Vet or Physio ??

[Horseback Rider]

My horse wasn't doing much work in the winter so I advertised for a rider a few times a week I got a girl who seemed ok at first but then I realised it wasn't going to work so stoppped it the trouble the few weeks she was riding hin in the school he was getting away with everything no bend, no corners rubbish trot to canter transition etc.

I have now started schooling him again and he is bucking quite a lot which is unlike him, I can't work out if he thinks he is going to get away with the same behaviour with me or if he has tweaked something.

He has seen the vet lot's recently as he is quite accident prone, and my normal vet is on holiday at the moment, I will use the on call vet in an emergency but they tend to deal with smaller animals most of the time and tbh I prefer a "horse" vet for things like this.

So do you think I should call the vet or physio ?

 

[squiz22]

My horse wasn't doing much work in the winter so I advertised for a rider a few times a week I got a girl who seemed ok at first but then I realised it wasn't going to work so stoppped it the trouble the few weeks she was riding hin in the school he was getting away with everything no bend, no corners rubbish trot to canter transition etc.

I have now started schooling him again and he is bucking quite a lot which is unlike him, I can't work out if he thinks he is going to get away with the same behaviour with me or if he has tweaked something.

He has seen the vet lot's recently as he is quite accident prone, and my normal vet is on holiday at the moment, I will use the on call vet in an emergency but they tend to deal with smaller animals most of the time and tbh I prefer a "horse" vet for things like this.

So do you think I should call the vet or physio ?

Hi..

I've posted 'reluctance to go forward in trot' as mine seems to have also tweaked something. From my recent experience the vet just says call the physio/chiro so it may be worth going straight to that option and saving the call out/examination. Can you discuss it with a vet over the phone - even if not your usual one who's on hols?

Looking on this thread - looks like theres a fair few of us with horses with tweaks at the moment..!! I sympathize - so frustrating!

 

[TPO]

Physio (and chiro/ebw/McT-C etc) needs vet permission before treating any horse so you'll have to involve your vet regardless.

If the horse been off work for a while there is every chance he's changed shape (losing muscle tone, carrying less weight etc) so it would be a good idea to have a saddle fitter out.

If it were me I'd stop riding, phone the vet to discuss and then make a physio appointment. Get the physio to check saddle (although not necessarily a saddle fitter they should know how to fit a saddle and the affects saddle fit has) and if required get saddle fitter out. Ask the physio for a plan to bring your horse back into work and to show you stretches and massage movements that you can do inbetween visits.

Might be worth having teeth looked at too. A horse I bought had "no bend" and it transpired to be an unerupted wolf tooth; once removed he improved immediately.

 

[gunnergundog]

Technically noone other than a vet is allowed to diagnose (Vet Act 1966)!
Also, if you are thinking of claiming on insurance, you will need a vet referral first - regardless of the legalities!

 

[hairycob]

Vet - I know a couple of people whose horses were wrecked (literally - 1 is no longer rideable, one was pts) because they went "back person" route & all the time it was actually a leg problem, not a back one.