Schooling issue or hock problem?

[Evergreen]

Sorry this is long.

I bought my TB 18 months ago as a replacement for my other horse that I had to retire through injury. Unluckily, he was kicked on the hock only 3 weeks after I bought him. Turned out he had a bone fragment that needed operating on. So I nursed him through it all which wasn't easy with him being a strapping big TB, new to my yard and with a major panic button. But anyway, I managed to gain his trust and nurse him back to full soundness. Vets did mention that there were some arthritic changes in both hocks at the time of his operation but nothing was suggested in terms of treatment. The specialist at Newmarket said he expected him to return to full athletic soundness. I have been schooling him since his recovery and although he is not at all unlevel, and he is very willing, he really struggles with canter. He has a massive canter and finds the corners and circles hard work. He gets in a real tiz when he knows I want him to canter and throws his head up.

However, I got him to the point where he was able to canter very nicely and cope with corners and circles. He was great when ridden at least 5 times a week, but would go back to being unbalanced again if I lapsed with his schooling. He recently had a respiratory infection which meant he had to have 3 weeks off and since then he is back to square one. We had a nasty incident when he picked up the wrong lead on the corner and lost his balance crashing into the fence and badly scraping his leg. Since then, even though he is sound, he hardly ever will go into canter when asked, and when he does he gets himself into a real state. His walk and trot work is exceptional. Beautifully balanced, light on the forehand and in self carriage.

So, do you think it is a schooling issue or possibly his hocks? He's no longer insured for his hocks and even if he was, I wouldn't want to put him through more operations. If he can't do the work then he can be yet another field ornament. But I can't afford another riding horse and I really wanted to do dressage with him. I don't hack out much at all as hacking is very poor round here.

 

[Nari]

I'd start by getting the vet out, a set of hock x-rays shouldn't cost that much & then you'd know what you're dealing with. Even if it is arthritic changes it doesn't mean you have to writ him off, you may find that injecting his hocks will make a huge difference.

 

[Evergreen]

Thanks. Yes, I could stretch to paying for xrays and perhaps hock injections but was put off the injections by a bit of research I did regarding operating to fuse the hocks being the only real answer. I will contact the vet. I have tried him on bute, up to a couple of sachets a day and it makes no difference though which made me think the issue was a schooling one. I am very experienced however and have not had this much trouble with canter in any other horse that I have trained. I guess it must be pain, poor lad.

 

[classicalfan]

Have his back checked first. Does he canter unridden or is it just a ridden issue? It may be that the accident has knocked his confidence and you may be better going back to ground work, establishing the canter there and then try when ridden.

 

[Jakeyboy]

I would have his back checked first. Sounds to me like he might just be weak accross his back from his time off work & is finding it hard to come through from behind. If his canter is big, as you said, he might be finding it difficult to balance due to lack of strenght/muscle accross his back. If this is the case it will just be a case of doing work which will strenghten him up. Lunging in a passoa or something simular would help. Also trotting poles. I had a simular problem with my boy when i first got him. His previous owner had him working so high up that he had built the muscle in the wrong places & couldn't cope with his big pace. He would strike off on the wrong leg, disunite or get very strong & rush through then break out of the canter. With some time & patience he canter is now his best pace. I realise you have had hock issues with him but if he is sound I would be tempted to go down the back route first. I would imagine he would also be finding trot difficult if it was his hocks.

 

[Evergreen]

Have his back checked first. Does he canter unridden or is it just a ridden issue? It may be that the accident has knocked his confidence and you may be better going back to ground work, establishing the canter there and then try when ridden.

Thanks. It could well be a confidence thing, especially after crashing into the fence. He has quite a lump on his cannon bone, though not lame. He doesn't enjoy lungeing, but his canter is worse on the lunge than ridden as he gets too fast and moterbikes round with no lateral bend. When ridden, I was able to get him back on his hocks and balance him. Until his break due to infection and last week when we had our accident, he was getting better and better and nice and round. But now he just point blank refuses to canter. I have had his back checked by both the chiro and the physio and have been told he's 'as strong as an ox'. On the lunge today though I noticed he looked a bit stiff in his right shoulder in walk, but in trot he looked fine. I didn't try canter today.

I have decided to sell my lovely dressage saddle to pay for him to be seen by the vet and have a full soundness work up and xrays if required. I figured I wouldn't be needing my dressage saddle if I can't get him right (he's always had problems in canter).

 

[Evergreen]

I would have his back checked first. Sounds to me like he might just be weak accross his back from his time off work & is finding it hard to come through from behind. If his canter is big, as you said, he might be finding it difficult to balance due to lack of strenght/muscle accross his back. If this is the case it will just be a case of doing work which will strenghten him up. Lunging in a passoa or something simular would help. Also trotting poles. I had a simular problem with my boy when i first got him. His previous owner had him working so high up that he had built the muscle in the wrong places & couldn't cope with his big pace. He would strike off on the wrong leg, disunite or get very strong & rush through then break out of the canter. With some time & patience he canter is now his best pace. I realise you have had hock issues with him but if he is sound I would be tempted to go down the back route first. I would imagine he would also be finding trot difficult if it was his hocks.

You could be right there as before this issue, his canter improved the more I worked him. Unfortunately, though I am a real fan of the pessoa, he is not. He completely panics and nearly falls over backwards. I tried him several times but gave up when it became too dangerous for both of us. I will ensure the vet has a good look at his back too before checking his hocks. Thanks.

 

[Jakeyboy]

I know what you mean with the passoa, I can't use one with my mare, she spends the whole time kicking out instead of working, defeats the object really! Good luck with him, I'm sure he will come right.