So what's different?

[Orangehorse]

Horse was lame last time I wanted to ride (now sound in the field) and I am feeling a bit weak, so instead of going on a hack I decided to ride in the field, as the cattle have been moved.

So horse delighted to see the long, lush grass, so it was a bit of a tussle to start, but then we inspected all the fruit trees - no plums, 2 greengages, lots of pears and lots of apples - and then had a little trot. Perfectly ok, so had a little canter.

So then decided to do a bit of schooling and he went sweetly into canter on both reins and did a bit of trotting and circles, so on and then I decided that it was probably enough.

A big improvement on last time I tried to school him, in fact I have completely stopped trying as it was refusal to canter, head up, ears back, grinding to halt.

So what's different? He is on bute, just a small amount, for arthritis. So that was the problem, pain, he didn't/couldn't strike off into canter easily or without pain, poor thing.

 

[SEL]

Bute trials are the best way to see if pain is a factor. I also find with the arthritic ones that once they can be encouraged to move within their comfort zone then the muscles build up and that helps the joints too.

Have you tracked down what is sore?

 

[Orangehorse]

Oh yes, hip. He always had a slight problem with off hind, but it always disappeared with work and fitness levels. Vet thinks it probably stemmed from being turned out with a bunch of geldings and colts as a youngster because when I bought him at 2 he was covered in bites and vet thought he saw "something" in the vetting with that leg so it is very likely that he got an injury at that stage from playing around and fighting.

When he got to teenage years he had various examinations for loss of performance (wouldn't do schooling) until after I don't know how many different vets, one discovered the hip problem and he has been on a low bute dose ever since, about 4 years now. It was a gradual process, he didn't one day just stop.