Horse tripping a lot

[PipsqueakXy22]

Hello so i have a horse on full loan at the moment, he was off work for about 2 years when I started riding him about 2 months ago. But I’ve been on holiday so really it he has only been in work 6 weeks. He seems to be coming on nicely, I have been taking it slow only walking and trotting and starting to do a tiny bit of canter (less than a minute) at this point.
but the problem I have is in walk and trot he appears to trip a lot.
Every ride he trips maybe 3 to 5 times in both walk and trot.
I’m not sure what could be causing this. Is he just not fit enough at the moment?
the surface in our school is fantastic, and he also trips while out hacking.
I have asked advices from several very knowledgeable liveries all of whom say he is sound (from rhe 2 mins they watched me ride)
I have had a saddler out to see the saddle which fits apparently.
I have a physio out next week to see if anything wrong.
I guess my next step is maybe vet, but he isn’t my horse and I don’t pay vet bills so would have to check if it’s ok to get the vet with his owner.
I thought was something I was doing but a lady who used to loan him and comes to ride him once a month now said he wasn’t really picking up his feet when she took him out for a hack on the weekend..
I’m not really sure what to do, is it just about fitness? Or something more sinister

 

[Flowerofthefen]

After being off for 2 years he perhaps needed a little more conditioning before moving up the gaits. 6 to 8 weeks is usually used to fitten a horse that has been out of work for a much shorter time. A horse who perhaps had the summer off. How are his feet?

 

[SEL]

It could be conditioning, a poor trim (toes too long?) or ringbone - your farrier might be able to feel if there's bony changes

 

[cauda equina]

I was thinking feet too
Can you video him walking to see how he lands - heel first or toe first

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

There could be many reasons from not being fit enough to feet to joints to neck/back pain. So I would get the horse a bit fitter first then reassess.

 

[Red-1]

Why was he off for 2 years? Even so, I would go back to hand walking and do plenty of it, or long reining, on the roads (with knee boots).

Then more walking under saddle, still out and about, then include hill work and short trots.

I feel that 6 weeks in, after 2 years off for any reason, it is too quick to be trotting and cantering. A minute is a sustained canter.

I would also consider a check up by the vet, but if he does appear sound and happy in work, I would do the above first. The in hand or long reining would be important to me as if you out your weight on his back before it has done any strengthening, he may be moving in an inverted fashion to ease aches.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Be very careful, a horse is a heavy animal to land on you.
Speak to your farrier, he can shoe accordingly.
If the tripping continues I’d send it back.
I’ve just spend £0000’s in insurance and my own money trying to get to the bottom of a serial tripper. It’s been pretty souls destroying and he retired a few weeks ago.

 

[mini_b]

Reasons my horse stumbled a lot…
Big and weak and on forehand
Half pad under saddle was pinching
Feet (rolled toes with a shorter break over improved this)
Hock pain
Big and clumsy - genuinely not looking where he was going

once each issue was addressed it improved massively and any stumbles were when he had his head in the clouds. It took months and months of hacking in walk and teaching more about carrying himself to make the real “aha”.

This horse went down on its knees with me on top in a grass field - after that I always wore knee boots incase it did it on gravel/road.

(Edited to add horse had extensive vet investigation! I didn’t just leave it to work itself out)

 

[Barton Bounty]

I echo the farrier! BB will trip on stony ground if his feet are too long and he overreached ? start simple then work your way to more complex

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would make sure his feet are being trimmed and shod correctly if his still tripping after that a vet check.

 

[PipsqueakXy22]

After being off for 2 years he perhaps needed a little more conditioning before moving up the gaits. 6 to 8 weeks is usually used to fitten a horse that has been out of work for a much shorter time. A horse who perhaps had the summer off. How are his feet?

he does have flat feet, and apparently get special shoes for them (something about a 3D gel pad? Not sure myself what it does) he only started getting these new (very expensive) shoes when

 

[PipsqueakXy22]

Why was he off for 2 years? Even so, I would go back to hand walking and do plenty of it, or long reining, on the roads (with knee boots).

Then more walking under saddle, still out and about, then include hill work and short trots.

I feel that 6 weeks in, after 2 years off for any reason, it is too quick to be trotting and cantering. A minute is a sustained canter.

I would also consider a check up by the vet, but if he does appear sound and happy in work, I would do the above first. The in hand or long reining would be important to me as if you out your weight on his back before it has done any strengthening, he may be moving in an inverted fashion to ease aches.

his owner moved off to university so there was no one to ride him and they weren’t wanting to sell

 

[Barton Bounty]

he does have flat feet, and apparently get special shoes for them (something about a 3D gel pad? Not sure myself what it does) he only started getting these new (very expensive) shoes when

BB has terrible flat feet , trips like mad near shoeing time , but also cause hes lazy looking about himself lol

 

[paddy555]

mine tripped and I learnt it was due to cushings. Once he was medicated the tripping resolved. When he needed an increased dose the tripping returned.

 

[spotty_pony]

My experience with my boy was that he had thin soles. Farrier fitted him with pads under the shoes and we are now about 14 weeks after starting the pads - the tripping has completely stopped and he even tried to trot on gravel the other day!! I had people telling me he could be Laminitic and all sorts but I listened to my farrier and I know my horse. It turns out I was right in the end and it was thin soles. I’d definitely give pads a try.

 

[NikkiQ]

Feet are my first thought also. My loan horse trips lots when he is in need of a trim (unfortunately farrier is out of my control but I do make sure to mention it)!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hello so i have a horse on full loan at the moment, he was off work for about 2 years when I started riding him about 2 months ago. But I’ve been on holiday so really it he has only been in work 6 weeks. He seems to be coming on nicely, I have been taking it slow only walking and trotting and starting to do a tiny bit of canter (less than a minute) at this point.
but the problem I have is in walk and trot he appears to trip a lot.
Every ride he trips maybe 3 to 5 times in both walk and trot.
I’m not sure what could be causing this. Is he just not fit enough at the moment?
the surface in our school is fantastic, and he also trips while out hacking.
I have asked advices from several very knowledgeable liveries all of whom say he is sound (from rhe 2 mins they watched me ride)
I have had a saddler out to see the saddle which fits apparently.
I have a physio out next week to see if anything wrong.
I guess my next step is maybe vet, but he isn’t my horse and I don’t pay vet bills so would have to check if it’s ok to get the vet with his owner.
I thought was something I was doing but a lady who used to loan him and comes to ride him once a month now said he wasn’t really picking up his feet when she took him out for a hack on the weekend..
I’m not really sure what to do, is it just about fitness? Or something more sinister

Many reason for tripping.

1. Laminitis
2. Long toes
3. laziness
4. Daisy cutting
5. poor hoof confirmation
6. something wrong further up the leg
7. weak behind
8. on the forehand
9. young horse
10. un even ground
11. Rider error

Other reasons also - I would start off with your vet and farrier first.

 

[PeterNatt]

You hav ebeen advised by the previous rider that he stumbles so you really need a vet to check him out.
If the vet finds no problems then when you ride him then make sure that you put knee pads (Jefferies make good ones) on him as you don't want him comming down on his knees and injuring himself.
If it is a shoeing issue then your farrier can put rolled toes on his front shoes which shoud help.

 

[canteron]

My trippy horse was so much better without shoes - it was as if he could finally understand what his feet were doing.
Also, learning to ride better off the forehand helped - he is now doing BD Novice with a much better rider than me and still barefoot!

 

[chocolategirl]

Hello so i have a horse on full loan at the moment, he was off work for about 2 years when I started riding him about 2 months ago. But I’ve been on holiday so really it he has only been in work 6 weeks. He seems to be coming on nicely, I have been taking it slow only walking and trotting and starting to do a tiny bit of canter (less than a minute) at this point.
but the problem I have is in walk and trot he appears to trip a lot.
Every ride he trips maybe 3 to 5 times in both walk and trot.
I’m not sure what could be causing this. Is he just not fit enough at the moment?
the surface in our school is fantastic, and he also trips while out hacking.
I have asked advices from several very knowledgeable liveries all of whom say he is sound (from rhe 2 mins they watched me ride)
I have had a saddler out to see the saddle which fits apparently.
I have a physio out next week to see if anything wrong.
I guess my next step is maybe vet, but he isn’t my horse and I don’t pay vet bills so would have to check if it’s ok to get the vet with his owner.
I thought was something I was doing but a lady who used to loan him and comes to ride him once a month now said he wasn’t really picking up his feet when she took him out for a hack on the weekend..
I’m not really sure what to do, is it just about fitness? Or something more sinister

When mine was tripping a lot, it turned out to neck arthritis ?

 

[PipsqueakXy22]

mine tripped and I learnt it was due to cushings. Once he was medicated the tripping resolved. When he needed an increased dose the tripping returned.

Oh really? He does have cushings! But he is on medication for almost 3 years now so doesn’t seem to make a difference

 

[PipsqueakXy22]

I guess other things I can say is he doesn’t seem to do it on the lunge or in the field when I watch him, and when he trips it’s not one particular leg, sometimes it’s the hind sometimes it’s the front. It’s not bad tripping, as in at no point do I think he’s going to fall over or me come off, but it is still just worrying.
Thank you everyone for the advice! Will take it one step at a time and see what we can find out.