Odd canter gait - flummoxed!

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zinzin

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One of my 4yo's has suddenly developed a strange skip in canter. It only happens on the right rein where she looks like she is about to do a flying change but doesn't. It can happen every 15 strides or it can happen every 2 strides. I have tried different saddles and different girths as my first thought was something was nipping or pinching but it made no difference. Gave her a few days off but was still the same. have tried riding with more leg, no leg, more contact, no contact, none of which has any effect.
She is completely sound and level in trot on a straight line and on a circle.
Her teeth are up to date and vet can't find anything to case a problem.
Anyone got any ideas or experienced something similar?
 
What does she do on the lunge? With saddle and without saddle. What does she do when cantering around the field when turned out?

Change of bridle?

Check out those things first whilst you are presumably getting a back person out to look at things as well.
 
Yes was thinking possibly check back next. She is getting her shoes off on Monday so will check for abscesses. I haven't noticed anything unusual in the field but I will try lunging with no saddle or roller.
 
It could be anything from a tooth to the foot and anything in between. That is why removing bits of tack (saddle, bridle etc) could show up where the problem may be. Matter of eliminating things bit by bit. Would be useful if it were a foot absess as that is easy to sort out compared to a back problem.
 
Stifle?

Maybe he is weaker one side than the other. Howabout just hacking for a bit and no work on circles, get him stronger and fitter and see if that works.
 
Feet are good, as are limbs and conformation (scored highly in her grading). I did nothing but hack after backing to build fitness and strength but if I can't get to the bottom of the issue I might just turn her away for a few months and start again with hacking. My instinct is that it is her saying "ouch" as there is such a dramatic reduction on stride length for a single stride.
 
Has she seen a physio of any sort?

My horse has had an odd canter problem - hindlegs rather than front, but vaguely similar in that he occasionally feels like he's changing behind but doesn't. Likewise, no signs of lameness at all, just a shortness which I wouldn't have seen myself.

It turned out to be muscle damge in his hindquarters which means that he occasionally feels the pull/strain when pushing off in canter on that leg, and it has required some manipulation, stretching and rest.

Possibly another avenue worth exploring if you haven't already!
 
Just thought I would update - farrier has cut away a chunk of the hoof wall where the is an abcess that has tracked right up the middle of her hoof. Currently polticing so fingers crossed that will solve the problem :-/ x
 
Hiya
Can you let me know if it is caused by the abcess? What you're describing I have been battling with for 18 months now with my mare...she's had lameness work-up's, bone scan, nuerological tests, wedge heel shoes, box rest, physio, a year turned away etc...and we are none the wiser. She doesn't seem to mind working, puts up no huge resistance to working but her right hind on the left rein skips along quite unnaturally in canter & she can be difficult to get to canter on the right rein sometimes, some days it's Ok others it really bad, some days we start off fine and it gets worse and other days the other way round. We have noticed that work on hard ground seems to make it worse. I am about to try Electronic Pulse Generator therapy to see if that helps. I can't recall anyone really hoof testing her though...she's had painkillers galore so I guess if it was an abcess painkillers should have improved it but they made no difference?

Attached a video of it - best seen when we got the incorrect lead so the leg is on the inside for the video camera (excuse the riding it's particularly difficult ot sit to with the leg cartwheeling like that!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI3LxWgwuw4

Is this at all like what your horse was doing?

Please can you keep me informed of your progress - I will get my farrier to have a really good look at her hoof - that would be frustrating if it were something so simple after spending a fortune on everything else!!!
 
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