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  Discussion on Back soreness / bad behavior / or fright?
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Posted on Friday, Apr 5, 2002 - 1:59 pm:

I have an 8 year old warmblood . Previous owner said that he is particular about his saddle fitting correctly, and he is hard to move forward, but made no other mention of bad habits. We have since found out that he bucks quite a bit. On the lunge line, with and without a saddle, whenever he is spooked, and sometimes for no apparent reason while being ridden or by himself out in the paddock when he is excited. He also bucks after landing a jump, and usually at the canter. We have been told by professionals that his saddle fits ok, and there is no back soreness. He likes to run out in the field and has never showed lameness. What other symptoms or diagnostic procedures would tell you if the horse has intermittent back pain? or a behavior problem? We are hiring a professional trainer, but what other diagnositic procedures can a veterinarian do to rule out an intermittent problem, since there are some days when he does not buck. I was hurt badly by this horse after riding him for 15 -20 minutes in a field at a nice pace. He suddenly bolted forward at a full gallop (from a nice paced canter ) tucked his head, bucked, and locked his jaw on the bit so he could not be pulled up. I tried to turn him and fell off. I had a broken pelvis and have just returned to riding after 10 weeks of recovery. This horse really takes you by surprise with no real warning signs. We also have seen him snorting and blowing a lot when something upsets him.
I believe he is an extremely fearful horse, and he reacts violently to fearful situations. Any suggestions? Would like to continue riding him this spring. Thanks.. Diane

Posted on Friday, Apr 5, 2002 - 4:33 pm:

Hi Diane: Your "warmblood" seems to be a real gamble in that you never know what to expect---you are a brave loving owner to tolerate such behavior. We would like to try to tackle this one with you---see our Commercial Advertisement under "Tack, Clothing, and Barn Supplies" dated today (4-5-02). We ask that you send us a natural fiber (95% cotton and or wool) horse blanket and Swentana will energize it at no cost to you---it takes two weeks for her to do this. The offer is that you would pay the freight to us and back for your blanket. Also, we ask that you Email us the experiences that your "warmblood" has while using the energized blanket. The blanket should balance the animal's energy within a week of use---but this should vary with each animal (some less some more). Humans vary considerably when using Swentana's energy treatments in terms of how long it takes for them to feel "energized"---it goes from immediately to a couple of days in some cases. We feel it could be a factor in helping the horse manage itself but realize we do not know just what response the animal will have---if any. The energy that your horse will be exposed to via your energized blanket will come from Swentana---she is a practicing Healer here in Maryland. From our work with several horses and many humans we have not had any bad reactions to date---when it works it helps but some people have reported they felt "nothing." We tell ourselves energizing is rather a mild phenomena for humans to experience. We would be glad to try to help if you feel comfortable with this type of assistance. Best regards, John

Posted on Friday, Apr 5, 2002 - 4:44 pm:

And this is going to help Diane's horses behavioral problem how??? Bucking and bolting are serious and dangerous issues! Diane, go with your first instincts--an exam by your vet and a trainer!

Posted on Friday, Apr 5, 2002 - 6:17 pm:

It is hard to know if his behavior is learned, from pain, from lack of work/training or God given.

Do you know his bloodlines? How are they known for attitude and disposition?

I'd certainly want to rule out pain - so a full inspection, including mouth/teeth, by a vet would be important.

I'd lunge for a while before every ride to see what the horse du jour is and let him settle a bit into work.

I'd work a TON on ring stuff. Lots of gait and bend changes. If he is nervous and tense at the walk, it may all be at the walk.

I'd probably hire a professional I trusted to preserve my bones.

I'd wonder if I discovered why he was for sale ...

I'd seriously wonder if I'd not chosen the right partner and consider selling him on.

Posted on Friday, Apr 5, 2002 - 6:48 pm:

What level of training does the horse have? Do you think what you are seeing corresponds to his level of training? And do you think his level of training is appropriate for your skill level and your goals for this partnership?
M

Posted on Friday, Apr 5, 2002 - 8:52 pm:

The horse had one owner since he was three, who said she purchased another horse for dressage. Although they said he was shown in dressage, he was spooky about very simple things eg: fear of boots on his legs, blankets, and being put in a stall. All these things have since been worked out. For an 8 year old horse, he was only trained to about 1st level in dressage, and had only 60 days of jumping training. We think he may have been put to the side by the previous owner, who stated she no longer had much time for riding. His sire is a Canadian Warmblood "Formaat" who is supposed to have offspring with wonderful disposition. I am not an advanced dressage rider, but have ridden hunters for many years.

Posted on Saturday, Apr 6, 2002 - 8:34 am:

Hello Diane,
I have seen horses like this Diane that we were unable to find a medical cause and then had little luck changing their behavior until they were placed with a rider experienced enough to "ride out the storm". After that they were still difficult mounts but useful to the experienced rider. To answer your questions about further diagnostic work for chronic back pain see the article, Equine Diseases: Lameness: Diseases of the Spine and Back: Lower Back Pain in Horses.
DrO

Posted on Monday, Apr 8, 2002 - 2:36 pm:

Diane it doesn't sound as though your horse needs "energizing"...

My previous horse was like that. It was all evasion to get out of work and he knew he had my number and tried a string of things that intimidated me in the end (I'm not very brave I guess). The last time I rode my horse he did exactly the same thing as your's... we were cantering nicely and he bolted. I fell off but fortunately wasn't injured. He was up for sale the following week and an experienced rider bought him in the end.

Be cautious, your safety, health and well-being is more important than riding this horse.

Carol

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 9, 2002 - 11:03 am:

Diane, what's he eating? My gelding is terribly jittery on concentrates with 13% protein, but doesn't spook at his shadow on 12%. Your warmblood might simply be getting too much energy for the amount of work he's doing, causing him to be nervous/fearful or just wound up, and the buck could be his unfortunate response to those jitters.--Spider

Posted on Wednesday, Apr 10, 2002 - 12:22 pm:

He is on timothy hay 10% and omolene 100 sweet feed only 1 quart per feeding AM and PM. He gains weight really fast, and of course loves to eat.
He has sort of a hay belly now from the winter.
He also gets a taste of alfalfa hay in the mornings when I feed it to our 26 year old who needs more protein. But he finishes it in about 3 minutes, as I only give him enough to cover the bottom of a bucket. He has bucked when not on the alfalfa, but I will be cutting out that morning treat, now that the pasture is green again. He eats quite a bit of timothy from the hay feeders,
all day long, but it is not high protein.
THanks for the advice. Diane

Posted on Thursday, Apr 11, 2002 - 12:11 pm:

Judging by my experience with DJ, you may have to cut the sweet feed altogether. He even got high on plain oats :o) He may have been an extreme case, but he sure was a LOT different with/without grain.

Suzy
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