Odd breathing

[Chelseahaggerty]

My gelding has started to breath very fast and heavy when I ride him. Weather I’m walking or trotting doesent matter. He can be turned out in the arena and gallop around and be normal but as soon as I have a saddle and bridle on and ride him he breathes weird. What could this be from?

 

[Melody Grey]

A few ideas...how fit is he? Does he have a flash/ restrictive noseband that is restricting breathing? Signs of allergies/ coughing? Anxiety?

 

[Chelseahaggerty]

He is fairly fit. I only got him in august but he is not overweight and I exercise him daily for the most part. He has no restrictive nose band I keep it pretty loose actually. He has been on dex for a few weeks as he had been coughing and that seems to have stopped the coughing. I thought maybe allergies from that or from the medication he had been on for his sore back. Was a muscle relaxant the vet put him on. He also developed some little sores on his nose that seem to be healing up now. The vet saw him today and he thought maybe anxiety but I don’t know what that would be from as he did not do that before the last 2 weeks. Then he thought maybe he has gastric ulcers

 

[lamlyn2012]

How is his back now? What was causing the sore back and has the cause of the soreness been dealt with now.
Allergies can cause laboured breathing and do not need to be accompanied by a cough. As he has previously been coughing I would look at this again. What was causing him to cough and had tje source been identified and removed. Has he been scoped to find out what he is allergic to?

 

[Chelseahaggerty]

His back is not fully recovered but has improved a lot. I think the cause was my saddle being to narrow for him I’ve been using a different one and since have seen great improvement. He has been moved off the round bale and is now fed twice a day as we thought maybe it was because he had his face in the bale constantly. I have not had anything done to see what allergies he could have I thought maybe it was medication he was on. He has been on dex and sputolysin and now is only on dex and just half a pack a day as we’re slowly taking him off of it.

 

[lamlyn2012]

For me, both these things would be issues to take very seriously as both can have long term irreversible effects.
The sore back may be from a previously bad fitting saddle but could also be due to some hind limb problem.
Has the replacement saddle been fitted by a qualified saddler?
If the allergy is from dust or mould spores you need to soak the hay or change to haylage.
Pony may benefit from physio but I think I would speak to the vet again to try to find out a bit more about what is going on.

 

[Chelseahaggerty]

I haven’t had a saddle fitter out due to covid but plan to as soon as I can. I’m going to try and find out more of what’s going on

 

[CJoe]

I would be seeking a vet to scope him and take lung samples etc.......should not be ridden until sorted...

 

[Chelseahaggerty]

I would be seeking a vet to scope him and take lung samples etc.......should not be ridden until sorted...

Thank you, that’s the plan for next week

 

[AmyMay]

I would be seeking a vet to scope him and take lung samples etc.......should not be ridden until sorted...

I think I’d be inclined to start with bloods first to rule out a virus. I also wouldn’t ride him until you’ve had a saddle professionally fitted. However walking in hand could still be beneficial.

 

[steadyup]

My gut tells me that his breathing when ridden is linked to pain maybe still in his back? I would have bloods but I would also have him seen by a really good physio.