Stiffness on right rein... what to try??

[Sol]

Danny started kicking out against my right leg again the beginning of this week, and generally being a twit. Worked fine saturday (in the pouring rain!) even did some leg yield and some lovely canter work. Day off sunday, monday (dressage) he was an idiot! Walked round like a saint so thought it might be a good day - apparently I was wrong! By the time we came to canter on the right rein, he bucked and promptly p*ssed off with me as I asked him to come back to trot. Very embarrassed as had everyone watching me so went to work him alone in separate warm up arena - thank god I'm a livery there!

Anyway, for the rest of the week he's been pretty much the same. Tensing up whenever I put my right leg on and sometimes kicking out on the right. Left rein isn't too bad. Also falls in on the right rein and doesn't want to bend. He's also gone back to being really slow off my leg and not wanting to go forwards or take the contact a lot of the time, which is frustrating. It was all going so well! :/

Instructor told me that she thinks it's down to him being extremely stiff on the right rein/his right side, she also rides him once a week so knows what he is normally like. Have been trying to get him to lots of flexing and little bits of slight lateral work ridden, but most of the time if on the right rein he just tenses up and it doesn't seem to do much.

He's had teeth/back/saddle checked, only one we havent had out *yet* is the vet, who's hopefully going to see him when he comes out soon.
Can anyone think of anything else to try, or stretches/exercises I can do with him on the ground??

Seem to be going one step forwards two steps back right now!

Thanks
Sol x.

 

[JoBo]

Are you sure he hasn’t tweaked something, it’s easily done out in the field, even just having a roll? Just saying this as you say he was ok on Saturday, but then difficult on Monday.

 

[MrsMozart]

Sounds pain related to me.

 

[Izzwizz]

I agree, it does sound pain related, unusual to kick out at you on that rain - hes trying to tell you something. You could have a look at him on the lunge and see if anything shows. As for exercises, the only things I can think of are carrot stretches to either side and between the front legs to stretch out the neck. Thats something a physio at our yard once recommended. May be a call to the vet though to be on the safe side, you could do more damage tbh.

 

[Sol]

This is why I want the vet out, it's pretty much the same as what he was like before the chiropractor came out, but he said he wouldn't need to come again and it should be fine. But this seems like whatever happened has happened again, which surely means that there's likely to be a cause to it? Parents just aren't thrilled or in a rush to do anything, and instructor seems to insist that it's probably not pain related.
He doesn't seem lame, just tense. Walks out happy enough ridden and in hand, doesn't even seem lame in trot and had a good buck and canter round in the field earlier :/