Horse not cantering

[J_sarahd]

thank you everyone. You’re right - I need to put my pony before my friendship. After my conversation with her, she’s just made me feel so stupid and guilty for thinking somethings wrong with him. But I need to look after him and he’s definitely telling me somethings wrong. The farrier came out yesterday and made a comment about how long he’d grown (we are on a schedule with a few others from the yard but it had got to 7 weeks!!). Is that likely to have caused issues with his hind legs? I will still call the vet!

 

[ThreeWBs]

thank you everyone. You’re right - I need to put my pony before my friendship. After my conversation with her, she’s just made me feel so stupid and guilty for thinking somethings wrong with him. But I need to look after him and he’s definitely telling me somethings wrong. The farrier came out yesterday and made a comment about how long he’d grown (we are on a schedule with a few others from the yard but it had got to 7 weeks!!). Is that likely to have caused issues with his hind legs? I will still call the vet!

It depends how long is long.

Long hooves do alter the the conformation/stance of the horse and will put additional strain on tendons and joints, possibly exacerbating the symptoms of a mild injury or ailment.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would definitely get your vet out sod what your friends think horses don't tend to just start reaching themselves flying changes, 7 weeks is a long time in the summer for hoof trim, mine are done every 4 weeks in the summer.

 

[J_sarahd]

I would definitely get your vet out sod what your friends think horses don't tend to just start reaching themselves flying changes, 7 weeks is a long time in the summer for hoof trim, mine are done every 4 weeks in the summer.

I know it’s a long time and I feel like world’s worst owner right now! He’s due his jabs in the next few weeks so I’ll do it all in one big hit and give him time off before then. I feel absolutely sick thinking that he’s in pain and I have just been ignoring it and putting it down to being school sour

 

[Jango]

You're not the worlds worse owner at all! Everything is a learning curve and you are taking on advice to do the best for your horse. Next time something like this happens you will know to speak to a vet/physio to check out any physical problems. A bad owner would just keep ignoring it!

 

[millikins]

I posted a couple of months back about my Connie displaying very similar symptoms, not refusing to canter but unable/unwilling to maintain canter. Not changing leads though. It's been really difficult getting him properly treated due to lockdown, he is not an emergency, he's fine in the field, trots, canters, bucks as per normal, fine lungeing, it is only when he has the added weight of a rider and then only when asked to canter so he's been doing lots of in hand walking and longreining. Today we went for a very short hack after he's been on bute for 3 days and he felt pretty much normal, so I am confident that he is in some discomfort, probably hocks and or lower back, and can call the vet. Mine's an old boy (21) and has had a busy PC life so arthritis is hardly surprising but the change was sudden but very subtle, if I didn't know him so well he could just be described as being a bit lazy, so please don't beat yourself up about being a bad owner.