I don't know what to do :(

RubysGold

RubysGold

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I'm not entirely sure where to start with this, so I'll just type and see where it gets me :/
2 weeks ago, I had a jumping lesson, we did bounces, but Roo wasn't happy, kept kicking out at the fences and bucking, we thought it was because of the gelding in the lesson with her, or that the bounce fences don't suit her. In hindsight I wish I'd just left the lesson.
Three days later I had another jumping lesson, this time she jumped everything I asked her to, with no problems but she was strong and fast, and I kept catching her in the mouth because I was too nervous to be able to go forward with her.
The next day I got the saddle fitter out (she was due to come out) the saddle was sitting fine but had sunk and needed reflocking. So I rode bareback for about 4 days.
The saddle is now back, and after a couple of days I tried jumping, she was so strong and running into fences with me (I've really worked on my hands so didn't catch her in the mouth). And then yesterday I took her for a canter in the field and couldnt get her to stop trying to bomb off with me. Her head gets tucked in so you can't stop her.
I don't think its her back but have been told it could be, because of her saddle. But saddle fitter told me her back is much stronger then it was when she fitted the saddle first time. :confused: I don't know if its because we've not cantered in the field for a long time. Surely if it was her back, she'd be bad for schooling too, but she's fine in the school with no jumps up.
I have xc in 3 weeks time, which I don't want to cancel.
I just don't know what to think, or do. And I have noone to turn to
 
RG it might be worth having her back checked, is she a sensitive horse anyway? as if the saddle was sitting a little flat due to needing a bit of reflocking it might have been enough to make her feel a tiny bit uncomfortable and react. The being strong over the jumps with the saddle sorted and trying to tank off with you in the field might just have been excitement if like you say you'd not been in the fields for a while. The only other thing I can think of is teeth? Are you they due or could she be sore in her mouth?

Also don't know what the weather's been like with you or if Roo is out with several other horses but our field in last few days with the bad weather we've had is full of scary looking tram lines where you can see the horses have been hooning about at great speed in the wet and mud and coming to very sudden deep halts, some of the skids are about 3 foot long! Sometimes something like that is enough for a horse to do just tweak a muscle in their back end if the back legs shoot under them when they stop like that.
 
I got her teeth checked in May, and they were filed and sorted out, and her back was done about the same time, I could try and get her back out again to just have a look.
Roo never runs around in the field, but she has recently moved to a new paddock, more grass and a new horse to talk to (shes been turned out alone for 6 months, with horses she can talk to over fence)
 
Don't get down about it RG :)

It was wise getting her saddle checked but I agree with MD, I would consider getting her back and teeth checked as well.

Other things to consider are -

Has her routine changed?
Is she getting fed to much?
Has she been kept in for longer periods then normal?
Is she bored (ie. to much jumping, not enough hacking or vice versa)
 
I can't shed any light on your horse because I haven't seen her but I will say that I have learned through experience to be wary - if you think something isn't right, it probably isn't.
In the last week of August 2009 I had the vet check my mare's back at vaccs time. He commented that he thought she had been over-jumped in the past but thought that she needed no treatment. He did acupuncture on sister's horse when he checked her, so it wasn't that he was rushing. In the 2nd week of Spetember she started being a bit spooky on hacks which was unusual but not unheard of, so I didn't take much notice. She got a bit jumpier and I had to turn back on one hack because of her behaviour, so I asked the saddler to come out in October. She adjusted the flocking in the saddle but it didn't need much. I didn't ride very often after that but she was still a bit spooky, although a bit better. She then had to have time off because we had a lot of snow. On the first time out after the snow I came off but I put her jumpiness down to excitement and 1 or 2 unavoidable incidents that happened on that short hack. There were no injuries so I took her out on a few more short hacks, all was well. Then we went out at the beginning of Feb, on the way home she determinedly bucked me off. I then got the vet again. He said that she had quite severe muscle wastage along her back. She has had a course of acupuncture and seems to be fine now. I certainly wish I had investigated at the beginning, rather than thinking 'She's just had her back checked'. Quite apart from the pain and suffering to both of us, it has cost me the best part of £1000 in vets fees and physio for me after landing on my head on the road.
My advice is to get your horse checked out before you go to the XC just in case there is something wrong.
 
Her routine hasn't really changed, she lives out 24/7, is used to me turning up at about 4/5.
She's only on grass, no hard feed as she's the right weight.
She could be bored :/ We go on walking hacks every so often, and we normally school nearly every day, don't do a lot of jumping. I do try to vary things a bit though.
 
Agree with the others but you also said she had changed paddocks so it could be she is getting a tummy full of rich grass - are her poos bright green/sloppy?:confused: It could be she is just feeling well in herself and she needed a blast to get it out of her system.:rolleyes:

As far as her tucking her head in so you can't stop her - if it happens again lift your hands up - high if you need to as it will pull her head up and she will stop.:)
 
My horse has been a worrysome jumper and doing bounces just 'blew her head off'. I solved it by going right down to trot and canter poles and working on keeping a rhythm together.

Providing there are no ailments, try doing that and if she tanks when you're out and about turn her in a circle before she gets any steam up.

Good luck!
 
if the horse was bad in the lesson, it's likey that she was hurting, and now associates jumping with pain, and therefore i more likely to 'misbehave'.

from what you've said, this doesn;t sound like a naughty horse to me. if it were mine, i would get a physiotherapist out- even if her back isn't bad, she might have pulled under her girth, down her shoulders, hips or bum.

i would also get off, and lunge her over a basic jump to safely gauge her reaction and behaviour. if she was sore, and isn't anymore, that woud be the safest way to get her confidence back.

good luck!!!

oh also- never listen to a saddle fitter!!! some of them are fine, but i know of at least on *reputable* one who made a custom made saddle for my horse (for his previous owner) and it was so bady fitting that it actually caused muscular probelms which i'm stil dealing with today!!

also- if in doubt, equissage!!!!!
 
* also (sorry to go on) aforementioned horse with severe muscular probems of mine is wonderfull o jump, but if i jump him when he's sore, he'll tell me by starting to buck after every fence, progressively getting worse)

then we'll stop, when he's feeling better in a week or so we try again, and he's fine after the 1st one (once he realises it's not going to hurt)

again- good luck!!
 
RG I can't believe you have no one to turn to, you have plenty of knowledgable friends, if only you'd listen to them, what was said the other night is all what the other posters have said today in reply to you, please do not ignore what your friends are doing for you :)
 
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