Reluctant to trot on right rein

[L&B]

Hi all,
Just a quick query : I had a lesson with my girly today and she was working lovely at the walk, bending nicely & making straight lines. Trot on the left rein was 'stunning' my instructor said and we got some nice forward medium trot. However, on the right rein my girl was reluctant to move forward. Either going super slow or putting her ears back and lifting her head refusing to go at all.
Very bizarre. Like two different horses.
I know from having her saddle fitted she isn't as well built up on her right side.
Of course next week I will be booking physio and also dentist (due in Nov anyway) and her saddle was fitted a month ago new. But in the meantime, any ideas???

Thank you.

 

[cptrayes]

It's a common symptom of ulcers because of where the stomach sits.

 

[L&B]

Ulcers?? That's a bit bizarre... I was thinking more muscular but okay.

 

[Pigeon]

I've heard that too, not stepping through on the right side can be a stomach thing.

What's she like on the lunge? And has she always been like this or is it a new development? All horses have a weaker side, is it just that or more 'there is something wrong'?

 

[L&B]

Same bareback + same on lunge. Just looks 'stuffy' if that's a term that can be used.
Erm, I've only had her a month. She's always been better on her left rein than her right she definitely favours it but definitely not to the extent of this mornings lesson ... Could it be moreish behaviour if she's feeling particularly seasony? Are they ever more sensitive on one side? Hmm... Idk.
I have some protexin anyway, could try a booster dose of that + carry it on for a month see if it helps.

 

[Pigeon]

Does sound mareish, or possibly gastric, is she on particularly rich hay? Perhaps start feeding a gut balancer. Also might be worth giving her a couple of days off in case she has just tweaked something.

Apart from that I guess you will just have to see what physio says! Hopefully it will sort itself out before then.

 

[Echo Bravo]

And there was me think yes typical, good on one rein and stiff on the other, I was told aeons ago that most foals lay on oneside in the womb. And yes you had to work to get the horse softer on the side they were stiff on. Where has my 40 years gone?

 

[L&B]

EB I'm really bad at sarcasm in text... What do you actually mean? :/

 

[Echo Bravo]

Sorry but wasn't being sarcastic, just what I was told and learnt over 40 years of owning horses and that most horses are one sided.

 

[Pigeon]

Pretty much all horses are one sided, just like people, but this is generally just a bit of stiffness apparent on circles, if the horse is working fairly well - not wonderful on one rein and hollowing and reluctant to go forward on the other. Especially when this is an issue that has only arisen in the last couple of days.

 

[Echo Bravo]

But could it be she's asking tighter circles than the mare is use too or able at the moment to cope with?

 

[L&B]

We were working on squares and diamonds so no.

 

[cptrayes]

We were working on squares and diamonds so no.

If she agreed to trot the sides and refused to turn the corners, that is exactly what my horse did when he had ulcers. Abler.com will give you a free sample of ulcer meds to try. It usually changes their behaviour within two days. If she moved when you bought her a month ago, the stress may have caused this reaction and flared up mild ulcers that she was coping with.

 

[Ginger Bear]

Yep one odours was refusing to trot on right.. Was stomach ulcers.. Fine now..

 

[L&B]

No, not refusing corners at all. Just fighting the trot on the right rein both on the straight +corners.

 

[marioforever]

My horse was the same as yours. It turned out she had tweaked her suspensory branch and was stiff and reluctant to go forward when the affected leg was on the outside of a circle or corner. Also she was reluctant to trot. If I was you I would rest for a couple of days in case she has strained something and then see what shes like. If it has just started happening and it continues I would get a vets opinion. Good luck.

 

[L&B]

Her teeth were done yesterday and my fantastic dentist knew straight away which rein she was putting up a fight on. So I guess that answers that!! Good as gold and back to normal this morning! Ulcers indeed!

 

[Nudibranch]

Why ask for opinions if you're just going to rubbish them? Glad the dentist has sorted the problem but I find a variety of suggestions is often helpful.

 

[L&B]

I think you've mistaken my sarcasm for 'rubbishing' that isn't what I was doing at sll! I found it comical as I'd put the mare on protexin and was in talks with the vet about having her scoped only to find her teeth weren't in great shape. That's typical of horses isn't it? Always throwing a curveball when you were only getting the teeth done as a matter of routine.