Sides bleeding on my horse!!

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mhorses

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I have a big 18hh hunter, I hack 5 days a week and he is very lazy which I don't mind as I enjoy leisurely rides and being able to relax for an hour. I noticed where my boot squeezes his sides the hair has rubbed away and there is only skin due to my constant squeezing and today it looked raw for the first time. I moisturised it and will leave him for a few day.
I can't increase his protein or energy intake as he is a different horse on the lead and is prone to rearing and charging. Due to his size I can risk this!! My boots are clean, smooth and leather. I use a schooling whip but he responds to leg the best. Recommendations please to stop the rubbing/hair loss?
 
The obvious answer is to lighten your aids and use your back and core muscles more but I guess that isnt easy
My next suggestion would be to leave him until the skin is completely healed and rub the areas daily with surgical spirit. do a small test patch first though to make sure it isnt going to make it worse and leave that patch for at least 24 hours before going to the sensitive patches
 
This really shouldn't be happening. Apart from the advice above and perhaps some retraining are you feeding a mineral balancer? If not do feed a good one such as pro balance. I'm not sure if this could be a sign of something else going on...perhaps a vet chat and some bloods might be in order.
 
School him to respond to a single light touch of the leg. Constant nagging with the leg should not be necessary, and will be ignored by the horse.
 
Agree with all the above - but just to add that this time of year they are changing their coats and rubs appear more easily.

Can you get some instruction from a good instructor who can help you teach your horse to be more responsive. Just nagging away with your legs teaches him nothing except that he can get away with ignoring you. In fact he's probably come to the conclusion that this is what he has to put up with when he is being ridden!
 
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Lord he has either got extremely sensitive thin skin or you are using your leg way too much and too hard....

Even with mucho rubber spur use i have only ever marked a pony once during a very intense schooling session and that was a wee bit of hair off on a sweaty side on very hot day with a rubber spur so we kind of stuck together and fricitioned the hair off a bit, had never happened before and hasn't since. Was horrified at the time but pony didn't seem to notice, he just wanted his cold bath.................
 
Stop using your legs at all until he has healed. Get a soft heavy rope and knot one end and loop the other. Hold it by the loop and flip it from side to side over the front of his shoulders (not hard, just so it frops onto the shoulder). This never fails to work with horses that are not responsive to the leg. Once he has healed, as others have said, he needs reschooling to be sharp off the leg, No more nagging with the legs.
 
Or flick the buckle ends of your reins on either side, use your mouth to encourage him whistle, smooch, learn to use your body which may be how he was originally schooled.
 
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