Poll pressure causing bronking...

horsefeed

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On going issues with mare improves slightly and then goes backwards.... she doesn't have ulcers or kissing spines, tests all done!

Anyway I tried a sport massage lady this time instead of chiropractor or physio, she found a lot of tension in her poll and said its radiating down her right side and into her shoulder which she thinks is what is causing the bronking as when mount when she is cold the muscle is tense and saddle maybe slips tiniest little bit as on opposite putting pressure on it and bang!!

Anyone else ever experience poll issues showing by bronking when tacked up, mounting, 1st step?
 

Goldenstar

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Poll issues could certainly cause broncing and intense pain for the horse.
You need to get a good equine vet to the horse .
 

Pinkvboots

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I had a mare that had scar tissue in the form of hard lumps on her poll, physio and vet believe it was either an injury from hitting it on something or being ridden with side reins and too over bent as a young horse, if you ever put any pressure on her poll she would go berserk rear buck and gallop off I only found this out as I put a bungee on her to lunge when we first got her I don't know how I got her to stop, she was fine to ride we just used a padded head piece but she hated having her ears and the area touched she did get better once she got to know and trust us.

She was always fine to mount and only ever reacted to direct pressure so not really the same situation as yours, to be honest it sounds like it could be something else so I would get the vet back.
 
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Cowpony

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Mine had a poll issue which caused her to nearly deck my instructor one day. Turned out she had a calcified nuchal bursar. I've posted about it in the veterinary section on here if you want to see the detail. It only showed up on a scan and x-ray. There is also something called "poll evil" which I don't know much about but can make the horse very sensitive in that area. From memory it's an infection of some sort. Definitely get the vet out I think.
 

Equi

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I watched a video once of a massage type person working on a horse like this. He worked on the poll and the difference was amazing.
 

Orangehorse

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Yep, I knew a homebred horse that in its owner's words "bucked for England." After many tries at different treatments, she read an article in a magazine that matched her horse's symptoms completely and managed to get a referral to the vet who wrote the article (luckily not too far away!).

The horse was treated by an oestopath at the vets under anaesthetic and turned into "a normal horse." Seems that as a 4 year old it had gone over backwards and hit its head. Seemed fine at the time, but was, in the vet's words, suffering from acute headaches. Was completely cured.
 

horsefeed

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This mare has cost me £1000's..... the vet is now of the opinion it is in her head and needs working through it and he cannot find anything wrong with her! 2 vets from different practices done a whole a ray of tests, 3 different back/physio people seen her and all said different random things were tight!! 2 saddle fitters, 1 made slight alteration to saddle.
Mare feel over in March and had 3 months field rest and followed by month lunging every other day for 20 mins in tack, her trot and canter are better then they have ever been and sports massage lady came out just to give her a once over before riding and she advised about this poll thing, she worked on it for a long time and since the mare generally seems more relaxed and happy.
Better still been ridden 3 times and *touches wood, bit tense but no bronking :)
 

Birker2020

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My horse had his atlas out which meant that he carried his head slightly crooked. My physio noticed it when I was riding one time in the school and manipulated it back into position (not sure that's the right terminology).

Has she pulled back on her lead rope or something?
 

Tnavas

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Are you sure it's her poll? She's had a fall and she's tight down one side, I'd say she's got her neck out of alignment. Especially as you say she reacts when you get on, muscles run from the base of the neck, between the legs and under the girth, they can be very tender when the neck is out. With a poll injury I would be expecting bridling problems.
 

horsefeed

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Are you sure it's her poll? She's had a fall and she's tight down one side, I'd say she's got her neck out of alignment. Especially as you say she reacts when you get on, muscles run from the base of the neck, between the legs and under the girth, they can be very tender when the neck is out. With a poll injury I would be expecting bridling problems.

She bronked a lot before the fall as well. Bronking only happens when cold and once warmed up she is fine, lunging before you mount helps loads. She slipped in jump off (wet grass) and damaged her stomach muscle directly under girth, she is now fine again, no reaction at all, massage lady said and showed me, you can feel some lumpy scar tissue but no response to massaging it and not sensitive around it at all now. The lady also showed me she mostly definitely is more tense behind her right eye, like a hard tense lump in the muscle and muscles down her neck and into her shoulder are tenser then other side. After the session she was loads better and her work both on lunge and under saddle is remarkably better, her canter work in particular.
 

Tnavas

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She bronked a lot before the fall as well. Bronking only happens when cold and once warmed up she is fine, lunging before you mount helps loads. She slipped in jump off (wet grass) and damaged her stomach muscle directly under girth, she is now fine again, no reaction at all, massage lady said and showed me, you can feel some lumpy scar tissue but no response to massaging it and not sensitive around it at all now. The lady also showed me she mostly definitely is more tense behind her right eye, like a hard tense lump in the muscle and muscles down her neck and into her shoulder are tenser then other side. After the session she was loads better and her work both on lunge and under saddle is remarkably better, her canter work in particular.

Some years ago I had a horse with neck problems, he needed repeated chiro treatment - monthly, for a year or more. After each visit there was a lot of improvement but things would deteriorate slowly. Eventually vet and chiro worked on horse under anaesthetic. Horse never looked back and schooled on to Open Medium.
 

Goldenstar

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I would get your therapist back to the horse regularity for a while I would not go more than a month between sessions .
She should be able to monitor if the issue is settling for itself ( good ) or if it's constantly returning to the same level if pain / spasm / misalignment which is not so good .
 
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