What am I doing wrong ?

[Goldenstar]

Agree re pain and would suggest that you don't ride her until problem is gotten to the bottom of.

I could not agree more with this please don't try to ride her again until you have some answer

 

[xRomi&Darcy4Evax]

Sound like it could still be pain.

More thorough investigations are needed.
could be anything
Tack pain
teeth pain
ulcers
hormones

etc

Yes I agree that is what we are in the process of doing.Tack has been checked by two different people nothing wrong there, teeth have been checked, hormone levels have been checked also. The only thing left to do is test for ulcers which is what i think is most likely the problem.

 

[xRomi&Darcy4Evax]

Agree that this sounds very much pain related. If this has been going on for three years, it could be that she has a very bad muscle spasm somewhere. Any cold weather, combined with muscle pain problems is a recipe for pain. Also, after 3 years, she will be developing these behaviours as learned behaviours as well, so even free of pain, she will possibly need extensive retraining to stop her exhibiting them.

I would honestly get a second opinion, get full and thorough tests done. X rays on her spine as I have known kissing spine horses like this before surgery.

Good luck and to be honest, I wouldn't be riding at all right now. I would also be very careful bout who handles her and how they handle her.

Be safe, be careful, be vigilant when around her and demand more extensive testing on her health.

Thank you for your comment, she has not ben ridden since I posted this thread and will be out of work until the problem has been solved and me and another more experienced handler are the only people who she is ever handled by

 

[xRomi&Darcy4Evax]

I have to agree with all the posts on here saying it's pain related. There's a possibility that it could be any of the suggested pain related problems but I know that muscle spasms are quite often far worse in the colder months and there is generally an underlying problem as to why the muscles go into spasm. I am back & forth to the doctors and hospital for xray, MRI and blood tests to find the cause of my back problem.
Whatever the cause you need to get a vet out who understands the seriousness of your situation and is willing to do extensive investigations.
What area are you in ? as Im sure that you would have some great recommendations from the forum as to the best person to call in your area.
Good luck and I hope you get it sorted for you and your mare's sake.

Thank you, I live in essex

 

[Persephone]

I think she's lucky to have you OP. Good luck with finding the problem, and stay safe!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I think you are going down the right route, Op. It definitely sounds pain related to me. I would have her checked for ulcers. The fact that you can mount bareback would indicate that she is unhappy when girthed.
Well done for listening to her.