Need to make a decision!

[AshTay]

I can't figure out how to link to previous thread on here but, in a nutshell: I have a beautiful horse who randomly tanks off while ridden. I strongly believe it's pain related and we had identified some discomfort in his back and treated it and was in rehab but then he tanked again.

So he went back to the vets and they couldn't find anything wrong. Working properly, not a hint of lameness or anything. Have been referred to Oakham for bonescan as a last resort. Insurance cover will run out early June.

But. I now have my own transport and he travelled to the vets fine but we had epic problems loading to get him back. I'm now dreading trying to load him again to get him to Oakham and am wondering if it's even the right thing to do. If they find something then he'll probably be retired unless easily treated. If they don't find anything then I still won't know what's going on.

But I want to feel like I've tried everything! !

Help!!

 

[debsflo]

can you practise the loading a few times before your vet visit ? i would try and go just to rule all options out....

 

[showpony]

could you travel him with a buddy?

 

[AshTay]

Just to update - after reading another thread about loading horses that was active at about the same time as I posted this, I bought a Richard Maxwell halter, did two ten minute sessions in the school with it (I think he'd had one on before...) and then tried to load him again. We did have a short stand-off and it did take some gentle forward encouragement from behind by my OH but in less than ten minutes he was merrily loading on and off.

So we're off to Oakham next week......

 

[PorkChop]

Great news, I really hope you find out what's causing the behaviour.

 

[eahotson]

Just to update - after reading another thread about loading horses that was active at about the same time as I posted this, I bought a Richard Maxwell halter, did two ten minute sessions in the school with it (I think he'd had one on before...) and then tried to load him again. We did have a short stand-off and it did take some gentle forward encouragement from behind by my OH but in less than ten minutes he was merrily loading on and off.

So we're off to Oakham next week......

Well done!

 

[julie111]

Well done and good luck, I hope you get some answers!

 

[JanetGeorge]

It's possible your horse's bolting was caused by pain initially - and that even if the pain is gone - he's doing it by habit (for fun!) Or there might be pain. Or possibly a brain tumour. They tend to start off as random run-aways - believe me, I rode one once! One minute we were jumping a very respectable A Grade course - and the next minute he was GONE. I bailed out into some bushes at the showground gate and he ran 3 miles down the road!!

If Oakham can't find anything wrong, there's still a possibility of curing him depending on the way he bolts. Does he go with NO steering (as in, if there was a 6 foot wall in front of him he'd crash into?) That sort I probably wouldn't TRY to cure! Otherwise, add a set or running reins - ONLY to be used if he takes off! If taking off has a 'nasty' consequence, you may well persuade him to give it up!

 

[AshTay]

It's possible your horse's bolting was caused by pain initially - and that even if the pain is gone - he's doing it by habit (for fun!) Or there might be pain. Or possibly a brain tumour. They tend to start off as random run-aways - believe me, I rode one once! One minute we were jumping a very respectable A Grade course - and the next minute he was GONE. I bailed out into some bushes at the showground gate and he ran 3 miles down the road!!

If Oakham can't find anything wrong, there's still a possibility of curing him depending on the way he bolts. Does he go with NO steering (as in, if there was a 6 foot wall in front of him he'd crash into?) That sort I probably wouldn't TRY to cure! Otherwise, add a set or running reins - ONLY to be used if he takes off! If taking off has a 'nasty' consequence, you may well persuade him to give it up!

He only does it under saddle so we don't think brain tumour. It's weird - there's him being an oik and then there's him when he does this. It's not an evasion and it's not a blind bolt. He doesn't want his rider off. People have tried riding him through it and he's got steadily worse.
I strongly believe it's pain and it doesn't seem like remembered pain- hard to explain. Will update when we've been to Oakham.

 

[AshTay]

UPDATE:
So Oakham didn't happen as their machine broke down.
Rossdales happened instead.
Upon arrival he was assessed by a vet and he was found to be still exhibiting some right hind lameness (seen before but went away when withers were medicated and, according to my local vets, had not returned). The vet also noted that for such a long horse he was very flexible through his back. He had bone scan yesterday which highlighted some mild to moderate disruption in the back just behind saddle area, in sacro-illiac, in right hock and, randomly, some quite marked disruption in left stifle!!
He's had x-rays of back and hock today and they've shown nothing.
He's had blocks to hock and SI hotspots and lameness persisted.
They're now trying some more blocks and will ring me again later.

So the lameness which we thought had gone is currently the main issue and we don't know if the tanking off is related to that or something else entirely (maybe the SI) but no point trying to assess that further when he's lame anyway and we don't know why. So

 

[Peanot]

Good luck. I hope it all works out ok for you both x