my large pony 14 hh pony lunges out at me when i lounge her.?

Question

i don`t lunge the horses too often but yesterday i decieded to lunge the horses, i lounged all 4.

the ground was a little muddy, and had a little snow on the ground.

she has started to buck when i ask her to lope.

the walk and jog is fine its just her lope, i`m trying to get a hole of my chricopator, so she can take a look at her.

she has just started do this what could be wrong with her she is 28 years old and i just want to keep her fit.

any suggestions pls help.

Answer 1

Quite simple, my horses do the same. They just get a bit hyper and love to run when its chilly out. Nothing is wrong with her! Sometimes the get gas buitup inside and need to buck it out (fart). Dont worry everything is fine with her. She just needed to stretch her legs.

Katiemustang - I ride a horse that is 33, and he is the most hyper little bugger out there, and he is perfectly healthy! You need to lounge horses...let them run, who cares if they are too old!

Answer 2

It could be alot of things, and you are right to check with a chiropractor. He back could be causing her pain. How does she act under saddle? Is she sensitive to pressure on her back?
Another thing that cold be causing this is the combination of a small circle and a slippery surface. It is hard for a horse to maintain a lope if the circle is too small and they are unsure about their footing.
Then again it could just be a reaction to the snow, if it was the first snow of the year. I know our horses young and old get a little frisky and tend to buck and kick on the first few cold snaps(we don't see much snow in Alabama). Just take it easy on her and do check with the vet on a developing back problem since she is getting on up there in years.
Best of luck, she seems to be in good hands if she's made it this far and still has spirit left.

Answer 3

Many things can be happening with a 28 year old horse. It may be something as small as arthritis setting in. I don't know how often you take her to see a vet, but I would recommend twice a year. The chiropractor idea is good, but that is only part of her.

Be careful about having chiropractors taking and reading xrays though. I have seen a lot of them try to convince people they know what they are talking about whereas they have not the slightest idea. Chiropractors are great when manipulating bones, but they are not trained for xray reading or anything else to do with medicine.

Answer 4

Having the chiropractor take a look at her is a great idea. As most chiropractors in my area are also licensed vets (and a good one should be) yours should be able to analyze not only her physical status as well as possible other issues. If his/her exam does not turn up anything helpful, and you really want to keep your older mare in shape, I would recommend starting with ground work and movement in a larger area. As an older horse, she likely has some arthritis and you want to work her slowly back into a workout regime, making sure her movements are in as gentle of lines as possible until her body is stronger. Also, since she's older, you need to carefully monitor the footing she's moving on. Slippery or hard ground should be avoided as it can cause her to injure herself. Physical activity helps improve the lubrication of joints, and is recommended for arthritic humans and animals, however you have to slowly work them back into it. You may also want to consider personality/dominance issues with her. Since she was fine at the walk and trot, I would guess that it's more pain than personality, but she may just not respect your leadership enough to want to canter/lope for you. Best of luck with her and as you've already said, make sure you keep her monitored by a vet or chiropractor.

Answer 5

She's 28 years old, she might be a bit irritable. Lunging at her is not a really good idea. Be gentle with her. Instead of having her checked out by the chiropractor, I strongly suggest you have your vet look at her.

Answer 6

28?? why are you lounging her?? She is old!! well, use a whip. use it to guard you!!