Marquire
Well-Known Member
A lttle history first-
I own a 12 year old bay gelding who I bought as a 9year old for OH to hack but ended up stealing him to do dressage. Prior to coming to us he had hunted (as a hireling!!!!!) and hacked but very little else and certainly dressage was the undiscovered country. He's gone from strength to strength and is now competing at affiliated Elementary and working medium at home with his changes on the way.
As he has gone up the levels and he's taken more weight behind he has started to feel a bit tight when asked to do certain movements. He is never lame but sometimes in leg yield right or shoulder-in right he suddenly gets really tight and it feels like he bounces on the spot rather than goes forward. He doesn't do this everytime he is asked so I can sometimes go for 3 or 4 sessions with him being lovely and soft and straight and then the next he'll be awful. I have spoken to many experienced horse people about it and none of them can see a problem and most tell me to ride him through it. I just knew that something wasn't quite right but with everyone telling me to 'just get on and ride him' I was beginning to think I was going mad.
Anyway I phoned an equine Physio who someone recommended and she came out last night and she observed a number of things with him.
* Initially in walk when I first got on he was quite stiff in his left hind. It looked like it wasn't flexing quite right.
*However when I popped him up to trot on a loose rein he immediately went round in a long and low outline and was tracking up really well on both reins.
* He was the same in canter both way on a loose rein.
*In turn on the forehand he crossed his hind legs very well both ways.
She then stripped him and had a feel across his back and did some flexing with his hind legs
*She noted he is much more developed on his right side than his left in relation to his musclature espeically behind the saddle and in his left buttock.
* Both hind legs flexed the same and he had no reaction whatever way she flexed his hocks
* When offered a carrot he can flex in both directions until his nose almost touches his stifle!!!
She thinks that he has a weaker left hind than right probably due to all his hunting in his youth and this has led to the uneven muscling which in turn is causing him to find certain lateral movements more difficult one way than the other especially when the left hind is asked to flex underneath him and carry more weight.
So she has given us exercises, massage and stretches to do for the next 2 weeks to try and build up the muscling on his left side. She has also suggested I speak to my farrier about having his toes rolled more on his hind feet and possibly fitting him with shoes with lateral flairs. Also she wants me to start feeding him glucosamine since he has had a hard start in life and his joints will have quite a lot of wear and tear already.
Bascially I am hugely relieved that there is nothing seriously wrong with him and that he is fixable. I'm just glad that I decided to trust my instincts and got the Physio to him.
M
I own a 12 year old bay gelding who I bought as a 9year old for OH to hack but ended up stealing him to do dressage. Prior to coming to us he had hunted (as a hireling!!!!!) and hacked but very little else and certainly dressage was the undiscovered country. He's gone from strength to strength and is now competing at affiliated Elementary and working medium at home with his changes on the way.
As he has gone up the levels and he's taken more weight behind he has started to feel a bit tight when asked to do certain movements. He is never lame but sometimes in leg yield right or shoulder-in right he suddenly gets really tight and it feels like he bounces on the spot rather than goes forward. He doesn't do this everytime he is asked so I can sometimes go for 3 or 4 sessions with him being lovely and soft and straight and then the next he'll be awful. I have spoken to many experienced horse people about it and none of them can see a problem and most tell me to ride him through it. I just knew that something wasn't quite right but with everyone telling me to 'just get on and ride him' I was beginning to think I was going mad.
Anyway I phoned an equine Physio who someone recommended and she came out last night and she observed a number of things with him.
* Initially in walk when I first got on he was quite stiff in his left hind. It looked like it wasn't flexing quite right.
*However when I popped him up to trot on a loose rein he immediately went round in a long and low outline and was tracking up really well on both reins.
* He was the same in canter both way on a loose rein.
*In turn on the forehand he crossed his hind legs very well both ways.
She then stripped him and had a feel across his back and did some flexing with his hind legs
*She noted he is much more developed on his right side than his left in relation to his musclature espeically behind the saddle and in his left buttock.
* Both hind legs flexed the same and he had no reaction whatever way she flexed his hocks
* When offered a carrot he can flex in both directions until his nose almost touches his stifle!!!
She thinks that he has a weaker left hind than right probably due to all his hunting in his youth and this has led to the uneven muscling which in turn is causing him to find certain lateral movements more difficult one way than the other especially when the left hind is asked to flex underneath him and carry more weight.
So she has given us exercises, massage and stretches to do for the next 2 weeks to try and build up the muscling on his left side. She has also suggested I speak to my farrier about having his toes rolled more on his hind feet and possibly fitting him with shoes with lateral flairs. Also she wants me to start feeding him glucosamine since he has had a hard start in life and his joints will have quite a lot of wear and tear already.
Bascially I am hugely relieved that there is nothing seriously wrong with him and that he is fixable. I'm just glad that I decided to trust my instincts and got the Physio to him.
M