veteran horse struggling to hack

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rubysmum

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Ruby is 21 - HW draft horse type - working happily & well in the school - prelim & bits of novice level - very sound, agile [ as well as a super tanker can be] forward going & generally good to go BUT hacking is becoming a real issue - she is a bit doddery, stumbles [ almost fell yesterday] finds downhill particulaly difficult & feels unbalanced & unconfident
she has rolled toes at the front & donkey bars on the back shoeingwise
i have never heard of a horse continue dressage but be retired from hacking - ideas & experiences would be valued
thank you
 
Maybe its to do with the change in the ground under her feet, roads/stoney bridleways/grass may be asking difficult questions at her age, esp if downhill is incl too. Dressage in arena will likely be easier as its a level surface and nice going. I would retire her from hacking if she is having problems and carry on with the dressage :)
Other than that you could get the vet/physio/farrier to check her over, but i really think once they hit their late teens and beyond you have to listen to them and go with what they are telling you
 
I've got an old chap who is as happy as larry on a surface, but take him on the roads where the surface is hard and can be uneven and he goes short and pottery. Particularly struggles with downhill. However he does love going out, so a sachet of bute, and then I let him amble along at his own pace, but only go out for 20-30 mins which does his brain good. He does sometimes want to trot back up the hill, but I try and convince him that it's not a good idea.
 
thanks for comments - i have no real issues with retireing her from hacking altho i would miss it - it just seems so topsy turvy - all the competitin horses i know have gone from competing to light hacking - she seems determined to do it the other way:)
 
Arthritis? Mine struggles a bit out hacking dragging feet, slipping worse up and down hill. She's ok in school. Just had back lady out and can find nothing wrong other than arthritis.
Is she on any joint supplements?
 
Sorry to hear that you're having problems with hacking. I've got a 20 year old arab who I still hack out 3/4 times a week. Recently he too started to slip a bit, it was suggested that I tried road nails (just 2 different nails with larger heads in the 2 back shoes), they really helped, stopped him slipping and he seems to walk out much better! Definately worth a try I think.
 
Take care because stumbling on uneven ground and problems going downhill are text book symptoms of bilateral foot pain. The horse appears perfectly sound because both feet hurt the same amount. Nerve block one foot and you can see the reality. My last horse had exactly these symptoms. I had absolutely no idea how much pain he was in. I used to really get after him when he hung back and hung back going down hills on our hacks. Poor lad. On the advice of a knowledgeable friend, he went for a full lameness work up and you wouldn't believe the degree of lameness when one foot was nerve blocked. He was only 20 but 20 years (I had him for 5 years) of going on his forehand had trashed his front feet. Advanced DJD and navicular syndrome. If I was you, I'd get the problem investigated.
 
I also have this kind of problem. I have a 28 dales x , who loves hacking, however over the last few years she can be very trippy out on hacks to the point of she has gone down on both knees, and even once or twice on all fours. She is not great on uneven ground, and im starting to think that maybe she should only be tootle out on roads really. She has never ever done it the arena, my daughter rides her now and doesnt really like hacking all that much but i do worry that the pony will get fed up going around and around in an arena.
 
My horse is 32 loves hacking, its the only thing we do other than in the school, all our faster stuff is done in the school because the ground is too hard where we hack to do anything else. I trailer him to the beach with his buddy which he loves too.

It may just be the onset of arthritis, in which case you could get xrays to confirm, mine has a danilon a day, I figure I'd rather him be confortable for the time I have left with him than in pain. I've recently tried nobute which I was shocked to find that he was the same if not better than on danilon so I'm giving it a go at the mo.
 
Box_Of_Frogs said:
Take care because stumbling on uneven ground and problems going downhill are text book symptoms of bilateral foot pain. The horse appears perfectly sound because both feet hurt the same amount. Nerve block one foot and you can see the reality. My last horse had exactly these symptoms. I had absolutely no idea how much pain he was in. I used to really get after him when he hung back and hung back going down hills on our hacks. Poor lad. On the advice of a knowledgeable friend, he went for a full lameness work up and you wouldn't believe the degree of lameness when one foot was nerve blocked. He was only 20 but 20 years (I had him for 5 years) of going on his forehand had trashed his front feet. Advanced DJD and navicular syndrome. If I was you, I'd get the problem investigated.
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oh gawd i hope not - i would hate to thunk she was ridden in pain - will speak to vet asap - thanks
i take it that this would not show up when ridden in an arena or at an annual MOT

she was dignosed with an arthritic hock 2 yrs ago - but seems to have been good to go for about 18 months now - maybe she needs another assesment

thanks for all yr inputs folks
 
I have rolled toes put on my front shoes as this seems to help and stop the stumbling.
If you are going to hack out put on front knee boots (Jeffries) just in case your horse stumbles as these will protect your horses knees.
 
Possibly the hock is the problem,my boy has suspected bone spavin and has started finding hills a problem. Also navicular (sorry to mention it ) both front feet can cause problems on hills.
 
There can be lots of reasons and think other posters have just about managed to cover the broad spectrum

But on a more positive note, my old girl was supposed to only be up for very gentle hacking and hanging out her boots which is why I got her back. Shoes back on, 2 back sessions as was quite odd around her pelvis (I would like to say her back is twisted but thats not physically possible but thats kind of what it looked like). Teeth routinely done and enough vet visits as she dutifully picked up every virus going for the first 2 months.

Hacked out on Saturday - now fully functioning having gone through a fairly long fittening programme, most definately up for it and a good long strong canter up a steep hill. And she is 22! Neither looks or feels like it. I was delighted as had thought I was getting back a field ornament..!
 
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