Time for the physio?

[Bobthecob15]

Hi all,

Daughters pony has been a saint the whole year we have owned him, he's always swished his tail a bit when he first goes into canter, its always been his thing...he did it with the previous owners too. Just before Christmas she took him into canter in a lesson and he let out a buck..then stopped, then on the next transition he bucked again and she came off. He's never done this before..we assumed he was just a bit fresh as he's not been in as much work as he was in summer and autumn. He's been absolutely fine in walk and trot all winter.

Since then she's been hesitant to canter, she's 8. So basically avoided it! Today she had another lesson and she gave canter another go...massive tail swish then buck! She stayed on him this time but didn't push it so stuck to walk and trot. At the end of the lesson the instructor put a older, more experienced girl on him..he was a bit unlevel behind in trot and basically bucked the entire time he was cantering. She pushed on and kept cantering and he just continued to buck over and over, must have been 10 or so bucks round the arena. She did Well to stay on!

This is not his usual behaviour at all, he's not had his back or saddle checked the past year since we got him, teeth are due next month. So my first thought was to get back and saddle checked then teeth. I appreciate he is probably also a bit unbalanced as he isn't in much work at the moment. Do I need a vet to look at him before the physio? I assume I need a referral?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

"He was a bit unlevel behind in trot"

Get a vet.

 

[SEL]

Physio would want a vet referral first with that behaviour. I imagine hocks and suspensory scan might be on the vet list too

 

[Bobthecob15]

"He was a bit unlevel behind in trot"

Get a vet.

Wil do, thanks!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Yes it's a vet job as physios won't treat a lame horse without a diagnosis and with the vets permission.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Yes it's a vet job as physios won't treat a lame horse without a diagnosis and with the vets permission.

Thank you, I personally couldn't see he was unlevel but the instructor thought he was so I bow to her judgement!

 

[Zoeypxo]

Agree , yes a vet job. Unlevel behind will need investigating, pony must be bucking to communicate he is uncomfortable.

What did your instructor think?

also reccomend getting a saddle fitter atleast 6monthly if possible

 

[Bobthecob15]

Agree , yes a vet job. Unlevel behind will need investigating, pony must be bucking to communicate he is uncomfortable.

What did your instructor think?

also reccomend getting a saddle fitter atleast 6monthly if possible

She said to get his back checked as we haven't done it in the year we've had him. Will get the saddle fitter out once the vet has looked at him, thanks

 

[Sossigpoker]

Unlevel behind means lame. You really need the vet. A physio can support the recovery once a diagnosis was made.
My Saint of a horse actually rodeoed someone off , that's how I knew we had a problem (hock arthritis and sore SI)

 

[Bobthecob15]

Unlevel behind means lame. You really need the vet. A physio can support the recovery once a diagnosis was made.
My Saint of a horse actually rodeoed someone off , that's how I knew we had a problem (hock arthritis and sore SI)

Yes I think it must be something painful as he never ever does anything like this, poor boy.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Yes I think it must be something painful as he never ever does anything like this, poor boy.

Well done for listening to him. Mine was also 8 when this happened. He had been a bit "off" for a while, I knew something was wrong but as he wasn't obviously lame we didn't know where to start. But once he sent that girl flying (and he really is such a sweetheart usually!) I knew I had to really crack on with the investigations.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Well done for listening to him. Mine was also 8 when this happened. He had been a bit "off" for a while, I knew something was wrong but as he wasn't obviously lame we didn't know where to start. But once he sent that girl flying (and he really is such a sweetheart usually!) I knew I had to really crack on with the investigations.

Sorry my daughter is 8, he's rising 16. But had a really good 5 stage vetting last January when we got him, no issues at all of note really so it does seem to have happened rather suddenly, they were doing great together up until November when he had the first bucking episode x

 

[Sossigpoker]

Sorry my daughter is 8, he's rising 16. But had a really good 5 stage vetting last January when we got him, no issues at all of note really so it does seem to have happened rather suddenly, they were doing great together up until November when he had the first bucking episode x

Ah sorry I misread it. At that age he's likely to have some arthritis or other niggles. But most things can be treated nowadays.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Thank you, I personally couldn't see he was unlevel but the instructor thought he was so I bow to her judgement!

Hopefully it's nothing too serious and can be sorted with a bit of treatment, one of mine bucks a bit when his hocks need treatment his got a bit of arthritis and it's just an indication his not as comfy.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Hopefully it's nothing too serious and can be sorted with a bit of treatment, one of mine bucks a bit when his hocks need treatment his got a bit of arthritis and it's just an indication his not as comfy.

Thank you, yes I hope so, he's such a poppet he's an amazing boy for my daughter, will call the vet this morning x

 

[scats]

Vet I’m afraid. My thoughts would be hocks, suspensories or SI. Or a combination (quite common).
Best of luck, many of us have been there x