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Discussion on Stange behaviour under saddle
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Member:
kowal
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 2:05 pm:
The situation:
Horse had been in dressage training for two weeks, and was being worked harder than usual. He began twisting his head to the right under saddle, and since he was due to have his teeth done, I had him floated.
Gave him two days off and then I rode him. He was fine for first 20 minutes, when he suddenly threw his head in the air and attempted to leap into canter. The more I tried to use the reins to pull him up, the more agitated he became and he continued to jump / hop forward, finally I shouted whoa and he stopped.
I initially thought the float had caused some issue with his mouth, but he demonstrated similar behaviour when I rode him bitless, though not quite as extreme. He throws his head up, takes a few hoppy steps (looks very lame) and then is fine again. These episodes seem totally unrelated to anything I am doing in the saddle. He also does this with the trainer, and the same behaviour was demonstrated bareback.
He appears perfectly normal and sound without a rider, being walked, and on the lunge line with and without bridle and side reins.
The behaviour only manifests when he is ridden, and becomes more frequent as the ride goes on. He demonstrates no neurological symptoms. I read your article on back issues, and I am resting him for two weeks. If he doesn't improve I will have him assessed by a vet.
I am assuming this is a back issue, but I am just wondering if there are other possible causes that I am overlooking.
Thanks.
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 2:33 pm:
Hmm, since the horse has only been ridden in dressage for 2 weeks, is it safe to assume you are using a different saddle on him now? If so, saddle fit is the first thing that pops into my head. Have you had the fit evaluated?
The next thing that pops in to my head is I wonder if he isn't being asked to do too much, too soon. How old is the horse? Was he ridden in another discipline prior to the dressage training? Perhaps he doesn't fully understand sinking into/giving to the bit and rounding his back and is protesting something new?
Just a few thoughts, for whatever they are worth...
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Member:
kowal
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 3:06 pm:
The horse is an 7 yr old gelding with a very short back. The saddle is the same, and was chosen for him after an extensive search because he moved so well in it. He is well schooled in basic dressage, and has accepted contact pretty well, but the training was definitely challenging for him.
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Member:
cometrdr
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 3:08 pm:
I agree with Fran - and was about to say the same thing. Perhaps Dressage is to regimented for your horse and he is saying no way. With all the collection and utilization of muscles in Dressage that you don’t have in other disciplines perhaps he is sore as well? Remember how you feel when you take up a new sport. Try ball room dancing for a two weeks and see if your muscles don’t begin to balk at you.
I would say take him on some other ride. trail what ever you did before Dressage and see if the behavior is the same.
Additionally I would recommend a chiropractor for any potential misalignment in his back? ask around at your barn see if others do that and have a good recomendation.
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Member:
kowal
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 3:12 pm:
I have always done dressage with him. He's a first level horse.
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 4:44 pm:
I'm confused, KL. In your first post you say he has been in dressage training for 2 weeks, yet in a later post, you state he's always done dressage. Can you clarify for us?
Regardless, it is possible as you go up the levels that he is not well suited for increased collection (not that he's hugely collected at first level, but as you ask for more engagement, it may make him sore). Due to soundness issues, I stopped jumping my first horse and started him on dressage, thinking he would be more comfortable in his work. It was a mistake for him. He did OK at training and first levels but was not really comfortable with it - required all sorts of maintanance to keep him from getting sore. The current owner is happy keeping him at the lower levels and last time I saw him, he looked happy in his work but I know she spends a small fortune keeping him that way.
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Member:
kowal
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 5:42 pm:
Well, I guess I should say I've spent a lot of time riding around in circles pretending to do dressage, and not much else. I put him in training with a pro because I want to advance. Conformationally he is well suited to dressage, and there is no reason why he shouldn't be able to do at least second.
How long did it take for you to decide your horse couldn't make it beyond first level? He was only in training 2 weeks, so I think it's a little premature to give up on dressage this soon. He could have slipped on the ice etc...the cause of his discomfort could be totally unrelated to dressage training, though I think it possible he may have been pushed too far too soon.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 6:05 pm:
You will find these pages, and my practice records, full of horses in the 4 to 7 year range that have baulked at moving forward with training and responded well to going back to where they were comfortable and then asked to move forward at a slower pace. I too think training issues are possible but certainly such acute odd behavior should be assessed for medical causes if they persist.
DrO
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 7:31 pm:
This is kind of timely
KL I read meters as an occupation, I am in very good shape, have done it for years now. Have strong leg muscles...plow through snow all day and after the initial week or 2 of plowing through the snow I get over my muscle soreness and am good to go.
Today got me thinking about my horse who can be a bit balky and well a "handful" when I ask of him what I think he is ready for.I see why he protests a bit!
I had to walk through a different type of snow today, slushy, hard, fall through it, walk on top of it.. and even tho I am use to walking through this stuff, just that little bit of change made me very cranky... it was hard to do, and my muscles got very tired...even tho I have built them up.
It then occurred(a horsey light bulb moment, I love them!) to me why Hank gets so cranky when I ask things of him he is not ready for, he gets fatigued and mentally wore out. I tell you if someone would have told me to go faster today or to walk differently or "collect" at the end of the day I would have punched them
The moral of this long story is I agree with the others, back up a bit and go slowly into what you want... it takes time to build those "different" muscles. I learned that today! Your horse will probably be fine at dressage in the higher levels just give it time...patience as we must learn in the horse world goes a long ways.
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 4, 2010 - 7:42 am:
I'm not suggesting you give up on dressage training, KL, not at this point. I was just throwing out my experience as something for you to consider as you try to figure out what the problem is with your horse. You're right that he may be sore from slipping on ice, or some other thing that horses have a talent for getting themselves into.
If he continues to balk, I would have a vet go over him carefully to eliminate any physical issues and then you can be reasonably sure that it is a training issue. If it is training, I agree with everyone else - back up a bit and move the training along more slowly. If he continues to resist, it may be that he is not mentally suited to that particular sport.
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Member:
kowal
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Posted on Thursday, Mar 4, 2010 - 9:37 am:
Well this definitely is a pain/discomfort issue, and not merely an evasion. No one who has witnessed it thinks it is merely "mental stress" and not physical. The horse is obviously
re-acting to pain somewhere. Certainly the cause of the pain could be related to the dressage training and I will be re-evaluating my training program.
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