PLEASE HELP bolting/nervous horse

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roan_grey

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I am in great need of help.
My pony has had previous trouble with saddles and is due the saddle being checked soon (he has gained a lot of top line and muscle back in the last year after wearing a saddle too wide) but wondered if something else was going on.
Whilst grooming/in stable etc. he is fine a real treasure to own but as soon as I put the saddle on he gets nervous. His eye looks scared and if he’s eating will stop and put his head up. If I touch him around his flank or bum in expectantly he winces and grunts, spooking slightly to the side. When he wears an exercise sheet he is the same and will spook if its taken off him. Whilst riding with an exercise sheet he is tense and tries to bolt off sometimes if it catches him unawares.
When riding, for the first 10 minutes or so he can get tense and try and bolt off... cold backed? If horses pass him from any direction and not necessarily close to him, he spooks at them in the same way when he’s tacked up (see above).
He hasn’t always done this but it’s probably been going on for about a year now. I don’t have any idea why he should be scared of other horses because he hasn’t had any incidents with other horses.
I am really confused and wondering whether I’m missing anything blindingly obvious? He has had back checked (Sept ’10) and teeth done, he’s eating and drinking fine.
When I first started riding him he did bolt off with me once and apparently was a nervy horse to break.
Would a calmer help the symptoms? I’m sure there’s something deeper under it all though.
Any ideas more than appreciated.I’m thinking I may get an equine communicator. I’m at a dead end with it all tbh.
 
A friend of mine had lots of trouble with similar behaviour / back problems. She eventually took him to the vets for a full check over and found out he had kissing spines.

I'd go down the vet route as something is obviously hurting him. Good luck x
 
I would make 100% certain there isn't a physical cause as pain can make horses much more sensitive to things they would normally take in their stride. The saddle issue does seem to point to physical pain and if you think the saddle does not fit very well then this could well be the source of the problem. The other thing I would look at is ulcers as he sounds super sensitive to rugs which shouldn't be the case.

If he is fine physically, I would look at the issues one by one. The saddle reactions may be down to remembered pain, so try to take it slowly, do the girth up slowly and walk him in hand before you get on. If he is scared of the exercise sheet flapping either don't use it at all, or desensitise him to it slowly, go back to the beginning with it and work him in a safe and controlled environment. The other horses issue sounds like a different thing again, try to build his confidence up on this, again go back to basics, maybe get af friend with a reliable horse to help, passing you at a very wide distance, rewarding for good behaviour and trying to narrow the distance slowly and over time.
 
maxapple said:
A friend of mine had lots of trouble with similar behaviour / back problems. She eventually took him to the vets for a full check over and found out he had kissing spines.

I'd go down the vet route as something is obviously hurting him. Good luck x
Click to expand...

I will certainly look into this.

Booboos said:
I would make 100% certain there isn't a physical cause as pain can make horses much more sensitive to things they would normally take in their stride. The saddle issue does seem to point to physical pain and if you think the saddle does not fit very well then this could well be the source of the problem. The other thing I would look at is ulcers as he sounds super sensitive to rugs which shouldn't be the case.

If he is fine physically, I would look at the issues one by one. The saddle reactions may be down to remembered pain, so try to take it slowly, do the girth up slowly and walk him in hand before you get on. If he is scared of the exercise sheet flapping either don't use it at all, or desensitise him to it slowly, go back to the beginning with it and work him in a safe and controlled environment. The other horses issue sounds like a different thing again, try to build his confidence up on this, again go back to basics, maybe get af friend with a reliable horse to help, passing you at a very wide distance, rewarding for good behaviour and trying to narrow the distance slowly and over time.
Click to expand...

It just seems to all be happening at once and that's why I wondered whether it was all to do with one thing? He also is extremely scared of the lunge line and lunge whip but will lunge and you can crack the whip whilst he's lunging and he isn't bothered in the slightest but when he's standing it's really scary apparently!

The other weird thing is that he is completely different in indoor arenas and doesn't spook or get tense as half as much.:confused:

I will get vet out, get saddle checked and possibly a communicator as well and if things don't improve I'm not sure what I'll do. Maybe he needs time off?
 
Also not sure if this is relevant but he has a really large muscle just behind where the saddle goes. It very slightly bumps upwards compared to the rest of his back. I'm not sure whether it's the end of the latissimus dorsi or the medial gluteal muscles or even if it's relevant?
 
Yes I have an opinion.... sensitive flank area suggests ulcers and I have seen a fair few cases. It's worth mentioning with all your other suspicions to the vet.

the bump you mention could be a number of things from tense muscle to an injury there.
 
The most likely explanation is physical pain and I would definitely get it looked into, and the saddle checked etc, also ulcers as above. But in terms of a less likely explanation, I'd have his vision checked - just a thought but if he's spooky about rugs being put over his quarters or horses coming up from behind, it might reflect him not being able to see them clearly in his peripheral vision. Not terribly likely, just a thought...
 
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