hop in trot

[Horsekaren]

Has anyone had any experience with a horse that hops on front only in trot?
What was the cause in your case?
Only hops when schooling and in trot, both reins, irregular, hop is in conjunction with head being tossed up.
Saddle/ back/ teeth all fine.

Horse is a head shaker due to allergies, i believe this is my cause but im keen to hear other peoples experiences.

 

[DabDab]

Hops as he transitions into trot or just sporadically hops while trotting around?

 

[stormox]

Some headshakers seriously stamp their feet in unison with the shaking, and jump as they throw their head up with force. If the headshaking only occurs in summer you will probably find it stopping in a month or so

 

[Horsekaren]

Hops as he transitions into trot or just sporadically hops while trotting around?

DabDab- Its quiet sporadic, never during the transition or immediately after, its usually when i ask him for more power but only ever in trot. Both reins and its more like his leg follows his head rather than bringing the leg up alone. i'm wondering if there could be anything else perhaps contributing to the issue.

- Stormox - i know, in May it was so bad, i put a video up and the consensus was he was majorly lame but the headshaking can get so stressful for him he hops, jumps and stomps and his head goes up and down quiet aggressively. I don't make him work when it gets that bad. Since June it has settled massively, but every ride we do have a few hops and head throws when i ask him to be more forward.

 

[paddi22]

Any ones I had that do that its because they aren't working properly from behind and don't have the strength to do a proper transition. Is there a chance you are asking him for more powerr at the wrong time? or his hinds aren't under him enough to push off when you do?

 

[Horsekaren]

Any ones I had that do that its because they aren't working properly from behind and don't have the strength to do a proper transition. Is there a chance you are asking him for more powerr at the wrong time? or his hinds aren't under him enough to push off when you do?

Absolutely a possibility, When would the wrong time to ask be? Thank you

 

[paddi22]

If their hinds are out behind them when you ask, then they sometimes have to hop up or push off with the fronts instead. I had a mare in for a while that did it very badly. what helped was a half halt to get her balanced and the weight back into her hind, slight flexion to the inside and to really feel what her hind was doing, so that she pushed from behind instead of hopping from the front.

 

[attheponies]

My boy hops into trot, worse in hand and better when ridden more forward. Back/teeth etc etc all fine, thoroughly checked by vet when I bought him and also by numerous instructors since. It just seems to be a lazy habit that improves with fitness & work. If not ridden forward he can appear unsound which my instructor refers to as bridle lameness. Doesn't do it all out hacking when he is keen and naturally forward, only in the school where he is much less enthusiastic!

 

[Pippity]

My share horse did that when his hock arthritis was playing up, especially if I hadn't been REALLY thorough in warming him up.

 

[AmyMay]

What has your vet said?

 

[Theocat]

I had a share like this years ago (in the dark ages, with no knowledge and no guidance) - it was much better with support (bandages) and disappeared almost completely with time and consistent riding. Looking back, I would guess some sort of tendon problem. If I came up against it again I would get the vet.

 

[Tiddlypom]

My share horse did that when his hock arthritis was playing up, especially if I hadn't been REALLY thorough in warming him up.

Same with my current mare. If she hops into trot, it means that her hocks are being troublesome, and her arthritis managemnt needs tweaking.

 

[Horsekaren]

But he doesn't hop into trot, its more once trotting. Doesn't do it on the lunge so it must as always be something im aiding. As i said the leg follows the head.

Paddi - You mentioned that your horse does it when they arn't pushing from behind. This is always the case, its always when he is ploughing along on his forehand. Do you do anything specifically to shift the weight back?

Ill see if i have a clip of said hop

 

[Tiddlypom]

Ah, the hop when already in trot, as opposed to going into trot, happened before Tammy's PSSM was diagnosed. It has not reappeared since I managed her PSSM correctly.

 

[Equi]

My horse can do this and as said it was purely down to hind power as he had none from being about a 1-2 on the body scale when I got him. As I built him up in weight then started riding him correctly it got less and less. It’s basically the Horse pulling himself on rather than pushing off from behind. He needed some physio on his left hind And lots of stretches and massages - also helped by adding shoes.

 

[Pippity]

But he doesn't hop into trot, its more once trotting. Doesn't do it on the lunge so it must as always be something im aiding. As i said the leg follows the head.

Mine did it in trot, not going into trot, and didn't do it on the lunge. I'm guessing the extra weight of a rider had an effect.

 

[paddi22]

But he doesn't hop into trot, its more once trotting. Doesn't do it on the lunge so it must as always be something im aiding. As i said the leg follows the head.

Paddi - You mentioned that your horse does it when they arn't pushing from behind. This is always the case, its always when he is ploughing along on his forehand. Do you do anything specifically to shift the weight back?

Ill see if i have a clip of said hop

its really just strength building, so they can get more strength behind and sit back a bit more. With that mare it was a ton of transitions and poles work, raised pole work, and hill work. I can be a bit lazy schooling, so i really pushed to do loads of transitions and really try and make each one good. And to reward the moments where she did work properly from her hind and through her back. It took a while to build her up and fix, but she did stop doing it eventually. But i really had to get the feel of half halting her, feeling the weight behind and then asking her to push off when she wasn't on her shoulder, as someone else said, if they are on there shoulder they kind of pull themselves up to the trot.

I found it really hand to get a few private dressage lessons just focusing on me and my position so I could understand WHEN the right time to ask was, and whan i had her properly balanced.

 

[lamlyn2012]

Cobs are often a bit "on the shoulder" and it may be yours is using his shoulder a bit rather than truly working from behind.
As well as doing excercises to help working from behind I would work on things to free up the shoulder.
I find turns on the haunches help mine. I also do shoulder in and counter canter.
Try to get him really forward in all paces when hacking and popping over some little poles should help too.
There is a muscle in the shoulder area,the brachial muscle. Next time you have the physio ask her to have a look if there is any tightness in that area. Meantime you could do a few forward leg stretches with him.