New horse Problem

The back lady reccomended box rest for nearly all of the horses who had their back done at the yard. ive never come across them needing that either but followed her advice as i didnt want to course any harm to him. I use a magnetic rug as well for a few hours every few days to see if that helps any thing.. Having everything checked makes me think its a behavioural problem rather then a physical one... especially how hes being in the stable?
 
Yes she is, she has been qualified for 25 years and was recommended to me by literally everyone in the local community. But if a vet is what everyone thinks il need then im happy to try anything to get my little man happy.
 
If SI pain is suspected - then you need to get the vet to look at him OP.

This 100%

'back lady' is she a properly trained chiro or physio? Either way this horse needs to see a vet to determine whether there really is any SI pain or not. You could go down a very very long road of trying to sort out a 'behavioural' problem but you will never get to the end if the horse is actually in pain.
 
Ye this is a very good point, i have tried to eliminate every possible course of pain.. saddler fitting a new saddle, teeth done, farrier checking and re-shoeing, and physio for his back. So vet would be the next step. I just would of thought it would come up on the 5 stage vetting. He didnt ride twisted or bucked when i tried him in his old home. Or when the previoud owner rode him.
 
What qualification does the back lady have ?
Has she sent a report to your vet and have you followed up with the vet.
You really should contact a vet sooner rather than later.
Only a vet can legally diagnose what wrong with a horse , SI problems can be very very serious .
The vetting only means no pain for found on the day of the vetting which is not surprising since he behaved well when you tried him something may well have happen since .
 
I love connies to and just want the best for him. Hes only a baby and has so much to learn, i just want to 100% eliminate any pain or discomfort. Thank you all again. I will post when the vets been out to have a look :)
 
Good decision. It is so hard to find out what's going on with them sometimes, but getting the vet to thoroughly check over your new boy will be money well spent. If he is in some pain, finding and fixing it is the best way ever to build a bond with your horse.
Best of luck sorting your boy out. :)
 
Somebody on here commented the other day that we only learn from the difficult ones and that is so true.

Ha ha! that's the daft thing...I never really thought of him as difficult. I just kept looking for what I was doing wrong and he kind of showed me!
If it wasn t for the trips to casualty and the superglued head I would recommend the experience to anyone!
 
100% agree get vet to check back etc but also-you mention having had a new saddle fitted? how far away from the old owner are you? could she come and ride him in his old saddle, then in his new saddle, then you ride in both, to eliminate the saddle form the picture?

the saddler says its fine but the horse might disagree.
 
Ye he gets turned out 7 days a week, sometimes he comes in a little earlier when the weather is bad, but he goes out every day.

Goes every day ALL day? I think you just need to speak to the previous owner and find out exactly what his routine was and try to recreate that. Perhaps they left him out 24/7 and he hates being stabled point blank. Could be something as simple as that.
 
I'm on a par with luckyoldme as my and my mares beginnings were much the same.

I spent all my spare time with her, even hand grazing and going for walks together and now she's the best horse ever for me. She's all mine. She trusts me 100% even though we do argue. she looks after me, shes loads of fun, she makes me laugh every day and we are really close.

What I'm trying to say is it will take time and not just riding. The more you put in the more you'll get out. He will teach you to listen and you will be rewarded ten fold. Enjoy the journey.:)
 
100% agree get vet to check back etc but also-you mention having had a new saddle fitted? how far away from the old owner are you? could she come and ride him in his old saddle, then in his new saddle, then you ride in both, to eliminate the saddle form the picture?

the saddler says its fine but the horse might disagree.[/Q

The saddle i tried him on was a wintec which kept slipping round as hes quite broad, I asked for him to be sent with all tack and rugs, and the saddle i got was what looked to be a 20yo leather saddle narrow enough to fit a thoroughbred, i took one look at it and new it would never fit. It seems the previous owner didnt take much care with his saddle or teeth etc even tho she bred him. The old owner also lives 2 hours away and sold him because of her ill health.
 
100% agree get vet to check back etc but also-you mention having had a new saddle fitted? how far away from the old owner are you? could she come and ride him in his old saddle, then in his new saddle, then you ride in both, to eliminate the saddle form the picture?

the saddler says its fine but the horse might disagree.[/Q

The saddle i tried him on was a wintec which kept slipping round as hes quite broad, I asked for him to be sent with all tack and rugs, and the saddle i got was what looked to be a 20yo leather saddle narrow enough to fit a thoroughbred, i took one look at it and new it would never fit. It seems the previous owner didnt take much care with his saddle or teeth etc even tho she bred him. The old owner also lives 2 hours away and sold him because of her ill health.

ok, no help there then. i would try and ride him another saddle a coupe of times though, get someone experinced on your yard to check fit and see if it makes a diff, the twisting and bucking sounds like a discomfort thing when combined with the general grumpiness, esp as he didnt do it when you tried him.
 
Elsbells That gives me lots of hope. its nice to no other people have experienced what I am going through. The bond is growing with me and ted it will just take a lot of time. How did u deal with your horses temperament, some people say to hit when there horse bites, im in two minds. I give ted a firm talking to at the moment as I dont want him to get headshy.
 
I am glad you are getting the vet out OP, to be honest I am quite annoyed by the advice you have gotten from the 'back person' (I would love to know her exact qualifications). First of all she should not have seen the horse without a vet's approval, secondly if she found SI problems she should not have treated without vet's approval and to suggest 4 days box rest is completely incomprehensible.

Who did the original vetting? Your vet or the dealer's vet? Were you present? If I were you I would get an experienced equine vet to ensure the horse is not in any pain (it wcould well be the new saddle, saddles are a nightmare) and then deal with this as a behavioural issue.
 
Ye the bucking and twisting is very strange, and i at first thought it was discomfort, but have literally tried everything to find out what the problem is. I rode him with my friends saddle before i got mine fitted and he was exactly the same, i have had two fitters look at the saddle and they say its fine. Just not sure what route to take next except get a vet out to double check everythings ok. He doesnt do any of it on a hack, we walk trot and canter and his ears stay permanently forward, no bucking or twisting.
 
The vetting was done by a vet of my choice and i was there for the vetting and he was fine. His back is fine to touch and he doesnt mind his saddle going or nor does he mind me getting on or trotting and cantering hacking out. He will happily walk around the school but its mainly trotting he looks most uncomfortable (twisting his neck outwards, back rising etc) and its only for short periods of the time, mainly at one side of the school.
 
Have you had someone else sit on him?

There could be all sorts of reasons he's worse in the school, not just 'school anxiety' (I'm not as convinced this in 'natural' as then you would see more of it in cultures where horses spend a lot of time in a single school, and you don't) caused by, as a short list, footing, turning, location, how he's being ridden, past experience. . .
 
How old is this pony OP? Just wondering as I can remember coming across an advert for a connemara pony on project horses that had issues with schooling and just wonder if it may be the same one.
 
How old is this pony OP? Just wondering as I can remember coming across an advert for a connemara pony on project horses that had issues with schooling and just wonder if it may be the same one.
He is 5yo. He was sold to me as a well schooled professionally backed show jumping pony. I can't even think of jumping until I get him comfortable in the school. Think I was a tad mislead with this horse. I will just have to work as hard as I can.
 
some natives can be very quick to take advantage if they arent ridden really forwards by someone fairly confident who has a good idea of where they want to go and why. i do think it sounds pain related though- has the grumpiness in the stable improved since the back lady saw him? did your saddler notice any thing wrong with him? hope your vet can throw some light on things. Connies are the best- usually really cuddly and great jumpers and i am sure he will be lovely when he is sorted.
 
Elsbells That gives me lots of hope. its nice to no other people have experienced what I am going through. The bond is growing with me and ted it will just take a lot of time. How did u deal with your horses temperament, some people say to hit when there horse bites, im in two minds. I give ted a firm talking to at the moment as I dont want him to get headshy.

I went against the grain tbh and treated and fussed when she did good, set her up to do well, ignored her when she was grumpy and rude. The monty halter was fab and gave me control and her, respect for me. I had her shoes taken off(that slowed her down) because her feet were so atrocious, had a saddle made for us with the emphasis on her comfort not mine and hacked, hacked, hacked to within an inch of her life. She didn't go in a school at all for a year as she had a real aversion and would run around with her head in the air. Jumping was a definite no, no as she would rear and gallop off and this was a competition mare who'd once jumped 140!

I also studied hard on the web and devoured all the information I could. I asked for help and opinions from everyone horsey, read loads and researched. There wasn't an old owner to ask so I was starting from no mans land tbh, so I cherry picked and experimented. I started her on calmag and not because its known as a calmer, but because theres so much more to it than that. I taught her certain words to combat her high anxiety, the most valuable of these and still is, is "wait".

If you or your vet etc can't find a physical problem, just go with your gut. Some horses are over sensitive and make a big deal out of the tiniest thing, be it discomfort or pain, physical, mentally or even of the above, it can and does cause you the owner problems until you can find a solution. Good luck!
 
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