ponio a bit off colour today

Firehorse

Firehorse

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took my boy out with a friend today and he would usually be well up for a gallop. we set off then saw some people on the path, so pulled up. usually he would throw a tantrum, but he didnt, he walked quite happily the rest of the way. then we got to an open field which takes us home and he would usually be like a giraffe looking about and speeding up to get home, but he was plodding along all relaxed. not that i'm complaining about him being very well behaved for a change, but he just wasnt quite himself today. its the first time in the year i've had him that i've felt maybe he's off colour.

i'm probably worrying over nothing, but any suggestions would be appreciated. i dont want to get the vet out unless there is something obviously wrong. i wont be riding him till sat now so he's got a few days to chill in the field.
 
If he galloped when you asked him to I wouldn't be too concerned that he pulled up sensibly. I'd be more concerned if he'd ignored you when you asked him to go.
 
thats what i thought, but it hasnt stopped him before!! he is generally v sparkly and bouncey. it was actually quite a boring ride today and i'm glad he's not always so good! prob why i was worried!
 
Hmm, I know what you mean with this one - I too have a pony who does certain things at certain times and there have been times when he has just been calm, well behaved and cantered calmly in a straight line (usually he spins and reverses before 'agreeing' to canter on my terms!). As happy as I am when he's well behaved it makes me suspicious!

I am like you - well i am now anyway as I have usually discovered there is actually something wrong with him. The last time he acted this sensibly it turned out he had got some glass in his foot and got a nasty abscess. He trod on the glass (nicely smashed & dumped by some wonderful person!!!) but I checked his foot, cleaned it out etc and didn't think any more of it as couldn't see anything.

I rode him as normal for the next week and he was well behaved, still forward going etc but just no spinning or silliness. The next weekend in the afternoon (think he'd been ridden in the morning) he was on 3 legs!!! It took that long for him to show anything wrong, he'd not shown any signs of lameness in the week before.

I would maybe trust your instincts on this one and just keep your eye on him really, I wouldn't overly worry. Check his feet though for any heat or swellings on his legs. It could well be he was just over hot or is he carrying too much weight, that sort of thing? It could be he's had a slip or fall and wrenched something so wasn't feeling 100% and may well be fine again in a couple of days.

You know your horse at the end of the day so just monitor how he's going.
 
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