MardyMare
Well-Known Member
Just wanting to pick your brains really. Horse is now under vet advice but I am frustrated and its all rather slow. Have looked through loads of old posts and still cant come to any conclusion.
Horse is 14 bought as a schoolmaster for myself to low level event. Always pulls it out the bag on show day - usually rider that ruins things. Until recently - stuffy in the dressage and then stopped at 2 SJ so I retired. She has moments like this in the past and always put it down to a bad day but has got worse this year. Pulled out of an earlier event this year as warm up in dressage was horrendous - wouldnt bend - cantering on spot if asked to do anything beyond straight lines. Had some time off and started again - put it down to her first season of the year which started the next day. No change to anything except paddock in last 4 months.
No weight issues - living out 24/7 but comes in a few nights before competition to get her off the grass. Fine to tack up, fine to mount, fine to ride out hacking and perfect on the bit on straight line. Problem comes when you ask her to bend either direction. Starts backing off, tail swishing and then even broncs, would rather canter but still wont go forward when cantering. She seems very lethargic, which unfortunately means you need more leg which means more ears back, more tail swishing and more throwing the shoulder on turns. I think her coat seems dull although I put it down to living out now 24/7 she seems to spend much more time sleeping in field - in fact always seems tired. Nothing wrong with her appetite though. Currently on joint balancer, handful of healthy tummy and electro salts.
Vet came out and started with full bloods. Nothing showing. Everything ever so slightly raised but nothing to think any problems. Coming back this week to see on the lunge. She did have a bit of milky snotty nose so wondered if allergy related to new paddock. Have had her on antihistamines which seemed to have cleared that but not the lethargy, unwillingness to bend. I 'think' she may be in season again but hard to tell since the first bad one this year. After this next appointment have suggested perhaps sending her to a horse hospital for full diagnostics. Horse is insured but dont really want everything excluded if they start checking everything? Now feel that I have stirred a hornets nest although I know this is not her normal behaviour and feel I need to get to the bottom of it.
I mentioned my gut reaction re ulcers but only explanation on the day I could give to vet (apart from what I have said above) was at last competition she kept turning around and looking at my foot - just staring at it for ages. My dressage had been good, soft and over back but just not going anywhere, Judge commented on lack of impulsion and forward movement. Not for lack of trying if you look at video you can tell by the tail swishing and ears back I had my leg on every now and again to try and keep her going forward.
Sorry this is long and I know you are not vets and I have a vet on the case but I am feeling a bit in the dark - is there anything you would think this is pointing towards.
Horse is 14 bought as a schoolmaster for myself to low level event. Always pulls it out the bag on show day - usually rider that ruins things. Until recently - stuffy in the dressage and then stopped at 2 SJ so I retired. She has moments like this in the past and always put it down to a bad day but has got worse this year. Pulled out of an earlier event this year as warm up in dressage was horrendous - wouldnt bend - cantering on spot if asked to do anything beyond straight lines. Had some time off and started again - put it down to her first season of the year which started the next day. No change to anything except paddock in last 4 months.
No weight issues - living out 24/7 but comes in a few nights before competition to get her off the grass. Fine to tack up, fine to mount, fine to ride out hacking and perfect on the bit on straight line. Problem comes when you ask her to bend either direction. Starts backing off, tail swishing and then even broncs, would rather canter but still wont go forward when cantering. She seems very lethargic, which unfortunately means you need more leg which means more ears back, more tail swishing and more throwing the shoulder on turns. I think her coat seems dull although I put it down to living out now 24/7 she seems to spend much more time sleeping in field - in fact always seems tired. Nothing wrong with her appetite though. Currently on joint balancer, handful of healthy tummy and electro salts.
Vet came out and started with full bloods. Nothing showing. Everything ever so slightly raised but nothing to think any problems. Coming back this week to see on the lunge. She did have a bit of milky snotty nose so wondered if allergy related to new paddock. Have had her on antihistamines which seemed to have cleared that but not the lethargy, unwillingness to bend. I 'think' she may be in season again but hard to tell since the first bad one this year. After this next appointment have suggested perhaps sending her to a horse hospital for full diagnostics. Horse is insured but dont really want everything excluded if they start checking everything? Now feel that I have stirred a hornets nest although I know this is not her normal behaviour and feel I need to get to the bottom of it.
I mentioned my gut reaction re ulcers but only explanation on the day I could give to vet (apart from what I have said above) was at last competition she kept turning around and looking at my foot - just staring at it for ages. My dressage had been good, soft and over back but just not going anywhere, Judge commented on lack of impulsion and forward movement. Not for lack of trying if you look at video you can tell by the tail swishing and ears back I had my leg on every now and again to try and keep her going forward.
Sorry this is long and I know you are not vets and I have a vet on the case but I am feeling a bit in the dark - is there anything you would think this is pointing towards.