Horse won't trot in the school after ulcers

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est-1978

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As title says really.

My gelding has been treated for ulcers and was scoped clear about a month ago. He has slowly improved and is hacking out fine walk and trot and also working in the field in walk, trot and canter and now popping tiny cross pole.

He just has a huge issue with the school though....he is OK if I hack and then take him straight in there but if I lead him straight to the school we have issues mounting then planting and head tossing and absolute refusal to trot, he will just plant and threaten to rear (his main symptom when ulcers reoccured).

He is having regular chiro which has helped a lot and his saddle has just been checked.

He had a bone scan which showed up sacroiliac and hock hot spots but vet didn't seem to think anything to worry about and that the main culprit was ulcers.

I'm waiting for Succeed prescription to address any hind gut issues but the main concern is he is fine in the field and hacking but just has this massive issue with the school - could it be remembered pain? I'm worried the longer I ignore the issue and keep him out the school the worse the issue will get but its one step forward and two back at the mo with him :( I'm trying to keep the school fun and not get wound up at all. I'm not sure he is in actual pain anymore as he plants and I just sit there and then he sighs as if its boring...evetually he will just walk on but if I ask for trot we have it all over again!

He is still on weaning dose of G and is on vet gastric supplement, grass, hay and calm and condition to have his supplements - oh and equishure and yea sacc but won't eat the yea sacc....

Anyone else had an issue like this after ulcers/ time off work?

Thanks in advance
 
Of course it could be remembered pain but I wonder if he still has trouble with the going in your school, what is the surface?

TBH, I would have expected him to be remembering pain before you set off for a hack if that was the problem.

I wouldn't push it at this stage, my motto is 'always listen to your horse'.

ETA, just re-read your post. The vet may say the SI and hock is nothing to worry about but your horse obviously sees it differently!
 
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We have a horse here that is very similar. Turns out the hock pain was related to her upper suspensory and that was causing her back pain as she was supporting the weight of a rider whilst trying to avoid taking any weight back on her hocks. She also gets recurring ulcers when not out 24/7. Identical symptoms of refusing to trot and threatening to rear. Took a long time to identify the real problem.

I would say your horse is being genuine. Out hacking and in the field horses are more stimulated and distracted, but in the school where nothing exciting happens and they usually feel very safe, the lack of adrenalin can lead some horses to becoming more aware of pain, and in addition they are being asked to work more correctly taking weight back on their hocks, hence the problems you are encountering IMO.
 
My mare was like this in one particular school - i would have to try all sorts to get her going forward to trot (she was initially fine in it but developed an aversion). I was told my aids might not be clear enough etc etc (which i took on board) but out and about she was fine (not massively forward but she's always been a little lazy). I took het to a different school with a different surface and she was a different horse. But months later she became less and less responsive to the leg so had her scoped and she had grade 2 ulcers (depsite having a very natural lifestyle etc). She has also previoulsy been back and back leg scanned (some low level hot spots but nothing the vet was concerned about). I will never know whether it was the surface or the ulcers or both but i have learned i have to listen to her - with mine everything means something and if you dont listen eventually she blows (which is dangerous for all concerned). I would get the issues the vet wasnt worried about checked out - horses have varying tolerance levels and they only have so many ways of telling us.

My mare is now on alfalfa chaff (unmolassed), yea sacc and slippery elm. She's not yet ridden so may have all this to come!
 
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