Thoughts please napping horse

PurplePickle

PurplePickle

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Ive had my warmblood 2 years in May. He came to me with a bit of a history for tanking off but when we got him straight away found his saddle didnt fit having left muscle wastage and his pelvis was out.

Sorted both these, hes always been naughty e.g planting or being cheeky but nothing major. Hes been off with a tendon injury all winter, and i have ridden his a couple of times in walk and then today.

But he didnt seem right from the off, snorting and head shaking, he normally gets irritated by flies though so thought no more of it part from the mild snotty nose but then the pony has the same and Im used to seeing this come spring.

Any how, we do a couple of circuits of the paddock I use to ride in, he normally puts in a little stop or side step as he tries to go to the gate but today he wasnt right, he napped like buggery, I have a bruise and he won :( not pleased, I led him back into the paddock he was so adament to get out of and not go back in and he was head down submissive all the time.

So I lost and feel very depressed.


things that were different : I used a new bit only used once before and a new bridle. Hes lost weight, possible his saddle no longer fits? clutching at straws , probably

I guess Im posting this because nerves are starting to kick in, maybe its something pain related or what I can do if it happens next time to stop him? he went backwards, sideways and every which way, I tried to stay calm and also used the schooling whip, never had a napper before :s
 
I'd get all the checks done so that you can rule that out in your mind before you deal with the napping. Lil was shockingly nappy when i first got her so I had her teeth, back and saddle done before fighting the napping issue. I needed to get it clear in my own mind before I rode her through it otherwise there was a nagging doubt in my mind that she might have a genuine reason for her protests.
 
DWI your right, something is nagging me, so i will do that first, a good friend of mine said its just him as she used to know him before I had him, but my issue with that is that hes not done it with me before so why start randomly after 2 years unless theres a problem.

Kayleigh his teeth are done regularly so i dont think its that, i think the shaking is more to do with midges as he really gets bothered by them, they all seem to be going in the ears as well now
 
Not only flies and midges, but tree pollen and it's just about now, like the evergreens, what you think is dust is bushels of pollen. My old mare had it very bad two years ago, her face swelled, coughing and had breathing problems, she also suffers from sweet-itch, so am extra carefull, where and when I turn her out. If he's not a nappy horse normally, take a look around where he is, and if there plenty of trees it could be pollen makeing him feel uncomfortable
 
Do get the usual teeth / back / tack checks done.

But it could just be this time of year. Half the horses on our yard are napping at the moment - including ours. We've had our lad 3 years and he's not done this before either. Vet thought is was probably the sudden flush of very sweet grass promted by the snow and the sudden weather change. On his reccommendation we've cut feed and changed from haylage to hay. (No difference just yet though!)
 
thanks all, John we are surrounded by apple trees and allsorts of willows etc so could well be that. Decided to reduce his feed last night, he also has a fair few carrots so cutting those right down to a couple now the grass is through will get everything checked then try again and hope it was a one off.
 
I think the answer is in the "just started riding" so I would put it down to him being overly fresh - look at his feed again in relation to the work he isn't doing, maybe put some more work into lunging etc till he balances again. Only time mine ever really started napping was when his feed had not been cut back when he wasn't going out. Feed was changed, he has never done it again.
 
thanks, I lunged today he walked as though he had clay in his hooves no get up and go :s

But reduced his feed, hes never been one that cant be left, sometimes 3/4 weeks at a time and I can ride and hes fine however I have been feeding more due to the cold winter so hoping reducing it will help
 
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