Tripping problem - scared me a bit!

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Gingernags

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Asti has always been a "trippy" pony - not bad, just a few times out hacking, mainly when she's not paying attention, she trips over but doesn't really fall or go far, its a little trip and stumble...

Well last week she worried me, riding along through a grass field and all of a sudden I had no horse in front of me, *possibly* it was a hole under the long grass but her front end just went and she landed on her knees. She jumped straight up - at which point I threw myself off panicking as she started to really pull her head down and I thought she'd hurt herself - but no - the fat troll was trying to grab mouthfuls of dairy grass!!!

Anyway, due to it being lovely long and lush grass - she hadn't hurt herself at all and I put it to the back of my mind as just an accident.

Well Saturday I went out for another long hack (tend to hack on saturdays, do schooling/lunging during the week on a night) and twice she really fell over again, and tripped up god knows how many times. It got to the point where I got off twice to lead her as it was particularly rough ground and I didn't want catapulting head first into baked like concrete earth.

She really, really scared me. I know a lot with her is she's the nosiest mare on earth and she's always looking around and not paying attention and the little trips have never bothered me, but these three "big ones" are very worrying as all of a sudden her front end is gone and I'm perched on a cliff edge thinking "WTF???"

First thought was feet so had the farrier yesterday who said her toes had really grown (only been done 4.5 weeks) so he's trimmed them very short and set her shoes further back to speed up her breakover - which he thinks will do the trick - but I'm quite scared about riding her again because I have no idea how she hasn't hurt herself and how I've stayed on and its really whacked my confidence.

Any advice? Do you think I should just stop being a wuss and trust my farrier (and probably my instincts which were just screaming "feet!" at me) ???

Got a pleasure ride on Sunday on the same terrain so having a wobble!

Oh and this only happens in walk BTW, no stiffness otherwise, fine in trot and canter, no soundness issues, back and tack etc all seem fine.
 
It sounds like your farrier is doing the right thing. I would ride out in knee boots, always ride on a contact and make your pony use himself and move forward at all times
 
Sounds like feet may have had some part to play, however since you asy she only does this in walk am wondering if it is because she just isn't paying attention. My suggestion would be make sure you always have afirm contact with her and make her walk on properly, no bumbling along otherwise she'll loose concentration. other than that if it carries on perhaps think about other more serious causes in the foot although you would expect some lameness.
 
Funnily enough mine has done this twice recently, 1st time we ended up going along on our knees for about 5 yards as he was scrabbling to get up, scared me to death and just took the hair off his knees, yesterday he did it again not as badly but still was a head on the floor trip. I too have got the farrier to cut back his feet but it seems to have made no difference at all. I don't think there is anything really wrong as he is completely sound in every way. Can't help but would be interested to hear peoples opinions also.
 
My friend's horse does this, our farrier is doing the same for her horse and it has made a lot of difference. Other thing she needs to do is keep up the contant and not let him just plod along as part of his tripping is because he has a tendency to be lazy and can't be bothered to pick up his feet.
 
sounds like you've probably fixed the problem with the farrier visit and for peace of mind why not put some knee boots on her for hacking? Even if you give up on them once you are happier with her they'd be worth it.
 
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am wondering if it is because she just isn't paying attention. My suggestion would be make sure you always have afirm contact with her and make her walk on properly, no bumbling along otherwise she'll loose concentration.

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We do tend to be on a long rein and very relaxed (part of the reason I've not fallen off doing it yet methinks
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Will try that, no more slobbing for the ginger pony...
 
If your pony is to go down on its knees then it prevents them from breaking the skin etc. It is very hard to repair wounds on the knee as it is constantly flexing
 
Neoprene ones worked on Mac when he had his stumbling epsiode but I've also know people to be very happy with the leather ones. If yours have a bottom strap just be carefull to adjust it so it's loose enough but doesn't rub the opposite leg as it were.
Give them a go.

Poor Mac needed a nose/blaze sheild to as he kept using head to stop his downward plunge. Poor boy the things he went through! All worke(d out in the end though.
 
My horse does exactly the same and has done since I bought him.... 2 years ago out hacking we fell on the road as he just tripped for no obvious reason. He ripped open the flesh on both knees, (thankfully not compromising the joints/bones), and was off the road (so to speak) for 3 months. We now always ride out in knee boots, but there is nothing obvious causing the problem, (he does it on tight rein, slack rein, walk, trot and occassionally in the school in canter). He does do it when not paying attention, (he would be a nosey neighbour if he was human), but I can't say that he does it any less when concentrating. It is just the way he is, and he now recognises that his knee boots coming out of the tack room mean it's time for a hack, I just regret that I didn't get some sooner and save him the pain of the injury.
 
Ah, I see, my mare is a tripper but I've fitted her out with a full set of boots & never long reign on a hack and we're pretty much there. I like to think that tripping is a warning that I need to pay more attention in the saddle
 

I'm inclined to think it's her feet. You may recall that Patches used to really stumble alot, almost to her knees when I first started having her shod.

She's now done every 4 weeks, as she grows so much foot, and wears roll toed shoes. The roll is so exaggerated that the farrier has to roll her toe as well! Don't have any pics of her feet before she was shod do you?

Shame she's been shod as I was going to ask you to lunge her in a circle to see if she trotted lame. Classic sign of a foot out of balance that can be cured with appropriate farriery. Since Patches had her front feet x-rayed and shoeing altered to improve the balance, she feels completely sure footed. I no longer feel I have to guard where she's walking and can relax and enjoy her.

If you're on the roads, don't take a chance. Stick some knee boots on her.
 
Hi J
I have to say that when I saw her trip she sort of stubbed her toe and then fell over her feet if you get my drift. She ended up standing on her own foot (hence that nasty scrape on her hoof) and then stumbling about trying to get her feet apart.

Knowing our farrier and the fact that he is a remedial farrier I would trust him on this one. Probably just the fact that she is a bit trippy normally and then her feet getting too long has been enough to cause the problem.

That first fall onto her knees I am pretty sure was just her not lifting her feet enough in the long grass and the others were on rough, uneven territory. I have to admit they were nasty trips but I think she will be a lot better now.

Get those neoprene knee pads on her and keep her gathered up and I am sure she will be ok. Try not to let it knock you too much and remember I am there to catch you
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Don't have any pics of her feet before she was shod do you?

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No, didn't think to take any. Her clenches were up but they didn't look that long.

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I was going to ask you to lunge her in a circle to see if she trotted lame.

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Totally sound lunging, on not so even baked ground, she was lunged on Thurs night just before the saturday it happened.

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If you're on the roads, don't take a chance. Stick some knee boots on her.

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Will stick them on this weekend but she's totally fine on the road, its more bumpy tracks - we have lots of forest tracks and moorland, and a lot of it is eroded and irregular - water and mountain bikes - but I'll put them on this weekend and make sure, and keep her shorter, and hopefully all will be OK.

As GG says - he is a remedial farrier - he does all the vet work from our practice and he's very good, I do trust him, but I'm just a bit paranoid when its my baby!!!
 
Ty was a liability until i got natural balance shoes put on - his toes are alot shorter now and compensate for the fact that he's a nosey git and doesn't watch his feet - we had normal ones on last month (forgot to remind new farrier on first visit) and he was all over the place!
 
Absolutely......if you hurt the ginger one I would be very upset
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However if you land on your backside I will try not to snigger too loudly
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Hopefully now she has no shoes on she will be ok and more likely to pick her feet up too.
 
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