Spooking/slipping onto knees on road

[[59668]]

So, I've written before about my cob mare who has a tendency towards splat spooks and ending on her knees.
Its happened twice in the past month.
She always wears knee boots and overreach boots and is shod on all 4 with road pins. 3 weeks till her next set so not new but not old shoes.
Its like she spooks and then loses her footing on the road and slips and is down.
I'd worry more about something physical if it wasn't associated with spooking and she never does it in the school. Jumps etc fine.
My thoughts are that maybe I can't let her slop along on the buckle? I need her thinking more about where her feet are? Or should I worry that there is something else going on here? Its really awful when she goes down but it doesn't actually seem to bother her at all! No residual spookiness or anything.
Or should I think about proper road studs maybe?

 

[milliepops]

unless your roads are unusually slippery, road pins should be giving a reasonable grip.
if it's happening fairly regularly I think I would be wanting to get her checked out, I expect some people think I'm a doom monger but my spook splatters have had underlying issues. normally a horse that spooks violently can catch its footing even on the roads IME.

 

[doodle]

Minto went down on his knees once. Cut his knees but not terribly. Vet checked over and said fine. He stumbled again a few weeks later, he didn’t go down on knees but it was close. However shortly after he went lame and fetlock arthritis was found. That was treated and he never did it again.

 

[[59668]]

Minto went down on his knees once. Cut his knees but not terribly. Vet checked over and said fine. He stumbled again a few weeks later, he didn’t go down on knees but it was close. However shortly after he went lame and fetlock arthritis was found. That was treated and he never did it again.

Interesting. But then wouldnt she also be doing it in the school? Or showing difficulty jumping?
It seems to be only with a spook....not just randomly tripping....

 

[[59668]]

unless your roads are unusually slippery, road pins should be giving a reasonable grip.
if it's happening fairly regularly I think I would be wanting to get her checked out, I expect some people think I'm a doom monger but my spook splatters have had underlying issues. normally a horse that spooks violently can catch its footing even on the roads IME.

Thank you. Even if she's not tripping in the school and is jumping fine etc?

 

[doodle]

He was fine schooling and jumping.

 

[Dyllymoo]

Aw bless her. Honestly I would get a vet check done. Horses falling over (even if during/ because of a spook) is not a normal thing to happen. sorry. May be nothing but i would want to check.

 

[shamrock2021]

If she constantly falling when she is spoking than there is physical problem. It not normal for a horse to fall over when spooking. Most lameness is only seen in hard ground.

 

[Goldenstar]

This is almost always a warning that the horse is brewing an problem most usually an arthritic one .

 

[[59668]]

hmm I think I will get the vet out..

she doesn't go down every time she spooks....her spooks tend to be those on the spot heavy all 4 feet jumps where they sort of crouch, if you know what I mean.....

she is a heavy cob though with a tendancy to be on the forehand. Only 7, so it would be really awful if it turned out to be an issue

 

[scruffyponies]

My little Dartmoor went down on his knees several times when he was younger. Wasn't even spooking, he just used to fall over his feet.
He got better as he aged, and hasn't done it at all since he was about 5 or 6. Don't think there was anything wrong with him, but he took a while to learn to pick his feet up.

Also had a little NF who fell over spooking once, but that was a genuine one-off. There was a lawn mower, and his body teleported 15ft sideways; his legs followed, but not fast enough to catch his body.

 

[chocolategirl]

My

Thank you. Even if she's not tripping in the school and is jumping fine etc?

mare was jumping clear round BE100’s unbeknown to us, she had facet joint degeneration of the neck bone. This only came to light a couple of months after the season finished, and after a short holiday, when she started stumbling on the road. She also trips when she spooks and has fallen over her own feet a couple of times. I think this is related to the FJD, which is regularly medicated btw? I’m not saying this is what your horse has going on, but it definitely warrants investigation ?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Horses that are on the forehand do tend to trip but I would have a vet check as that is much quicker than schooling to get her off the forehand. If all is well, I would find a good instructor who can help you to ride her to get her weight back.

 

[[59668]]

Horses that are on the forehand do tend to trip but I would have a vet check as that is much quicker than schooling to get her off the forehand. If all is well, I would find a good instructor who can help you to ride her to get her weight back.

Thanks. We have a great, classical instructor so she works really well and light in the school. I just tend to let her slop along out hacking on the buckle.

 

[AmyMay]

I just tend to let her slop along out hacking on the buckle.

And that may well be your problem (especially if the horse is generally spooky). Ride in the contact. That way as soon as she spooks you’ll be able to support with your hands and legs more effectively. I’d also have road studs in the shoes rather than nails.

How often is she shod?

 

[[59668]]

And that may well be your problem (especially if the horse is generally spooky). Ride in the contact. That way as soon as she spooks you’ll be able to support with your hands and legs more effectively. I’d also have road studs in the shoes rather than nails.

How often is she shod?

You mean the screw in road studs? Yeah I wouldn't describe her as spooky particularly, but she isn't exactly relaxed about hacking, alone or in company. There is a tension there and she gets anxious.
Shes shod every 6 weeks. Grows a huge amount of foot.

 

[AmyMay]

No, not screw in. Road studs are incorporated as part of the shoe (as with the road nails).

If you do quite a bit of hacking you may want to think about a five week shoeing programme too.

 

[Leam_Carrie]

Mine trips on the road if allowed to slope along. She’s part Cleveland Bay and as a draft breed they like to pull, so tend to be on the forehand. She’d do the same in the school if not working properly. We’re working with her to get her working over her back and as long as I ride her properly it doesn’t happen.

My old horse got a bit trippy, sadly in her case it was to do with foot pain (she was also 1/10 lame on a circle on hard ground). Worth ruling out anything physical.

Neither went down on their knees, just close. Although Maggie (current horse) did manage to trip over in trot on grass, when we were out hacking.

Hope you find the cause .

 

[[59668]]

No, not screw in. Road studs are incorporated as part of the shoe (as with the road nails).

If you do quite a bit of hacking you may want to think about a five week shoeing programme too.

Thank you I will talk to my farrier.

 

[[59668]]

Mine trips on the road if allowed to slope along. She’s part Cleveland Bay and as a draft breed they like to pull, so tend to be on the forehand. She’d do the same in the school if not working properly. We’re working with her to get her working over her back and as long as I ride her properly it doesn’t happen.

My old horse got a bit trippy, sadly in her case it was to do with foot pain (she was also 1/10 lame on a circle on hard ground). Worth ruling out anything physical.

Neither went down on their knees, just close. Although Maggie (current horse) did manage to trip over in trot on grass, when we were out hacking.

Hope you find the cause .

Yeah she does also have a tendency to be on the forehand. She doesn't just trip though. Its just when she spooks and falls over herself.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Thanks. We have a great, classical instructor so she works really well and light in the school. I just tend to let her slop along out hacking on the buckle.

So don't! She needs to be working properly to keep both of you safe.

ETA, having just read that she is not a confident hacker, you might well find that she is more confident if you ride her properly. She probably wonders what has happened when you ride her differently, so that she has to take charge.

 

[[59668]]

So don't! She needs to be working properly to keep both of you safe.

ETA, having just read that she is not a confident hacker, you might well find that she is more confident if you ride her properly. She probably wonders what has happened when you ride her differently, so that she has to take charge.

You are totally right.

 

[Aperchristmas]

It was the biggest sign of arthritis in my old boy, in his case in his neck. I'd be getting a vet check - it's very rare for horses to fall that much.

 

[[59668]]

It was the biggest sign of arthritis in my old boy, in his case in his neck. I'd be getting a vet check - it's very rare for horses to fall that much.

But she doesn't just fall or trip....she spooks, gets tangled in herself and goes down on her knees. And its not every time that she spooks that it happens. And doesn't happen in the school.....so I just don't know what to think.

 

[ycbm]

I think you should stop hacking out on the buckle and wait and see if she still spooks and if she does, if she then falls. If not, job done.
.

 

[Leandy]

Yes, ride her up to the bridle all the time and see what happens. If she is still falling then you need proper investigations and you also need to consider safety. It is not safe to be riding a horse on the roads which regularly falls on the roads. It is a serious accident waiting to happen.