CharlesMax
Well-Known Member
QUITE A LONG (AND DULL!) ONE I'M AFRAID:
I bought an 17h2 ID just over 2 years ago. He was 8yo when I bought him and very green, having only hunted in Ireland beforehand. I bought him as an all-rounder do do SOME hunting with and knew I would have my work cut out for me with the 'independent' work, especially flatwork.
He clearly had not done any flatwork before and even found 20m circles a struggle. At the time, I did not know anything about schooling green horses and was not guided well by the yard he was at. On reflection, I shoud have, lunged, etc but I just pressed on with the flatwork, unde supervison and regular lessons.
We noticed an improvement and I really started enjoying him with Riding Club activities and some hunting. THEN:
In Sept/Oct 2011, he popped a large splint which bothered a suspensory, causing sliught lameness. It was decided to turn him away for the winter.
By Feb this year, the splint reduced significanly over that period and the lameness went so we resumed work, very slowly, on soft surfaces only. Again, this was under supervision and lessons with experienced people. Again, I started noticving an improvement and intoroduced light hacking and canter work.
In May this year, after a lesson, working on his canter, we noticed he was lame on one rein after the work. I rested him for a few days but the lameness was still there. I called the vet over twice - he lunged, trotted up and did flexion tests and could find nothing wrong so I started doubting myselkf, thinking I was being overcaucious.
By June, after a month, he was still, slightly lame on that rein so I insisted the vet check him under saddle. It was clear to him that there was an issue. He was sent for bone scans, etc. All they could find was some heat in the hocks. They said that this is commoin with such large horses, especially if they have spent years working incorrectly.
They treated him by medicating the Hocks and suggested going back to basics - lots of lunging and schooling - getting him to work properly from behind. I approached a good instructor who helped me with the pessoa lunging. After 2 weeks we could notice a difference and his schooling improved dramatically, with more flexibility and willingness to work - a EURIKA moment! By October, I could take him Cubbing and he rode an excellent dressage test recently too.
We were getting on so well until very recently:
On Saturday, I had a lesson wheer we were working on the canter, creating more impulsion for some jumps (very low ones!!). We did some walk-canter transitions - he worked hard but certainly not overworked! After such a positive session, we noticed the same lameness on the one rein!
I rested him for 2 days and got the vet over yesterday. His concern is that its too soon to re-medicate the hocks so he has suggested a week of res/turnout/walker and then reasses after. He is only 1/10th lame again.
What frustrates me is that this would not even get noticed if he was just hacking/hunting but I am really enjoying the schooling and want to work towards doing some low-level eventing next summer.
Have any of you faced a similar issue? Would you just work through the lameness and get on with it?
I am sure you can judge that I am new at this - I get advice from trainers, etc but I have found some excellent advice on these forums as well! I just want to know if there is anything I can do further to avoid the lameness.
Thanks for reading (if you have not fallen asleep already!!)
I bought an 17h2 ID just over 2 years ago. He was 8yo when I bought him and very green, having only hunted in Ireland beforehand. I bought him as an all-rounder do do SOME hunting with and knew I would have my work cut out for me with the 'independent' work, especially flatwork.
He clearly had not done any flatwork before and even found 20m circles a struggle. At the time, I did not know anything about schooling green horses and was not guided well by the yard he was at. On reflection, I shoud have, lunged, etc but I just pressed on with the flatwork, unde supervison and regular lessons.
We noticed an improvement and I really started enjoying him with Riding Club activities and some hunting. THEN:
In Sept/Oct 2011, he popped a large splint which bothered a suspensory, causing sliught lameness. It was decided to turn him away for the winter.
By Feb this year, the splint reduced significanly over that period and the lameness went so we resumed work, very slowly, on soft surfaces only. Again, this was under supervision and lessons with experienced people. Again, I started noticving an improvement and intoroduced light hacking and canter work.
In May this year, after a lesson, working on his canter, we noticed he was lame on one rein after the work. I rested him for a few days but the lameness was still there. I called the vet over twice - he lunged, trotted up and did flexion tests and could find nothing wrong so I started doubting myselkf, thinking I was being overcaucious.
By June, after a month, he was still, slightly lame on that rein so I insisted the vet check him under saddle. It was clear to him that there was an issue. He was sent for bone scans, etc. All they could find was some heat in the hocks. They said that this is commoin with such large horses, especially if they have spent years working incorrectly.
They treated him by medicating the Hocks and suggested going back to basics - lots of lunging and schooling - getting him to work properly from behind. I approached a good instructor who helped me with the pessoa lunging. After 2 weeks we could notice a difference and his schooling improved dramatically, with more flexibility and willingness to work - a EURIKA moment! By October, I could take him Cubbing and he rode an excellent dressage test recently too.
We were getting on so well until very recently:
On Saturday, I had a lesson wheer we were working on the canter, creating more impulsion for some jumps (very low ones!!). We did some walk-canter transitions - he worked hard but certainly not overworked! After such a positive session, we noticed the same lameness on the one rein!
I rested him for 2 days and got the vet over yesterday. His concern is that its too soon to re-medicate the hocks so he has suggested a week of res/turnout/walker and then reasses after. He is only 1/10th lame again.
What frustrates me is that this would not even get noticed if he was just hacking/hunting but I am really enjoying the schooling and want to work towards doing some low-level eventing next summer.
Have any of you faced a similar issue? Would you just work through the lameness and get on with it?
I am sure you can judge that I am new at this - I get advice from trainers, etc but I have found some excellent advice on these forums as well! I just want to know if there is anything I can do further to avoid the lameness.
Thanks for reading (if you have not fallen asleep already!!)
