charlie76
Well-Known Member
I have a lovely young horse who has always been straight forward. He is big at 17hh and has big paces so has taken a while to find his own balance.
Over the past few weeks he has become progressively more grumpy to tack up. When you take the saddle to him he paws the ground, ears back and lifts a hind leg.
He also snatches the reins out of your hand as you mount.
He has always been a bit more behind the leg in the transition to left canter but had made loads if improvement. He has always been balanced and been really soft in the contact.
Over the past few weeks the trot started feel like he was looking balance and if you tried to half half or collect the trot he would either bare down, throw his head up and no amount of half halting would get him to lighten in front. Each half half caused him to become more and more overbent. He also started running through the bridle into canter and once in canter there was no adjustment in the tempo.
I decided that maybe he was sick of going in the school (winter so tricky to hack), gave him a week off and then he was hacked and lunged for a week.
When hacking, for the first 10 mins or so he walks very tight and almost like he is walking out of sequence, this goes the further you hack.
On the lunge he is moving beautifully and has no issue with side reins or any other training aid.
I got hack on him in the school last week and he was still not as nice in trot but better than the week before. I then asked him to canter. He stopped dead and bucked. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and tried again. This time He Did canter but the canter is going nowhere and he won't ride forwards and out of this horrid up and down canter.
I wondered if it was me so got a friend who is younger and braver than me to ride him and see if she could get him forward in the transition. He did the exact same with her and the stood up twice which he has never done.
Gave him a few more days off and tried again today. Lunged him first to check he was all ok and sound and he ,poked amazing. Was fine into canter on the lunge .
Got on him and trotted for a bit and he felt a bit heavy again but improved with some transitions. I then asked for canter and he ran through the bridle , crabbed up and wouldn't canter. Tried once more and he did a handstand !
Friend watching said he looks like its a pain rather than nappy issue. He has never been nappy before.
I got off and felt his back which he didn't really mind. However when I touched his side's and under his girth and stomach he put his ears back and lifted a leg which makes me think ulcers rather than back.
He has a regular chiro and massage session. They have said he gets a bit sore over his sacroiliac but he always has and has never behaved like this.
He also didn't flinch when I pressed the SI.
The other thing he does is rush into and out of the stable. He doesn't do it for weeks and then starts again.
Would you check ulcers then back x ray or the other way round. His is a seriously smart horse with a lovely brain so want to help him out.
Over the past few weeks he has become progressively more grumpy to tack up. When you take the saddle to him he paws the ground, ears back and lifts a hind leg.
He also snatches the reins out of your hand as you mount.
He has always been a bit more behind the leg in the transition to left canter but had made loads if improvement. He has always been balanced and been really soft in the contact.
Over the past few weeks the trot started feel like he was looking balance and if you tried to half half or collect the trot he would either bare down, throw his head up and no amount of half halting would get him to lighten in front. Each half half caused him to become more and more overbent. He also started running through the bridle into canter and once in canter there was no adjustment in the tempo.
I decided that maybe he was sick of going in the school (winter so tricky to hack), gave him a week off and then he was hacked and lunged for a week.
When hacking, for the first 10 mins or so he walks very tight and almost like he is walking out of sequence, this goes the further you hack.
On the lunge he is moving beautifully and has no issue with side reins or any other training aid.
I got hack on him in the school last week and he was still not as nice in trot but better than the week before. I then asked him to canter. He stopped dead and bucked. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and tried again. This time He Did canter but the canter is going nowhere and he won't ride forwards and out of this horrid up and down canter.
I wondered if it was me so got a friend who is younger and braver than me to ride him and see if she could get him forward in the transition. He did the exact same with her and the stood up twice which he has never done.
Gave him a few more days off and tried again today. Lunged him first to check he was all ok and sound and he ,poked amazing. Was fine into canter on the lunge .
Got on him and trotted for a bit and he felt a bit heavy again but improved with some transitions. I then asked for canter and he ran through the bridle , crabbed up and wouldn't canter. Tried once more and he did a handstand !
Friend watching said he looks like its a pain rather than nappy issue. He has never been nappy before.
I got off and felt his back which he didn't really mind. However when I touched his side's and under his girth and stomach he put his ears back and lifted a leg which makes me think ulcers rather than back.
He has a regular chiro and massage session. They have said he gets a bit sore over his sacroiliac but he always has and has never behaved like this.
He also didn't flinch when I pressed the SI.
The other thing he does is rush into and out of the stable. He doesn't do it for weeks and then starts again.
Would you check ulcers then back x ray or the other way round. His is a seriously smart horse with a lovely brain so want to help him out.
