opinions on my horses sudden odd behaviour under saddle

[Vicki1986]

sorry this is so long but want to explain as fully as i can! if you read it all thanks you are a saint!

my little mare has always been a bit of a fruit loop but recently she is very inconsistent - and just not like herself at all.

i took her mock hunting on boxing day and drag hunting 5/1. since then when schooling she has been really weird (hacking on the roads she has been ok but very on her toes which in the cold weather is the norm for her) shes been out and shes usually a bit fresh after but not like this.

she normally rushes her downwards transition from canter to trot and she has been doing this alot more. but has also been chucking her head up in air and trying to canter off when we are trotting - she is always eager and fast but this is extreme, to the point where she feels like she would really bugger off if i let her.
if it was just the above i would put it down to her normal cranky behaviour - but in trot unless she thinks canter is coming, she is really lazy

i have to really push her on - which actually makes a nice change but its really not like her, it almost feels like she physically does not have enough energy to trot on - which she most definately does.

for the fast/spazzy mare bit i have been trying to stay relaxed and tried very hard not to get in a tug of war, have tried singing to her (!!!) to chill her out, have lost my rag and told her off, have repeated exercises til she calms. not much is working.

her canter work used to be god awful, unbalanced is an understatement. and now with lots of practice its come on a million miles from what it was - we can now canter a balanced 20m (or 15m on good rein) circle without loosing balance and rushing off and i have total control - this is a real achievement for her so i don't want to stop the canter work totally but our trot work is now shocking?!

Do you think she is just a bit jazzed up from hunting ?? I should add i school her of an evening so it is cold and she seems to be very temperature sensitive recently.

the only change to her diet has been dodson and horrels Stroppy mare supplement.

Her teeth we done not long ago - about 4 months maybe? and the dentist said she wont need to be seen again for around 8-12 months.

I am going to get her back looked at 4th feb - but i highly doubt there is a back problem shes very sturdy and doesnt seem to be sensitive along her back i have had a prod around but wont rule it out til ive had her looked at. I will probably have our Bowen practioner out to her too as she did have a sore shoulder at the beginning of Dec but she said that would be ok.

Saddle - i got a new one in september, i wondered if it was perhaps a bit tight, i can fit in my flat hand at the front and it feels very snug with my hand there - is that about right?

Bit - she is doing it in her 2 ring gag or her snaffle. The throwing of the head immediately says to me teeth or back. but she didnt have a martingale on which i think made her do it more - but with the martingale on she was doing it too just less dramatic.

I thought maybe she was due in to season but she hasnt as yet anyway and has been acting like this a few weeks now.

Ive got a jumping clinic on the 9th and flatwork on the 16th both away from home - she is always worse behaved at home so if shes not behaving better by then it will be interesting to see if she is ok at these, if she is then she must just be trying it on?!

Can anyone think of anything ?!

 

[Chumsmum]

My pony changed personality after hunting for the first time, going from quiet to hyper, and it took him a few weeks to get it out of his system. Had she been before the Boxing Day meet?

People will have better advice re: schooling etc but I would get her saddle checked - I've been told that new saddles will need reflocking/adjusting after a few months of use.

Good luck - hope you get to the bottom of it

 

[Vicki1986]

Yes she's been before and is always a nut job anyway !! (stereotypical chesnut mare pony!)

will definately find out when the saddle can come, im hoping she will just settle down like u say after a few weeks but im worried that i could be missing something

 

[1928sky]

Don't want to worry you but have you thought about a subtle bilateral hind limb lameness, such as hock spavins or suspensory problems. Particularly with hock problems horses prefer to canter than trot. Start with the saddle, back and teeth, if nothing is found I'd get the vet.

 

[jumpthemoon]

You would expect her to be more on her toes a week or so after hunting, but the symptoms you describe sound very much like what my horse has been doing. He plods round and won't go forward, or shoots off with his head in the air. He had his back done and it was in a bad way - not the muscles - the skeleton. I had a McTimoney lady out and she said his pelvis was out, he had several vertebrae in his back and neck out and his atlas was out as well. She put it all right and it took a week or so for him to settle down, but now he's going beautifully.

If a physio can't find anything, it doesn't mean there is nothing wrong - you have to check the skeleton and the muscles. Although it sounds as though his muscles are ok if you can't find any sore areas on his back.

I'd also get teeth checked if they haven't been in last 6 months, just to be safe.

 

[Super_Kat]

Get his back checked, I'd go for McTimoney.

 

[Vicki1986]

she has physio on the 4th but yes i see what you are saying a chiro type may be a good idea too. ive never heard of Mctimoney but have just looked on their website and it appears no one covers Kent, hampshire is the closest county covered and as we are pretty far from there i am not fancying the high call out which im sure it would be as its miles. will find out who people in my area recommend. thanks

as for the comments about amybe she is not quite right behind this is more than likely TBH. she is very 'odd' behind, looks like she has given birth to an elephant she is so far apart.