Help needed for stiff back end

Boxers

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My daughter's 14.2 pony is stiff in his back end I think. He is very left-handed and is impossible to get him to canter on his right lead.

He will do it if you jump and then turn right, but if you ask for canter on a corner he just goes on his left (even with a pole).

Sometimes if you turn right in canter he will change his front leg but not his back legs and will be disunited.

This is causing problems with SJ as he will be disunited or unbalanced and is knocking jumps because of it.

I have been trying to lunge him about 2 or 3 times a week. I only trot him for 5 mins on the right, 5mins on the left and then another 5 mins on the right.

Do you think I should persevere with the lunging? Or are there some exercises we could do to flex his back end?

Or do you think I should get someone to check his back? McTimony? Or something else?
 
Has this just started happening recently?
Would be well worth getting someone to have a look at his back. My horse started going disunited in right canter a few weeks ago, had him checked by an osteopath who thinks he has slipped & strained his back / hind leg.
 
It's always worth getting these things checked out, especilly of it has just started happening.

My ex-racer could not canter on the right lead for love nor money, it had never bothered being corrected and his previous owner didn't worry about it. But, with me, I did as he and I were going to event, same as you, nothing got him to canter on the correct lead, poles etc but through perseverence and patience, he eventually would do it occasionally, I worked on this and he canters perfectly now on both legs. It was honestly hard work and patience, vet and instructor reckon it stemed from his racing days.

If it is not new problem, get the help of a good instructor and be prepared to work it through - all will come good in the end
 
No, it's not a recent thing. We bought him in July and have been working hard on it since then - although for 2 months I was a bit disillusioned and stopped the lunging, but now know I need to carry on with this, so am trying to lunge him a few times each week.

I might get the back man in though just to rule out any probs
 
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especilly of it has just started happening.

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No, not recent. He's rising 7 and we bought him in July - he's always been left-handed.

In fact the saddler told me so just by looking at him for 5 mins and running his hands over him !

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get the help of a good instructor and be prepared to work it through - all will come good in the end

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daughter has been having lessons with an instructor from PC and they have been working on it.

I realise we have to keep working on it - trouble is I am impatient and want instant results - LOL.
 
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