Tripping - should I worry?

[gostelr]

I've been riding a barefoot TB/Clydesdale x since September - he'd been out of work for 18 months or so & I'm the only person riding him as his owner is working on her youngster. He was massively trippy when I first started riding him - all gaits & both directions. Owner put it down to laziness & lack of fitness.

I'm in the part of North America that's snowbound for several months a year but I've worked on his fitness over the winter months in the indoor arena and the frequency of the trips has significantly decreased to the extent that I really wasn't seeing any as long as I kept him collected.

Finally the snow has gone & I can get him in the outdoor arena but the tripping has got worse again. The outdoor has a bit more of an uneven surface than the indoor & a pronounced uphill & downhill slope. I can almost guarantee once per ride in a canter right he will stumble off his front left. He went down pretty hard a couple of weeks ago. Plus at a walk, a couple of times per ride going to the right it almost feels like his shoulder collapses on the front left or he "forgets" to put his front left down but there is nothing visible to anyone watching, I just feel it as I am riding. Farrier is now coming out to him every six weeks & is making more effort to roll his toes. Should I just keep working on his fitness & give him a bit longer to get used to the camber of the outdoor arena or do you think there might be anything more sinister going on?

 

[deicinmerlyn]

Possibly heel pain?

 

[ycbm]

Take a video of his feet from as low down as you can get with someone walking him past you. If he doesn't land heel first, and particularly if he lands toe first, then you have a problem. If not, you probably only have a big footed, big weak horse.

Hope that helps.

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[windand rain]

As long as he is physically well tripping can be purely from falling on the forehand and lack of fitness especially if the horse has significantly improved with schooling in the past

 

[gostelr]

thanks. I can definitely sort out a video taken at ground level when I ride to check if he's going toe first, otherwise I'll just keep working on the fitness. & he does have very big feet

 

[Quigleyandme]

I agree with Windand Rain, could be just a lack of fitness, especially if he doesn’t grunt with pain when he does it.

 

[Gloi]

When you say he has big feet, that isn't because of flare is it?

 

[gostelr]

I don't think there's any flare. It's just carthorse size feet versus the usual little riding pony tootsies I am used to. Feetwise I'd say his toes can grow pretty quick so I'm hoping the the new 6 week farrier schedule instead of 8 will improve things there. I'm going to work him indoors today to test if it's the outdoor v indoor footing contributing to the issue.

 

[ycbm]

I agree with Windand Rain, could be just a lack of fitness, especially if he doesn’t grunt with pain when he does it.

None of my lame rehab horses have ever grunted with pain. I don't think absence of grunting means the horse is OK, I'm afraid.

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[ester]

I would always be concerned about tripping, not least because it isn't safe for the rider either? How deep is the outdoor school compared to the indoor?

 

[mini_b]

Following this as mines a tripper.
(on forehand,
Weak,
Big feet on a big horse)
I put it down to the above 3 things that have also been mentioned by others but very interested to see what others think.

 

[Apercrumbie]

Is he tripping in front? In my old boy it turned out to be a sign of arthritis in his lower neck - quite common in carthorse types apparently, ie big front shoulders, smaller back end.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

My late mare started tripping in front, she always daisy cut, but the tripping came later, in my case turned out to be laminitis sadly

 

[mini_b]

Is he tripping in front? In my old boy it turned out to be a sign of arthritis in his lower neck - quite common in carthorse types apparently, ie big front shoulders, smaller back end.

yep in front... he’s an IDx but mostly ID. seems to be worse if I let him choose the pace (dawdle) if he’s pushed on, it seems to not be such an issue. Hoping it’s a fitness thing with him...

 

[Apercrumbie]

yep in front... he’s an IDx but mostly ID. seems to be worse if I let him choose the pace (dawdle) if he’s pushed on, it seems to not be such an issue. Hoping it’s a fitness thing with him...

OK, hopefully fitness-related but if it doesn't improve pretty sharpish I would get him looked at. It's not a nice feeling riding a horse that doesn't feel sure on its feet and worrying about them tripping over.

 

[mini_b]

OK, hopefully fitness-related but if it doesn't improve pretty sharpish I would get him looked at. It's not a nice feeling riding a horse that doesn't feel sure on its feet and worrying about them tripping over.

no it’s not and he panics when he stumbles as well. Yep it’s in the back of my mind for him getting checked over if things don’t pick up. (Literally!)

 

[Moobli]

My mare tripped a lot and it turned out to be ringbone so I’d get it checked ASAP.

 

[gostelr]

Update: so I'm just devastated that this lovely, lovely boy will be put to sleep next week. He has a tumor on his coffin bone & the speed it has progressed at all of a sudden was horrifying. He was happily popping over x rails on Wednesday, on Thursday he was a bit off but folks had been shooting in the field nearby so I just assumed he strained something & gave him a rest day, on Friday he looked worse so the farrier and his owner came out for a look & we gave him bute then today he was on 3 legs & based on the result of x rays, the attending vet & vet surgeons 2nd opinion his owner had to make this very hard decision. I have no idea if the tripping was an early warning or if this was just a coincidence. Horrible outcome.

 

[Roxylola]

So sorry to hear this. Thoughts are with you and his owners

 

[View]

Sorry to hear this. It's always hard to let them go, but his owner is ensuring that he goes when it can be planned rather than an emergency.

 

[tiahatti]

So sorry to read this.

 

[mini_b]

So sorry x

 

[dogatemysalad]

I'm so sorry. It must be such a shock, but thank goodness he had the investigations that led to the diagnosis. It's just so hard when you can't fix them. Thinking of you and his owners.

 

[ycbm]

So sorry, that sudden shock about a horse that was fine a short time ago is very difficult.

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[Moobli]

That’s heartbreaking for you and his owner ?. I’m so sorry.

 

[gostelr]

Thank you for your kind words. He's gone now so no more suffering.