New horse takes off in canter

[Mrs F]

Hello everyone. This is my first post.

I've had my new Connemara x Irish for 7 weeks. He's got a lovely temperament, is easygoing & nice to handle. No bad temper or stable vices. The trouble is he's unpredictable in the canter.

After he arrived I made a gentle start just working in walk and trot, then cantered in the school for the first time after 2 weeks. He simply exploded - ran off and swerved, I fell hard and broke 3 vertebrae. While I'm recovering my instructor is riding him for me and a few times he's shot off with her in the canter, unseating her once. He sometimes canters ok but the next time he'll tank off again.

I contacted the previous owner who says this never happened while he was with her, and he was ridden by her 12 year old daughter and friends.

Before buying I tried him 3 times, including cantering and he was always well-behaved. My instructor also tried him once and he passed a 5-stage vetting. We've changed the saddle, had his back and teeth checked and taken him off all hard feed. He has regular lungeing sessions and has been willing and working well (though he's just starting to tear off in the canter here too).

This was a private sale so it wouldn't be easy returning him to the previous owner. I do like him in every other way. Is there anything I could be trying before I give up, like calmers, different training, just giving him more time to settle in?

Thanks for reading so far. Any advice welcome, especially from anyone who's been through something similar.

 

[TGM]

Did you have bloods taken at the vetting? If so I would get them tested ASAP.

How much turnout does he get each day? Is he worked everyday?

 

[alainax]

Is he quite fizzy/ excitable? Or is this very out with his nature? When he "swerved" was he spooking and taking off? Or just getting stronger and fast in the canter?

 

[Mrs F]

Good point about the bloods, TGM. Yes, I'll get them checked. He's living out and not worked every day. I told the previous owner I could work him 4 times a week and she said that would be ok.

Alainax, he's generally calm so it's out of character. When asked to canter he takes off like a rocket, not spooking just changing direction when he runs out of space, hence the swerve that got me off.

 

[alainax]

Good point about the bloods, TGM. Yes, I'll get them checked. He's living out and not worked every day. I told the previous owner I could work him 4 times a week and she said that would be ok.

Alainax, he's generally calm so it's out of character. When asked to canter he takes off like a rocket, not spooking just changing direction when he runs out of space, hence the swerve that got me off.

What age is he, is he unbalanced?

 

[Mrs F]

He's nearly 8 and yes, he is a bit unbalanced.

 

[neddy man]

you say you have changed the saddle, see if they will lend you the saddle you rode him in on trial to eliminate that possibility.Are you also riding in the same bit you tried him in? and therefor no brakes.

 

[Shay]

I'd be wondering about pain too. Possibly the saddle isn't quite the right fit? Or you have a pad underneath that is rucking up? Classically to get canter strike off the rider sits down and the horse brings the hind under - if there is pressure on his back that will hurt and he might run off in response. Although the fact this is now starting in the lunge too might point more to hock or SI pain? However it does also suggest that you might just have the "new pony horrors" and he is trying to find out where his boundaries are - albeit fairly extreme as you have broken your back.

Are you going to be back on board anytime soon? When I broke my back I was out of the game for over a year. If you are going to be out a long time that might suggest trying to return him or sell him on? I had to sell my beloved boy - it wasn't his fault we fell and he was too good to leave. (Plus I didn't know how mobile I would ever be!)

 

[Mrs F]

Great suggestions. The new saddle looks like a good fit but I'm still waiting for saddle fitter to come and fine-tune.

Poor you, Shay being out of the saddle for a year. I'm lucky it was a transverse fracture (pointy bit of the vertebra) so I should be able to ride again in a few weeks. However, I'm not prepared to risk another injury by cantering him like this and that's very restricting. Unless it's curable somehow, he'll have to go.

 

[BethH]

Was wondering if he shoots off in canter on the lunge/long reins, whether it is with the weight of a rider or not. Back issues can show up more easily in canter especially if he is asked to carry himself properly. Am inclined to think when you ask for this he is feeling panicky and the worry is making him run off, is he using his back end correctly in the canter?

 

[Thesnowbones]

My current share horse used to do this frequently and was very unbalanced. I did a lot of transition work with her and now she doesn't charge off at all.

 

[Mrs F]

Thanks for replies. True, he's not carrying himself that well and we're working on transitions etc. He was described as green in the school when I got him and seems to respond well to training. It's still puzzling why he never once took off in the canter before and now does it a lot!

 

[Sukistokes2]

My little lad starting shooting off, first of all in canter and later in what ever pace he was in. It was horrid, he'd just shoot off at speed, no indication , nothing to spook him, just whoosh!!! He'd never go far and would always come back to you pretty quickly. After he did it a number of times in the school and twice with his other rider, I called in the vet, my vet is also a Chiro. She found he had a back issue, he was stiff and he had a knot of muscle behind his shoulder. It this pain that would randomly build up and kinda spasm which was causing him to shoot off. Once treated and the root cause, his saddle, was sorted he has never done it again.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

If you've been riding him in a new saddle and haven't had it checked by a saddle fitter I would hazard a guess that this is the cause of his issues in canter. It "looking like it fits" and actually being fitted by a professional are vastly different things and personally in your shoes I wouldn't be riding him until I knew the saddle fitted and he'd had his back checked to alleviate any discomfort you may have caused by riding in a saddle that may not fit.

 

[dreamcometrue]

I bought a Connemara that was previously ridden by a teenager. I find that she also sets off very energetically into canter and very easily goes up the gears. I think that is possibly due to her having been used in Pony Club and general teenager go-faster riding!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

It sounds like the saddle to me. At first horse felt pain as rider asked for transition, poor fit caused bruising/muscle damage, which led to horse anticipating pain/further pain on the lunge.

 

[soulfull]

Is there also a difference in weight of rider? If so the combination of weight/saddle and being unbalanced could be causing it

 

[gnubee]

One of mine started running off with me and it was because she had dropped some weight so the saddle was rubbing. I only realised after a long session of 'riding her through it' when I got off the saddle had rubbed her withers raw. New saddle and she was back to normal in a couple of days.
Also if the horse is green in the school does that mean they didn't really canter her in there. If she's only done hacks she might be panicking about the tight corners in the school. Would your instructor try riding him out for you?

 

[gnubee]

Couple of other thoughts - you said he's off like a rocket in canter- are you asking him with a firm nudge behind the girth? If so it may be he is overreacting as he is used to a more gentle request.
Alternatively, are you holding him on a shorter rein than he is used to? Can see how you might have done for the first time then your instructor might if she knows he's run off with you, and if he's already unbalanced in the school that could be scary for him as he cant use his head to balance.

If it continues to be a problem on the lunge and you rule out pain I would suggest getting a good NH person to loose school him. Mine used to tank off in canter on the lunge (fine ridden) but now knows she has to keep going til she is steady and calm so has got much better through loose schooling and join up.

 

[applecart14]

Although the fact this is now starting in the lunge too might point more to hock or SI pain?

I too wondered if he might have spavin. If his hocks hurt when he canters it might cause him to react in the way you describe but then I would expect you to have other problems too like swapping hind legs in canter and dragging of the toes as well as not tracking up.

This video is a fascinating watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq1czxdAyTI