Horse trys to sit down when sat on. HELP

[kirsty.]

My TB has started to be funny when you get on him on the yard, when u first sit on him his back legs start shaking as if he going to collapse and then he trys to sit down, 1 of the girls at the yard tryed gettin on him in the school and he looked stiff on 1 of his hind legs but seemed to walk it off but never tryed to sit down with her in the school, she put him through his paces " walk, trot, canter" really tight circles and he was perfect was bending in all the right places. But now im puzzled i've checked his back and seems to b in no pain, he does not try bucking rearing or pulling faces when he was in the school, i had his back shoes removed 8 weeks ago so i thought he might be foot sore but he does not trot up lame, he only trys to sit down when stood on the concrete yard. does anyone have and suggestions what could be going on please x

 

[cptrayes]

I think you should get a vet out to see him very soon. There are a number of things that can cause this and none of them are good.

Kidney failure.
Back damage.
Spinal cord nerve degeneration.
Hock spavin.

It could still be his feet if he is equally lame in both. Try putting boots on him and see if he does it then. If so, call the vet.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Hmmmm. If it was happening all the time, I'd share cptrayes concern. But the fact that he doesn't do it when mounted in a different place by a different person, and then goes on to work beautifully, suggests it isn't quite so simple. Presumably, he hasn't lost weight recently? I've read about something similar happening as the "extreme" end of being cold backed. Some cold backed horses just need 1 minute to themselves when first mounted but some show more extreme behaviour. I'd certainly get the saddle checked and have your horse's back checked but what happens if YOU get on him in the school? Or if this other girl gets on him in the yard. I'd try as many different people/places/methods as possible and try to find the pattern, which there will be. I'd include mounting bareback in different places.

 

[Shilasdair]

I think you should get a vet out to see him very soon. There are a number of things that can cause this and none of them are good.

Kidney failure.
Back damage.
Spinal cord nerve degeneration.
Hock spavin.

I agree with most of the above - and would also suggest it may be a saddle fitting problem. If I put a saddle that doesn't fit on my rather sensitive Tb girl, she will do exactly what you described - backing slightly and sitting down.
I'd get the vet first, then the saddle fitter, if I were you.
S