Horse taking lami type stance when mounting - advice pls

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Len

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Hi,

Can anyone shed any light on this problem please.

My mare is hacked out and ridden in the school - last Fri I took her in the school and she was reluctant to stand at the mounting block which is unusual - once I mounted she shifted all her weight back just like a lami stance with her front legs straight out in front. The mounting block is one of the short plastic ones bucket height. I worked her in walk for a short time and she seemed ok. She had been in season and can be grizzly so I put it down to this. When tacking up she had also objected to me stretching her nr fore after doing her girth up.

On Sun I mounted on the yard from a very tall block which puts you level with your stirrup and hacked her out - we had to trot to let a car pass us and she didnt feel 100% and we walked the rest of the way no problems - we did go up a steep hill which we do regularly and she was trying to turn sideways and jog up which is unusual.

Then last night I took her in the school - she objected to stretching her nr fore when being tacked up again (season seems to be easing off) - I got on from the small block again and she took the same stance - I worked her in walk again for 10 mins with a couple of circuits of trot.

I am going to trot her up on the drive tonight and see how shes moving. I had a new saddle fitted in Jan as her old one was too wide and she began bucking - we havent had any of this since getting new saddle - she has no signs of problems with the girth rubbing etc, no heat in feet, no pounding digital pulse, generally happy in herself, she was lame on her nr fore when we had the probs with the old saddle.

I am having the saddle fitter out on Fri to check it but wanted to know if anyone had experienced this problem with the stance when mounting - I am told its a sign of soreness and am presuming as its only when I use the small block it may be that I am pulling on her when mounting from it - any thoughts would be appreciated.

She is a short coupled 14.3 mare 14 yrs old in good condition doesnt tend to hoon about in the field kept with individual grazing and isnt on lush grass or lots of it. Only other thing thats happened recently is I have had to treat her with louse powder his wkend as shes got mites in her mane and tail - I wandered if she could just be generally uncomfy and irritated if she trots up ok tonight.

Thanks.
 
When i read the title i thought maybe cold backed.. but then if she's not done it all the time etc im not sure a horse just 'gets' a cold back.
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Sorry, bit of a pointless reply but figured i'd try and start some replies for you
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Sounds pretty much like you need a saddle check to me. If you had a new saddle fitted at the beginning of the year you are certainly overdue for a visit. Id get a physio in too especially as you have encountered issues before.
 
It does sound like the saddle, to me. Like the points of the tree are putting pressure on her shoulders. Does your fitter have any pressure testing equipment?

When you trot her up tonight, do it without saddle, then with, then with loaded saddle i.e.someone on top. Make sure it's the same person watching the trot up in each case. Hopefully you'll shed some light on it!
 
Have you tried mounting from the other side to compare her reaction?

New research shows that when we mount using the stirrup there are very definite pressure points on the horse. These can be painful and also the horse will try to compensate by tightening muscles to try to maintain their balance.

So maybe try mounting from a higher block every time, and get on from the other side to see how that compares. It is also good to do this regularly anyway, to even up the pressure and muscle-use.

Either way it sounds like you need a saddle check. The saddler found a lump on one side of our cob's saddle which was pressing into his shoulder area and causing discomfort so maybe something will show up Friday.
 
Hi FranSurrey,
Sounds like a good idea I will give it a try this eve. Thank you. I will also ask the saddle fitter about pressure testing equip.
 
Hi Llewelyn,
Yep I have read about that too - I think I am def pulling on her when using the block in the school and from now on will use the tall block on the yard. She has a bump the the left of her spine shes apparently had it for yrs and I have had it checked by my back man and physio and no one can find any problem with it however this is at the back of the saddle area not on the shoulder.
 
agree with the above but just as an aside on your last comment re the lice.

I knew a pony years ago who was a real sweetie but she got really bad sweet itch this resulted in her being very difficult to mount, she was fine once on but if the saddle pulled at her skin at all whilst mountin she would be very uncomfortable.

Am not sure it is likely to be the case with yours but perhaps just something to think about
 
Hi Ester,
Good point - I had wandered about this as its co incided with the mites problem - I treated her on Sun with louse powder to her mane tail and along her spine - I was told when I bought her that she suffered with sweet itch and last yr at the old yard with fence posts she did manage to rub out a good deal of her mane and tail - shes got elec tape now so hasnt had the chance but rubs badly when brought into the stable.
 
that might not be helping either then and could explain why she is better with the bigger block. just something else to think about

Said pony was well gone 25 when I knew her and a lot more obvious about it than yours and would try and bite your leg/ herself as you mounted she would do it whether it was sweet itch season or not as had become an association.
 
I would get her checked out by an equine vet without any further delay.

Laminitis can be caused by a number of different triggers so don't rule it out. i.e an infection, shock, emerging encysted red worms, high fructan levels in the grass, Cushings disease etc.
 
I agree with OWLIE185 - get her checked for lami right away - the 'lami' stance is usually because they are suffering even if it is mildly. Seasons (ie hormonal changes) can bring on lami - it doesn't have to be too much grass etc and whilst I wouldn't want to panic you unnecessarily I would want to be sure what I was dealing with to put the necessary management in place to prevent further possibly irreversible damage. I have a mare with lami so know all about the signs symptoms, management etc - please call your vet.

ETA - bad spelling!
 
Hi slinkyunicorn,
My previous mare had a history of lami so have had dealing with it - my current mare is not overweight has no heat or increased digital pulse - though she is taking this stance it is only when mounted from a low mounting block - she is fine if a high one is used and is fine once under saddle also her stance in the field is not a lami one so I am very puzzled.
She has a history of lameness on her nr fore due to a previously ill fitting saddle.
 
I dont have much experience of dealing with a horse that has lami, we have an old pony who is susceptible but we've managed to keep it at bay so far, touch wood & all that!
I'd be interested to hear your comments on OP reply as it does seem odd to me that the mare isn't showing signs of lami other than the stance and even then only when mounted from low mounting block?
I would have been tempted to say it's the saddle but I'm by no means an expert!
 
We have a mare here who has had lami in the past and is managed for it - but still sometimes stands in 'lami' stance (especially when mounted) when having small flare ups - usually season related which is why it would concern me. The rest of the time she is fine and in work etc - just every now and then for whatever reason she is more sensitive so has to have a few days off to recover. The hormonal changes of a season are enough to trigger a mild attack - wasn't suggesting you weren't managing her correctly just offering a different cause - when my mare had lami it was totally different and she just couldn't move or pick up a hoof for anyone.
 
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