New horse tanking off with me

If the horse is good to lunge (and goes sweetly in walk, trot and canter on the lunge) i would be inclined to maybe start there with the trotting on the lunge with the rider and a handler on the lunge line, with the handler giving the command to trot and woah initially. It could just be that they've scared themselves so building on something that they are already ok with might be the way to go.
 
I would let your instructor see what she thinks. You have a young horse who has been uprooted from a professional predictable environment into one with a different routine and a less confident rider. The saddle could be the issue but also the change could be.
 
The horse is either in pain, discomfort or doesn’t understand.

What happens if you go for a quiet hack with a sensible horse? In my (limited) experience horses would be backed, sat on in the school and then straight out hacking with a sensible friend or two.
 
jhoward said:
It could be as simple as a girth pinching no offence to you but so many people put saddles to far forward. Girth sits right behind front legs, horse moves it gives a tiny pinch and horse goes ouch.
But as it's only happening with you on I'd still think saddle.

Will your instructor ride her first? Try not to let your confidence take a knocking.
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I put her saddle on tonight and ran my hand down under the panel and it’s feels tight so I’m hoping this could be causing the problem and the fitter will be able to advise tomorrow. If saddle is ruled out my instructor won’t get on but my very knowledgeable friend has kindly offered to get on over the weekend and see how she is
 
HopOnTrot said:
The horse is either in pain, discomfort or doesn’t understand.

What happens if you go for a quiet hack with a sensible horse? In my (limited) experience horses would be backed, sat on in the school and then straight out hacking with a sensible friend or two.
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I haven’t taken her for a hack under saddle as I didn’t want her to react the same way out hacking, in hand she’s fine out hacking but this is the same in school, in every other way she’s literally been foot perfect
 
[deleted user] said:
I put her saddle on tonight and ran my hand down under the panel and it’s feels tight so I’m hoping this could be causing the problem and the fitter will be able to advise tomorrow. If saddle is ruled out my instructor won’t get on but my very knowledgeable friend has kindly offered to get on over the weekend and see how she is
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It shouldn't be to tight. Is girthing up to tight a possible?
Add the weight of you on top, and that initial squeeze as you ask for trot, it could well be the issue.
If friend is happy to hop on bareback I really would get her too.
Lots of walking and halting and turns let the horse feel the difference and then ask for a few strides of trot.
 
I suspect the saddle, esp since someone who has done a course is the one to declare the saddle all right.

These days, someone does a weekend course and is qualified to do all sorts of things 😩

I hope you get to the bottom of it with the least difficulty as possible.
 
If you had a 5 stage vetting did they take bloods?

If the behaviour doesn’t improve then I’d ask your vet the run the bloods on the off chance the horse was doped when you went to view…hopefully not but if you’ve had them taken it wouldn’t hurt to run them in case the previous owners were up to something.

Some horses do take off in the arena, the ones I’ve known had a physical cause that only showed up with full vet work ups, nerve blocks and X-rays etc. a 5 stage vetting can only tell so much. So that is also something to consider if the saddle isn’t the issue x
 
The most common reason for a saddle feeling tight on the shoulder is putting it on too far forwards...the tree points, in most regular British style saddles, should sit 2-3 fingers behind the very back edge of the scapula (which in itself is usually further back than most people think).
 
sbloom said:
The most common reason for a saddle feeling tight on the shoulder is putting it on too far forwards...the tree points, in most regular British style saddles, should sit 2-3 fingers behind the very back edge of the scapula (which in itself is usually further back than most people think).
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Thank you, I was always taught to put the saddle on and slide it back until it reaches a point it almost doesn’t want to go back any further if that makes sense? That’s how I’ve been putting this one on
 
[deleted user] said:
Thank you, I was always taught to put the saddle on and slide it back until it reaches a point it almost doesn’t want to go back any further if that makes sense? That’s how I’ve been putting this one on
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Yeah....no, too easy to not get the right spot. Find the tree point pocket, and the proper back of the scapula, first principles :).
 
sbloom said:
Yeah....no, too easy to not get the right spot. Find the tree point pocket, and the proper back of the scapula, first principles :).
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Thank you! Will try that once I get to the yard this evening, my saddle fitter unfortunately had to cancel this morning. I think I will hold off ridden work until it’s checked over
 
[deleted user] said:
Thank you! Will try that once I get to the yard this evening, my saddle fitter unfortunately had to cancel this morning. I think I will hold off ridden work until it’s checked over
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Ah, I was just checking back to see if your fitter had been yet. How annoying! I was wondering if we could see photos, I know it doesn't always give you the most accurate answer on it as it would in person but it might help give an idea if there is anything obvious at least. Only if you want to of course!

I just think that it could be something pinching as soon as you shift your weight into a trot position or maybe even if she lifts her head when she goes into trot which also creates the saddle to sit awkwardly if she's dipped her back and that's panicked her/made her uncomfortable for example.
 
GrassChop said:
Ah, I was just checking back to see if your fitter had been yet. How annoying! I was wondering if we could see photos, I know it doesn't always give you the most accurate answer on it as it would in person but it might help give an idea if there is anything obvious at least. Only if you want to of course!

I just think that it could be something pinching as soon as you shift your weight into a trot position or maybe even if she lifts her head when she goes into trot which also creates the saddle to sit awkwardly if she's dipped her back and that's panicked her/made her uncomfortable for example.
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I know! I was gutted when he let me know this morning but these things happen! Hopefully he can come out this weekend. Will try get pictures later and upload, I have asked my coach to have a feel later when she gets down, if she also thinks it’s not right I’m just going to back off riding until I get a saddle fitter out or see if there’s a different saddle I can borrow. I have noticed when saddle is on if she puts her head too low she suddenly jerks it back up so really thinking it might just not fit her correctly and needs adjusting or new saddle
 
[deleted user] said:
I know! I was gutted when he let me know this morning but these things happen! Hopefully he can come out this weekend. Will try get pictures later and upload, I have asked my coach to have a feel later when she gets down, if she also thinks it’s not right I’m just going to back off riding until I get a saddle fitter out or see if there’s a different saddle I can borrow. I have noticed when saddle is on if she puts her head too low she suddenly jerks it back up so really thinking it might just not fit her correctly and needs adjusting or new saddle
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How are you getting on? Have you found any answers yet?
 
GrassChop said:
How are you getting on? Have you found any answers yet?
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So my instructor came last Friday and we did a lot of work on getting her to soften and relax and she had the same reaction when asked to trot so she agrees that she doesn’t think this reaction is normal, my very knowledgeable YO/friend got on Saturday and she tried to do it with her but she managed to get her back to trot after literally a couple strides of canter, so she feels its greenness and she’s probably been rushed in her backing process. She just seems so anxious when a rider is on her but shes fine with tack on to lunge and everything else and isn’t really a spooky horse. I can stroke her everywhere on the ground but when my friend was on her she stroked her hind end and she panicked and had the same flight reaction!

Plan for now is my friend is going to rider her twice a week for me just to help settle her, I’m sticking to groundwork, in hand hacks and walking rides for now, we’ve also started her on gastri vet incase all the moves and everything have upset her. My saddle fitter is due this Friday (hopefully!) I already had physio/chrio booked for next week and the vet is coming out the week after for second jabs and teeth so I’m still crossing off what I can, if in a month or so she shows no improvement we’ll reassess!
 
could sound crazy here and obviously rule all other main issues out first, but try changing the saddle pad. Some materials can give static shocks, I know from experience! I can only use cotton on my Welsh as other materials cause friction/static shocks!
 
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