Where to start diagnosing an issue?

Bright_Spark

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Also in C&T section.

I'll try to keep this as brief as possible, I probably sound like an idiot, but have given myself a bit of a meltdown so need some advice/ thoughts/ suggestions from unbiased people.

My mare has been out of work for a few weeks and I have just started to bring her back into work - just walk and trot in the school, keeping it simple (rein changes across the diagonal, 20m circles mostly) as she has always been awkward to ride, especially on the left rein where she swings her backside in to the point it feels like that is going forward before her shoulder (that probably does not make sense but it is quite hard to describe). On the right she swings her backside out. This time round she is much worse though and she is very tense and unsettled. She has also decided that she will not trot and keeps breaking into canter, she doesn't rush though, her canter is as slow as a trot. If I do get her to trot, it's either very short, tense and 'upright' or she does a very fast trot.

So either something is wrong or she is just being a pig. She's 11, but has only been in proper work since last year. I'd rather rule out there being anything wrong than saying it's naughtiness, but where to start? As in do I get her teeth checked first, or her back or her saddle? Do I ask the vet for specific checks and if so what? I was going to see if daily riding would help, but worry if this is making any problems worse so have stopped riding again.

Any replies gratefully received (as are any slaps to calm me down).
 

shergar

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19 August 2012
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Can I ask what type of girth you are using? ,it just may be the the same problem my friend had with her horse,she described it as falling in on a circle and falling out when ridden.
 
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