Losing impulsion in test

smiggy

smiggy

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Ok, long and odd but desperately need advice . A few months ago , I went to do a prelim test, my normally forward and happy little Coblet started well then in the first canter ground to a halt like he was in desperate need of a pooh, carried on a bit but it was like riding through treacle and so unlike him that I retired half way through. He had had his vaccs the previous week and the next day he had a little cough so I assumed a vacc reaction or a virus , gave him a week off and then he was back to normal . Have been competing at dressage and to lessons and clinics and completely normal. Today we were doing our first riding club team event ( pick your moment my little friend !) novice 28. He was ok in the warm up, pos a little sticky but it was really deep going so I thought nothing of it. Into the arena fine and normal until the first canter and then bam exactly like before . Grinding to walk, feeling like he needs a pooh , completed the test only because I wasn’t sure of rules if we retired but it was horrible, we started off with normal 7s and then dropped to 5,4 even a 2, all absolutely deserved.
just can’t work it out. He was in overnight and plenty of pooh , pooh in lorry and warm up so not constipated. Happily ate hay on way home . Was fine in fairly low impact lesson yesterday . Will go in school tomorrow just to see how he feels but am at a loss to understand it’s such a massive difference.have never wanted to be able to speak to a horse so much !any suggestions welcome .
 
I am a vet ?
Don’t think lameness and when fine he was fine , hence why I’m going to lunge etc tomorrow
Tying up is interesting , didn’t really seem like that , and I have experienced a horse with pssm, but it could be a mild version I suppose . There was no indication of an issue once test was over though .
Thanks x
 
After many years battling ulcers with my horse, I bet you can't guess what I'm going to say?
I've seen this behaviour time and time again. I'd have your horse scoped at the very least to eliminate it.
 
Muddywellies said:
After many years battling ulcers with my horse, I bet you can't guess what I'm going to say?
I've seen this behaviour time and time again. I'd have your horse scoped at the very least to eliminate it.
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Funnily enough I did think about that
Just kind of ruled it out in my head as so very isolated . We are out competing or at lessons and clinics at least once a week, often more . In the 14 months I have had him, this had only happened twice , both part way through a test . Seems so specific . He was quite poor and had sloppy poohs when I got him, now looks fab and poohs are top notch. Absolutely realise that doesn’t rule it out though , might see if there’s a scoping day locally
 
Do you have lessons or do arena hire at the venue you've been competing at? Is the surface in the test arena causing the issue?
 
Last time it was a venue we have been to a lot and have competed and had clinics there since and all fine , it’s a waxed surface .
surface today wasn’t great , sand and fibre sort of thing but not dire . Was a new venue though .
 
I did one test on robin and he was really backwards. Not like him but looking back he was in the school a lot and getting a bit bored. Have since discovered he is quite happy to go in school but if we do too much he gets bored. Perhaps your horse feels like he is doing too much and is switching off. Even when eventing robin mainly hacked, would school for 15 mins maybe in the field, jumped occasionally before or after hacking. He much prefers hacking mostly and still went and got a 2nd in his last test having been in the school once in the previous month.
 
Kamikaze said:
I did one test on robin and he was really backwards. Not like him but looking back he was in the school a lot and getting a bit bored. Have since discovered he is quite happy to go in school but if we do too much he gets bored. Perhaps your horse feels like he is doing too much and is switching off. Even when eventing robin mainly hacked, would school for 15 mins maybe in the field, jumped occasionally before or after hacking. He much prefers hacking mostly and still went and got a 2nd in his last test having been in the school once in the previous month.
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Yes that was another thought that went through my mind , good point
He always seems quite happy to school at home and we do hack as well . Will cut right back for a bit with him in case , have been schooling more this winter as hacking so horribly muddy !
 
smiggy said:
Funnily enough I did think about that
Just kind of ruled it out in my head as so very isolated . We are out competing or at lessons and clinics at least once a week, often more . In the 14 months I have had him, this had only happened twice , both part way through a test . Seems so specific . He was quite poor and had sloppy poohs when I got him, now looks fab and poohs are top notch. Absolutely realise that doesn’t rule it out though , might see if there’s a scoping day locally
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Great. It'll give you an answer either way. As a vet, I'm sure you'll know the symptoms vary massively, with some showing almost no symptoms. My pony is an absolute picture of health and people never believe she is susceptible to ulcers. Before her diagnosis, when competing she could be fine in the morning, then in the afternoon, a completely different horse. Now after 4 years I've learnt to read the signs (usually).
 
Went in school today, just for ten minutes as a test, absolutly fine!
kind of rules out musculoskeletal things in my head as a first option.
will def book a scope ASAP.
 
Mine used to get like this. I realised it was because I tense up when competing so I was clamped on him. I started to make a conscious effort to loosen my muscles and it solved the problem.
 
Interesting that both times it has happened after the first canter- do you have any specific issues with canter? Worries about correct lead etc.
How long is your warm up? Do you canter much warming up? It does sound like it could be something rider related.
 
Thanks guys
he is booked in for ulcer check next week.
i really don’t think it’s me or canter per se as in between these two episodes we have competed at a variety of venues and usually average 68 to 70 pc with comments always mentioning how willing and forward he is .
yes we had cantered in the warm up and he was fine , we usually warm up for about twenty minutes , it was a bit longer on Saturday as they were running late but a lot of that was standing about chatting so as not to wear him out.
was wondering if first canter in stressy tenser environment caused acid splashing or something.
if there’s no ulcers can do pssm hair test, though to me it seems too quick a recovery .
if nothing I suppose we crack on but do less and see what happens.
 
Pssm presents differently depending which mutation it is. My mare stiffens after too much work and her muscles go hard, but she will be fine again quite quickly after a rest of ten or twenty minutes.
 
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