lusilu
New User
I have a, for me, new horse. 10-yr-old 1300lb Standardbred/Percheron cross. Her most recent history included pounding the pavement, unshod, as one of a pair who pulled a large wagon full of people.
Have had radiographs on the fronts which indicate very mild beginning of osteoarthritis on coffin. Have put shoes & cushions on the front and begun treatment with Pentosan with Legend to be added. Will add Surpass when it arrives, am limited to liniment baths ‘til the products arrive and I find a vet who will do the IV.
Despite these problems, when I began to ride her in the arena she moved softly and nicely in both directions for several sessions and for the beginning of a trail ride I was sort of pressured into taking her on.
As we got further from her comfort zone she became more nervous and when someone chose go a different way than she’d been before, she became nervous to the point of volunteering a trot from which she would not come back, slow down, at my request. When six cowboys galloped past her on the left I eased off the reins and let her fast canter while turning her in a wide circle (she was responsive to the directional weight shift and did this for me – good girl for that). What happened next was simply that my saddle slipped all the way around [my bad for not girthing tight enough and for using elastic on it], I ended on ground unable to walk, they ponied her back to the barn, I had to get a ride in a car.
Could not walk or ride for 4 weeks. No big deal. She got to be put in a remote pasture where there was woods and creek, I think it was good for her. I do think she was ridden one time by the resident cowboy thinking he would be helping to “train” her while I was gone, because his comment when I returned was “are you sure you want to keep leasing her, because she’s still pretty hot.”
I never thought of her as hot, and proceeded to purchase her so I could have more control over her care and training.
It’s a long preamble, but perhaps necessary when attempting to diagnose behavior.
Since I was able to ride again have been spending lots of time getting all vet work and saddle fitting done, and the first couple gentle rides in arena found that she transitioned from walk to trot much more awkwardly than before. She used to go straight into her very long trot, now she was kind of shortstepping.
Figured it’s soreness somewhere, which could include back since she’d have been put in a large and stiff western saddle for the cowboy. Since those sessions, she’s been taken to clinic and had complete back test as well as full lameness exam.
No back pain, very mild lameness on one right hoof, which causes intermittent lameness between the two fronts.
Maybe it’s too soon to have put her under saddle. I thought since the new wonderful shoes (with blue rubber stuff underneath a green rubber pad, then the steel shoe) maybe I could begin with light saddle work. Especially since she was showing NO signs of lameness before any of the exams. (It only shows after the compression and lots of trotting on pavement).
So this is what’s happening now:
Last couple times of gentle walking and trotting, no more than 20 mins., she’s begun (not immediately but after 15-20 minutes) showing what seems like a form of refusal by meeting a light pull on the right rein (ignoring the weight shift from seat) with a vehement pulling away from the hand, pulling the head and neck to the left.
Maybe it’s a nervous thing – there’s a jump in the ring now that wasn’t there before. Maybe she’s anticipating, thinking she will be asked to canter and then jump. (Story is in one of her past lives she was jumped “high” by a 350-lb. woman).
The first time she started this we were alone in the arena, but the jump was there.
Second time was last night and arena was full of children galloping and cracking riding crops and slapping reins, which noises she may not have liked.
There was a trainer there that I asked about this, she noted she’s a bit stiffer on one side than the other.
I had at first suspected a bit pinch, so took the bit out, but she displayed the same behavior bitless. I was able to reinforce my request to stay right with a tap of whip on the right flank (to push the flank back around and neck/head back to right), which would straighten her out but not in a relaxed way. She was still stiff and resistant.
I’m just wondering if anyone else has met with this kind of directional challenge before. As mentioned, there was no such behavior at the beginning of my working with her and before the day I fell off, which is now something like a couple months ago.
My plan is to stay off her for awhile again, and maybe just do some flexing and softening exercises either on lunge or at liberty.
I’m really hoping there’s not a problem in the withers or neck.. I think they would have seen that at the clinic where they did all the tests? They trotted her at least 4 times around on a lunge line, on pavement, both ways. (must have been a 1-meter curve). A lameness affecting lateral bend would surely have shown up?
Have had radiographs on the fronts which indicate very mild beginning of osteoarthritis on coffin. Have put shoes & cushions on the front and begun treatment with Pentosan with Legend to be added. Will add Surpass when it arrives, am limited to liniment baths ‘til the products arrive and I find a vet who will do the IV.
Despite these problems, when I began to ride her in the arena she moved softly and nicely in both directions for several sessions and for the beginning of a trail ride I was sort of pressured into taking her on.
As we got further from her comfort zone she became more nervous and when someone chose go a different way than she’d been before, she became nervous to the point of volunteering a trot from which she would not come back, slow down, at my request. When six cowboys galloped past her on the left I eased off the reins and let her fast canter while turning her in a wide circle (she was responsive to the directional weight shift and did this for me – good girl for that). What happened next was simply that my saddle slipped all the way around [my bad for not girthing tight enough and for using elastic on it], I ended on ground unable to walk, they ponied her back to the barn, I had to get a ride in a car.
Could not walk or ride for 4 weeks. No big deal. She got to be put in a remote pasture where there was woods and creek, I think it was good for her. I do think she was ridden one time by the resident cowboy thinking he would be helping to “train” her while I was gone, because his comment when I returned was “are you sure you want to keep leasing her, because she’s still pretty hot.”
I never thought of her as hot, and proceeded to purchase her so I could have more control over her care and training.
It’s a long preamble, but perhaps necessary when attempting to diagnose behavior.
Since I was able to ride again have been spending lots of time getting all vet work and saddle fitting done, and the first couple gentle rides in arena found that she transitioned from walk to trot much more awkwardly than before. She used to go straight into her very long trot, now she was kind of shortstepping.
Figured it’s soreness somewhere, which could include back since she’d have been put in a large and stiff western saddle for the cowboy. Since those sessions, she’s been taken to clinic and had complete back test as well as full lameness exam.
No back pain, very mild lameness on one right hoof, which causes intermittent lameness between the two fronts.
Maybe it’s too soon to have put her under saddle. I thought since the new wonderful shoes (with blue rubber stuff underneath a green rubber pad, then the steel shoe) maybe I could begin with light saddle work. Especially since she was showing NO signs of lameness before any of the exams. (It only shows after the compression and lots of trotting on pavement).
So this is what’s happening now:
Last couple times of gentle walking and trotting, no more than 20 mins., she’s begun (not immediately but after 15-20 minutes) showing what seems like a form of refusal by meeting a light pull on the right rein (ignoring the weight shift from seat) with a vehement pulling away from the hand, pulling the head and neck to the left.
Maybe it’s a nervous thing – there’s a jump in the ring now that wasn’t there before. Maybe she’s anticipating, thinking she will be asked to canter and then jump. (Story is in one of her past lives she was jumped “high” by a 350-lb. woman).
The first time she started this we were alone in the arena, but the jump was there.
Second time was last night and arena was full of children galloping and cracking riding crops and slapping reins, which noises she may not have liked.
There was a trainer there that I asked about this, she noted she’s a bit stiffer on one side than the other.
I had at first suspected a bit pinch, so took the bit out, but she displayed the same behavior bitless. I was able to reinforce my request to stay right with a tap of whip on the right flank (to push the flank back around and neck/head back to right), which would straighten her out but not in a relaxed way. She was still stiff and resistant.
I’m just wondering if anyone else has met with this kind of directional challenge before. As mentioned, there was no such behavior at the beginning of my working with her and before the day I fell off, which is now something like a couple months ago.
My plan is to stay off her for awhile again, and maybe just do some flexing and softening exercises either on lunge or at liberty.
I’m really hoping there’s not a problem in the withers or neck.. I think they would have seen that at the clinic where they did all the tests? They trotted her at least 4 times around on a lunge line, on pavement, both ways. (must have been a 1-meter curve). A lameness affecting lateral bend would surely have shown up?
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