Only on the left rein!

[AbiCusP]

Hi y'all Well we bought Tashan after I said I wouldn't ride again a few years ago, lol - big fail! He's a thoroughbred ex racehorse, who has been jumped and jumped - he's quite fizzy but does love his jumping. I don't, so am working him to calm him down and in the last four months, we've come a long way. We've calmed down a wee bit, we aren't resisting the bit and are accepting the leg (unless we use the leg after cantering!!!), we have even started accepting lateral work, slowly. He's 17 years old and has capped hocks, so he's on NAF Supaflex, he's also on a good high fibre low energy diet with NAF Calmer. He's a lot happier in himself now, not pacing his box and he's generally a loving man! He loves being lunged, and works well with the 'Pessoa' training aid and the side reins (not together!!). I do notice tho, that his left rein is weaker, he doesn't track up, he sticks his tongue out, leans to the outside and chomps away, but on the right rein he tracks up, stretches down and is relaxed in his mouth. He doesn't race off or anything. He's had his teeth checked. I'm going to get the equine chiropractor out when she's next over here, but I just wanted to know your thoughts. I can't only lunge him on the left, as I don't want to weaken his hocks!! What do you think?? While riding he does the same. He's quite excitable, so I've slowed everything down and just concentrate on moving him in a relaxed and calm way! Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! (Sorry about the one paragraph - the enter button doesn't work for some reason!!)

 

[TarrSteps]

Has a vet looked at him? A horse his age, with his history, my first thought would be his hock or hocks hurt. It's a bit of a fact of life for older, high mileage horses and for ones that fight the hand so he ticks at least two boxes.

 

[Clodagh]

He sounds exactly like my horse in his way of going. It was hocks with mine, which had led to sacroiliac pain. He had tildren, which made marginal difference and then injections directly to the hocks and he is a new horse, we can do lovely canters now and he used to try to bite your leg if you cantered on the right rain, now he can do it no problems.