Problem behaviour horse, help please!!!!

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Aimi85

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Hi
I purchased a 17hh piebald sports horse mare, 6 yrs old last April (2014). I have ridden & competed ponies & horses since I was 5yrs old, so I would say I am a quiet, but strong and confident rider.
I spent last year getting to her know & building a relationship up with her. I did lots of schooling, some jumping, riding bare back in the river and generally having fun. She then had the winter off, because unfortunately I don't have any facilities to be able to ride in the winter, only open fields.
I started bringing her back in to work in March this year, after 5minutes of being on her shes rearing, bronc-ing, bunny hopping & bucking with me, i have tried to ride her through it as I presumed it was just excitement & p**s taking. Over the last 2 months her behaviour has just got worse and and she nearly came over backwards with me whilst she was rearing, sonsafe to say my confidence is now taking a knock. I can't get her out of a walk before the games start & am unable to stay on her more than 30 mins because she gets worse and worse.
Just to add as well, I have no problems with her on the ground & handling her.
I have been in touch with her previous owner & they have said she has never done this before but she has never been out of work before either.
I had a brand new specially fitted saddle for her just before christmas & her teeth were also checked 10 months ago.

PLEASE has anyone got any suggestions or know of any who helps with 'problem' horses in the Staffordshire area.
 
I would get the saddle checked again, I would also get a physio or chiro to have a look at her in case she has slipped in the field and pulled something.

If it is only ridden, it is a new problem, and it gets worse the longer you are on her it sounds like she is screaming that she hurts somewhere.
 
Thanks all for replies.
No haven't tried old saddle on her because it didn't fit her properly to begin with, but it may be worth getting saddle re-checked in case her shape has changed.
I have got appointments book in with the dentist & physio to come give her the once over. But she does act like a crazy lunatic in the field playing with the other horses. Just want to know what it is asap, because her behaviour is getting worse & its not in her nature to act like this. She is always for of it & excitable but this behaviour is way beyond that now x
 
Maybe just stick to lunging/long reining/in hand work until she has had a full MOT to limit any damage? :)

ETA do you have anyone with a similar shaped horse who's saddle you could try? If not I would possibly try her old one, if she was good in it before even with it not fitting so well it would show whether she has a massive objection to your new one or not?
 
Hi, speaking from a similar experience I would ask your vet to x-ray her entire spine from poll to tail, it's not as expensive as you think and I would recommend you take your horse to the practice so you get the best results. My horse turned out to have 2 thoracic spinus processes fused and I opted for the operation which was very successful. If the x-rays are normal then at least you can rule out problems here and persue the saddle and training issues (I also had the horse "scoped" at the same time as everyone I spoke to immediately suggested Gastric Ulcers!) Long reining has really helped my horse get back to normal, get someone to show you how if you have never tried it, and would help you both if the matter still seems to be a training issue. Good luck.
 
Dentist, saddler and physio/chiro.

If it carries on you need the vet. Just xraying head to tail will not necessarily reveal any problems. Many horses can have mild KS which has no impact on them what so ever
 
Last year you rode in a different saddle and had no problems. I would be looking at this as a potential cause- even if it fits there may be something that is causing a problem.
 
Suspect: saddle (Ingeborg Taffijn a top class fitter from Belgium is coming to demo and do consultations here the first week of June, not too far from Staffs, check out my post from a few days ago) or spine or maybe gastric ulcers - has she spent a lot of time stabled during the winter?
 
How was she kept over the winter?

Magnesium deficiency possibly; would be worth supplementing with mag ox.

To be honest I think I would get the vet first, and the saddler. An extreme reaction like that for no apparent reason (that you could identify) needs assessing ASAP.

Another thought would be has she been living with a group of horses most of her time and become attached to them and this is napping type behaviour.
 
I too would suspect the saddle as first port of call, it's been four months since Christmas, as she is still growing so will have changed shape. Before riding again I would get it checked. Also I would also get my Chiro vet out before I started any of my horses in work after a lay off. My lad had six months off due to an injury, I had the Chiro vet out before starting him again. She just loosened him up and checked he had not pulled anything.
 
While you are sorting out the saddle fitting, vet etc etc, try lunging her with and without tack and see if she starts acting up. I get the impression that you tacked her up and got on without much preparation and then attempted to ride it all out without doing any groundwork. I don't find it that surprising that she freaked out... A lot of horses do after a break, particularly if they've never had one before. Just lots of groundwork will probably fix it if it's a behavioural thing.
 
Sukistokes2 said:
I too would suspect the saddle as first port of call, it's been four months since Christmas, as she is still growing so will have changed shape.
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Plus spring grass! Mine have recently come back into work and I've had to had an old, much bigger saddle temporarily fitted to my warmblood. As his own doesn't get near him!
 
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