Horse lost confidence

[Horsegirl25]

Feeling a bit deflated guys, my horse who is my eventer has absolutely lost all cross country confidence and I have no idea how to rebuild it!
He was eliminated at our last event (jumped a clear SJ), took him to a hunter trial today, eliminated again although they kindly let me continue now while we did finish he stopped 6 times… this is unheard of for him, he’s a cross country machine…
He’s had physio, his back was quite sore but that’s all sorted now. Don’t know whether to get the vet now to see if anything underlying? Teeth, saddle etc all up to date.
I can decide if he’s truly just had a hard season and a bit sickened of it or if he’s gave himself a confidence knock?
Has anyone dealt with this before, how did you rebuild the confidence?
He’s going jumping showjumps etc not a problem but it seems to be cross country fences he’s went so green.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Sorry to hear this. I would get vet now to see if anything underlying as you might be wasting your time trying to get him going again if he is hurting somewhere.

 

[Red-1]

I doubt he stopped for no reason. I would guess he is sore. I would get the vet, or turn away from jumping until spring if he looks sound in every other way. Then bring back into work slowly and like a baby.

Personally, I would do a vet investigation. It could be soft or hard ground that is the issue, stones, uphill and downhill, or he could have knocked himself. Maybe he views XC as simply more hard work than a short SJ round. An investigation then rest would be what I'd do.

 

[Ifmpw]

I would have saddle and vet checks - what's his eyesight like, is he shod and has studs in ? is he slipping, so loosing confidence
Have you lost a bit of your confidence and he is picking up off you ?

 

[Horsegirl25]

Thanks guys will get the vet out to see if anything under lying, I just feel like it’s so out the blue and he’s not knocked himself as far as I’m aware.
I wouldn’t say I’ve lost my confidence but I do preempt his stop now, but I dout its that as when we got eliminated at our last event he hadn’t stopped XC before so it wasn’t something I was expecting..

 

[Tiddlypom]

I’d ditto a full loss of performance at the vets at this stage. Good horses don’t start stopping for no reason.

If you chuck him out for a winter’s holiday without a vet check you risk missing a niggle which would have benefitted from early intervention and treatment, and which might continue to deteriorate if not addressed now.

Good luck.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Work up at the vets is what I would do.

 

[Horsegirl25]

Thanks everyone will ring them when they open tomorrow and get something arranged..
So frustrating as he feels 100% and looks it (as far as I am aware) but something going on obviously. Thanks everyone yous are always my push to go with my gut even when people say it’s unnecessary

 

[Ceifer]

I would also consider sore feet. I know you have said he is happy showjumping but I had an old eventer who would showjump happily but wouldn’t XC. Turned out to be the start of navicular. He was medicated, remedially shod and after a period of rest did do a couple more seasons.

 

[catembi]

One of mine ages ago began to do the same & it was pedal osteitis. So the same as the above...sore feet. I hope you get to the bottom of it...it's so frustrating when you suspect that something's wrong & don't know what it is.

 

[Horsegirl25]

Just rung the vet this morning and got him booked in for a lameness assessment next week.
Sorry if this sounds daft I've never dealt with this before but how would I go about seeing if it's anything to do with his feet? I presume that would be the vet as they would need x-rayed?
My gut is saying hocks (but as I say I am no expert and never dealt with this before), watching him trot up the field this morning he was ever so slightly short tracking up on his right but not with every step, also almost not bending his leg properly if that even makes sense! Not sure if that could be the cause of the issues, will wait and see outcome on Monday. Fingers crossed something easily fixed/managed...

 

[Alibear]

Generally, for loss-of-performance workups, the vet will do some checks, such as turning on a small circle on hard and soft ground if possible and perhaps some flexion tests.
If they can identify a leg with an issue, they then usually go to nerve blocks in a specific order (I think foot up) to determine which joint(s)/area is the cause.
Then, they'll do an x-ray or ultrasound of that area to try and identify the cause.
Sometimes, they also get you to ride if the issue only shows whilst ridden.

 

[Tiddlypom]

IME of a lameness workup the vets will first assess him walking and trotting away and then back in a straight line on concrete. Then same in trot after hind limb flexions.

Then walk and trot in lunge on small circle on the hard.

Then into the arena for wtc on lunge. Take the tack in case they want to see him under saddle.

That’ll give them ideas of what they are looking at - hock, stifle, foot etc.

If nerve blocks are done then IME they always start in the feet and work up, repeating the lameness check after each block, so if it’s feet it’s found early.

Depending on what’s found then scans and/or x rays are done.

Good luck. I find it much more productive (and cheaper!!) to take a lame horse in to horsepital for a workup than having multiple home visits. They’ve got all the kit in situ.

Good luck, hope it’s something and nothing.

ETA cross posted with Alibear!

 

[exracehorse]

Just rung the vet this morning and got him booked in for a lameness assessment next week.
Sorry if this sounds daft I've never dealt with this before but how would I go about seeing if it's anything to do with his feet? I presume that would be the vet as they would need x-rayed?
My gut is saying hocks (but as I say I am no expert and never dealt with this before), watching him trot up the field this morning he was ever so slightly short tracking up on his right but not with every step, also almost not bending his leg properly if that even makes sense! Not sure if that could be the cause of the issues, will wait and see outcome on Monday. Fingers crossed something easily fixed/managed...

First thing I thought of was possibly hocks. How old is he? My horse started to show some arthritis in his hocks when he didn’t like the banging of the nails during shoing on his back feet

 

[Goldenstar]

Something made his back sore you need to find what the that was.
I agree with the others it’s time for a problems with performance type work up .
Front feet and or hocks are always a good punt with this type of presentation .

 

[Bonnie Allie]

I would also consider sore feet. I know you have said he is happy showjumping but I had an old eventer who would showjump happily but wouldn’t XC. Turned out to be the start of navicular. He was medicated, remedially shod and after a period of rest did do a couple more seasons.

This. Our gun eventer one day put in two stops in her SJ round - out of the blue. It was her telling us her feet hurt. She had the beginnings of pedal osteitis. Remedial shoeing in wide webbed composite poly shoes plus a LOT of x-rays and couple of MRI solved it but we retired her to a quieter life two years later as she began adding strides in front of jumps. She was losing confidence again - pain was developing again.

She retired completely at 19 yrs - still hand walked 3 times a week now at 24yrs as she is a horse who needs a job or she jumps out of the field and goes on adventures by herself. Usually to neighbours garden to eat their prized roses.

I wish I knew then what I know now about feet, jumping and farriers/vets. There were some heartbreaking times when we were told when it first happened that she never recover. She did but we had to modify her career to keep her happy, sound and alive.

Get some X-rays pronto

 

[Horsegirl25]

First thing I thought of was possibly hocks. How old is he? My horse started to show some arthritis in his hocks when he didn’t like the banging of the nails during shoing on his back feet

He is only 8. I say only but I have never had experience in this field so this may not be that unusual for an 8yo?

 

[Horsegirl25]

This. Our gun eventer one day put in two stops in her SJ round - out of the blue. It was her telling us her feet hurt. She had the beginnings of pedal osteitis. Remedial shoeing in wide webbed composite poly shoes plus a LOT of x-rays and couple of MRI solved it but we retired her to a quieter life two years later as she began adding strides in front of jumps. She was losing confidence again - pain was developing again.

She retired completely at 19 yrs - still hand walked 3 times a week now at 24yrs as she is a horse who needs a job or she jumps out of the field and goes on adventures by herself. Usually to neighbours garden to eat their prized roses.

I wish I knew then what I know now about feet, jumping and farriers/vets. There were some heartbreaking times when we were told when it first happened that she never recover. She did but we had to modify her career to keep her happy, sound and alive.

Get some X-rays pronto

Thank you for sharing! Vet booked for next week, hopefully easy enough to get to the bottom of.

 

[PeterNatt]

Before you do anything else, get your vet out to check him and, if necessary, referred to a specialist equine diagnostic hospital.