Strange 'hop' in trot - (long post)

[mrsbloggett]

Sorry, this might be a long one............

A couple of years ago my NF pony started having problems and was diagnosed with hock spavins and suspensory ligament strain. Treatment wasn't awfully successful, so spend a year gently hacking in the hope the spavins would fuse.

Last summer she had a bad bout of laminitis and spent all winter on box rest and was finally proclaimed sound by the specialists in Newmarket in June this year and advised to start working her. I started long reining her out whilst I waited for a new saddle to be made, as she had lost so much weight, (she was quite a fatty!) so she was reasonly fit before I reboarded.

I started riding her out 3 weeks ago, but in trot she sometimes puts in a funny 'hop'. Its not every stride and there is no consistency on what surface (grass or sand) she does it. My friend says it appears to be coming from the front end. When I trot her up in hand she appears sound. She had started to do this before the lami attack and had initally thought it might have been the saddle, but now she has a new one and I trust my saddle fitter that it fits correctly.

My insurance has now excluded any claims for her legs & feet due to the spavins & lami, so I am pretty limited to how far I can afford to investigate this further. Has anyone experienced anything similar?

 

[cazza]

She's not just excited and trying to hop into canter is she? my mare does this if I don't sit perfectly straight on her, she then looks lame but it's just because she's trying to hop into the next gait.

 

[RachelB]

The horse I ride had a "funny hop" in trot for a few years, it was behind though and it was clearly because she didn't want to engage herself and step underneath properly. Turned out she had spavins in both hocks, and a check ligament strain in the right fore. She's had months of rest, then months of light work, and I schooled for the first time this evening. She still does her "funny hop" thing but not nearly as badly, I'm certain it's only habit now and nothing else. So I suppose your horses "hop" could be due to the lami - she could be anticipating the pain that actually isn't there? With Cracks, it's just an evasion - although she did have a legitimate reason to do it before, she certainly doesn't now and it now gets better as I ride her through it rather than before it didn't get any better.

 

[only_me]

i think its called bridle lame?
my friends 4 year old did it when it was starting to get ridden again after being turned away...
i googled it for you and got this

Even though a bridle lame horse does not exhibit the true characteristics associated with lameness such as heat, pain and swelling, he does however exhibit one or more symptoms that elicit concern. For example; the horse can be scratchy in front, short striding, skipping, hopping, stiff in the shoulders or unable to extend to its full potential. Furthermore, your horse may have a change in attitude, be sore around the poll, become reluctant to work, and, more notably, display a marked drop in performance.
The term ΂ridle Lameness? refers to the training techniques and riding posture that instigate this condition, namely, any item of tack or rider fault that induces the horse to consistently travel forward on the forehand and behind the bit, which ultimately results in gait abnormalities. However, in the majority of cases, it is the severity of the bit in unyielding hands that can be acknowledged as the main perpetrator.

Now, you may be wondering, how does this affect the horse고gait? Well, it actually stems from the unique biomechanical synchronisation that occurs in the foreleg, the ability of the foreleg to extend beyond the nose, but the placement of the foot is only ever directly beneath or behind it. Thus, when a horse is repeatedly asked to travel forward with its nose behind the vertical, its body must keep re-adjusting in order to maintain momentum whilst in an unnatural position. Subsequently, compensatory factors begin to occur throughout other regions of the body in an effort to maintain a balanced profile, while the weight-bearing load of the forelegs is increased. As a direct consequence, abnormal gaits begin to appear - hopping, skipping and so forth.

but it might not be this i just thought it fitted the symptons! its not all rein contact as my friends 4 year old was ridden in a loose rein - it just had to accept the bit

 

[nuffield]

brilliant info.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Having had a long time off for a tendon injury when my horse was brought back into work he did this funny hop too!! I got the vet out who said my horse was incredibly tight along his neck and back from overcompensating for his bad leg for such a long time. We used the H Wave machine 3 times a week for over a month and he has got better - not 100% better but better. He doesn't do it when we are out autumn hunting or with other horses - he is too excited to think about doing it. He used to do it on the flat as well as hills but now just hills occasionally.

Just thought I'd let you know!!