to have done something.
 
Hi,
My boy was doing this, mainly on the right rein.
I also thought it was his teeth, had them checked and they were fine.
Eventually found out he had a sore back, and the head shaking and chewing was his way of showing the tension he was feeling.
As well as getting the dentist to yours, it might be worth thinking of neck/ back pain.
Kx
 
Are you riding your horse too? If so, does she display these characteristics when you are on board? I think you should get the normal teeth/back/tack checks done so that you know your horse isn't in any discomfort. If she is still messing about on the lunge, I would book yourself a lesson with a kind and experienced instructor and seek a second opinion. In my experience, lots of horses behave badly on the lunge, simply because they haven't been trained properly or have been allowed to 'get away' with certain behaviours at some time. Good luck!
 
Thanks everyone.

Kirsty, no she's not being ridden at the moment, but started lunging her as I want to bring her back in to work. She was being lunged in just a bridle. She hasn't shown any of this before except being a tit on the right rein, she always does this for a bit and then settles so I think it's just freshness. I will get her checked our, thanks again :)
 
my friends horse does this also under saddle...striking out , headshaking, tottally doesn't concentrate at all...goes into a trance type of thing....this was day after he had the dentist out. after vets, xrays etc etc, she has had the cranio sacral therapist out (maureen rodgers) look it up http://www.equinecraniosacral.com/articles/article2.html...and her horse has TMJ/TMD - compression, etc etc, all through body too.... horse is now off work for 6 monhs at least regularly seeing the cranio sacral therapist.
ETA the reason and cause of this is the gag the dentist used wasn't released enough.
 
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