Izzwall
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone,
I'm needing a bit of advice on what I should do, I broke in my youngster at the beginning of March and was probably the easiest horse I've ever broken in. For the first 6 weeks she was a star, hacking out by herself and with company on dartmoor and on roads etc, I don't have access to a school so for the first year of her riding career I just want her hacking out and seeing the world with perhaps a fun ride at the end of the summer.
However in the middle of april she started bucking when asked to canter, they weren't huge bucks but still a buck. I put this down to her saddle no longer fitting and one of my clients lent me a thorowgood xw to try. She seemed a bit happier but was still reluctant to trot/canter up hill. As many people who live in my area a good saddle fitter doesn't exist and after going through 3 I lost my faith in most of them. Her bucking then got worse and she started being reluctant to walk on and she started to nap on going home ( she is very forward going when going out). I stopped using the saddle completely and gave her a few weeks off (plus work was very busy). I spoke to my old trainer who came out with his western saddle to see if that fitted better. It fitted like a glove and I took her out for a hack on the moor and she was like a different horse! No bucking at all and in fact she ended up having too much fun in canter! I took her out the next day and she was the worst she has ever been, ears pinned whenever I asked for more than a walk and the bucking came back when asked to canter and was the worst bucking fit she's had so far and if it wasn't for the western saddle I would of ended up on the floor (think rodeo style bucking). She did have a belly strap on that was loose and she's always been a bit funny with her belly being touched.
I started looking up online what could be causing it and eventually scared myself convinced she had psd. I booked a very experienced physio/vet in the area who is coming out on the 19th of this month. In the mean time I had a chat with my old trainer who thinks it's just her being a youngster. Kayla is and has always been very feisty and opinionated plus she is very hormonal (currently on angus cactus which has stopped her squealing all the time). I took this in mind and took her out two days ago by herself. At first we had a few bucks and pig squeals but once she settled down I asked for some walk to trot transitions. No bucking. So asked for a canter where she gave me a lovely forward canter, no bucking, ears forward and looked very happy! I then took her out last night with my partner and my other horse and not one buck! She went straight into a lovely flowing canter each time I asked and felt fantastic! She's cleveland bay x so it's taken a very long time for her to mature both mentally and physically, she'll be 5 in August.
Now the problem I'm having is my family and partner are pressuring me to cancel the physio as it does appear to be a youngster thing regarding the bucking (balancing issues etc) but part of me wants to still have her looked at just in case. I lost my other 5 year old to a painful form of wobblers last year and after fellow liveries, my family and my vets saying there was nothing wrong with him I put him to sleep and had a post mortem where it was discovered he had a 4cm bone growth in his poll that would of eventually paralysed him. Due it that I always worry something is really wrong! My family aren't horsey and keep on saying getting someone to look at her is going to be a waste of money (my car majorly failed it's mot so cash is rather tight at the moment). I live at home with my parents and my horses are kept at home too. She's very happy galloping about the field and isn't lame at all. So what should I do?? Should I still get her looked at or cancel the appointment. Or cancel and if she starts bucking again rebook? My friend who rode her a lot for me at the beginning also thinks it's just her being a madam whereas my horsey clients think I've done too much too soon with her (hacking 3-4 times a week for 45 mins - 1.5 hours, mainly walking with bits of trots and 2-3 very short canters) and I've made her sour. Really don't know what to do! Thanks in advance!
I'm needing a bit of advice on what I should do, I broke in my youngster at the beginning of March and was probably the easiest horse I've ever broken in. For the first 6 weeks she was a star, hacking out by herself and with company on dartmoor and on roads etc, I don't have access to a school so for the first year of her riding career I just want her hacking out and seeing the world with perhaps a fun ride at the end of the summer.
However in the middle of april she started bucking when asked to canter, they weren't huge bucks but still a buck. I put this down to her saddle no longer fitting and one of my clients lent me a thorowgood xw to try. She seemed a bit happier but was still reluctant to trot/canter up hill. As many people who live in my area a good saddle fitter doesn't exist and after going through 3 I lost my faith in most of them. Her bucking then got worse and she started being reluctant to walk on and she started to nap on going home ( she is very forward going when going out). I stopped using the saddle completely and gave her a few weeks off (plus work was very busy). I spoke to my old trainer who came out with his western saddle to see if that fitted better. It fitted like a glove and I took her out for a hack on the moor and she was like a different horse! No bucking at all and in fact she ended up having too much fun in canter! I took her out the next day and she was the worst she has ever been, ears pinned whenever I asked for more than a walk and the bucking came back when asked to canter and was the worst bucking fit she's had so far and if it wasn't for the western saddle I would of ended up on the floor (think rodeo style bucking). She did have a belly strap on that was loose and she's always been a bit funny with her belly being touched.
I started looking up online what could be causing it and eventually scared myself convinced she had psd. I booked a very experienced physio/vet in the area who is coming out on the 19th of this month. In the mean time I had a chat with my old trainer who thinks it's just her being a youngster. Kayla is and has always been very feisty and opinionated plus she is very hormonal (currently on angus cactus which has stopped her squealing all the time). I took this in mind and took her out two days ago by herself. At first we had a few bucks and pig squeals but once she settled down I asked for some walk to trot transitions. No bucking. So asked for a canter where she gave me a lovely forward canter, no bucking, ears forward and looked very happy! I then took her out last night with my partner and my other horse and not one buck! She went straight into a lovely flowing canter each time I asked and felt fantastic! She's cleveland bay x so it's taken a very long time for her to mature both mentally and physically, she'll be 5 in August.
Now the problem I'm having is my family and partner are pressuring me to cancel the physio as it does appear to be a youngster thing regarding the bucking (balancing issues etc) but part of me wants to still have her looked at just in case. I lost my other 5 year old to a painful form of wobblers last year and after fellow liveries, my family and my vets saying there was nothing wrong with him I put him to sleep and had a post mortem where it was discovered he had a 4cm bone growth in his poll that would of eventually paralysed him. Due it that I always worry something is really wrong! My family aren't horsey and keep on saying getting someone to look at her is going to be a waste of money (my car majorly failed it's mot so cash is rather tight at the moment). I live at home with my parents and my horses are kept at home too. She's very happy galloping about the field and isn't lame at all. So what should I do?? Should I still get her looked at or cancel the appointment. Or cancel and if she starts bucking again rebook? My friend who rode her a lot for me at the beginning also thinks it's just her being a madam whereas my horsey clients think I've done too much too soon with her (hacking 3-4 times a week for 45 mins - 1.5 hours, mainly walking with bits of trots and 2-3 very short canters) and I've made her sour. Really don't know what to do! Thanks in advance!
