my horse canters very funky, like a hoppy canter and i've tried stretching her many times and just letting her run full out, btu nothin seems to be helping her! she just gets really hoppy in the rear and it feels funny. my boss thinks she may be hurt and so does many other ppl. I dont want to hurt her in any way. also, she bucks a lot! i dont know if there's something wrong with her back or what. HELP!!!
2007-02-01 15:28:46 · 11 answers · asked by Linzzzo 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
You definitely need to consult your vet and farrier. Your horse may be improperly shod and this can cause her to be stiff in her hindquarters. Also is the saddle you ride with fitted for her? If not you may be causing soreness on her back. If you want to check for stiff joints or sore muscles take your hands and gently massage your equine from poll to flank...making sure you also check her legs. If she's sore or in pain she'll either twitch or move away from the pressure. Have your vet observe her and he'll tell you how to properly care for her. She may just be sore so I'd stay off of her until your vet comes for a consult. Good luck and happy trails.
2007-02-01 16:04:20 · answer #1 · answered by silvaspurranch 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It couldn't hurt to have a chiropractor take a look at her. Most of the chiropractors I know (however not all) are also practicing veterinarians. My friend's horse, who was having a similar issue, sees a vet who does not only her adjustments, but also her vaccines, her coggins, etc. Those are hard to come by, but if you look for a chiropractor that is not JUST a chiropractor or a lay chiropractor, but is a liscensed veterinarian as well, they can suggest other things that may be causing her issues besides an alignment issue. For example, depending on your area of the country there are mineral that can cause muscle weakness and neurologic signs if your horse is lacking in them. In my area it is not uncommon for whole barns to be on selenium supplements because it is lacking in the environment. Depending on where you live, a vet can suggest other things that could be affecting her in that way if she is not out of alignment.
2007-02-02 04:59:20 · answer #2 · answered by skachicah35 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Stop riding your horse. She is obviously in a lot of pain to force her to buck a lot and canter choppily. She must have been in pain for a very long time for her to be both restricting her canter and bucking. Her canter was probably the first thing to go and since nobody was listening, she has resorted to bucking as well. She has no other way to get through to you except by getting you off. She is at her "extreme" now and is practically yelling at you. At least now you've heard her and know there is a problem to fix.
The pain could be from anything and now you get to play the game of the process of elimination. Is it the saddle? Is she improperly shod? Does she have arthritis in her hocks? Is her hip thrown out? Are you riding incorrectly? Is her balance off making her sore? On and on and on. That's the hard part. I doubt it is her teeth since her canter stride is short. Usually if you leave a horse's mouth alone when their teeth hurt, their stride will be inconsistant with nice long strides to short and choppy, not plain short and choppy all the time.
You can check right now yourself to see if her back is sore. Cup one hand as if to hold water. Using your fingertips start on one side of your horse's spine just behind the withers. This will be the fleshy part about an inch or two to the side of the spine. Press your fingertips into the flesh of your horse's back, with just enough pressure to massage the muscle that lies beneath. Now drag your fingertips all the way down, parallel with the spine with even pressure going all the way over the hip until you reach to almost the tail. Be ready to jump back. I've seen horses almost fall from the pain of a sore back and/or a sore hip. Likewise, she may kick out or buck in response to any pain your fingers come upon. Then again, she may not react at all, but you have to watch for the smallest of signs since she may just hallow her back flat or lay her ears back and swish you forcefully with her tail. It's best to have a friend to monitor her reaction while you test the muscles.
I'd call the vet, first and foremost. They can narrow it down to leg pain, back pain, or hip pain and the vet will also be able to tell you whether it is from arthritis or poor conditioning and they can also check your saddle for proper fit. Your vet will also have references for whether your horse will need a massage therapist or a chiropractor.
Good luck and your horse will be incredibly thankful that you've "heard" her pain.
2007-02-02 03:59:45 · answer #3 · answered by keylime1602 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Before taking her to a chiropracter, I would suggest taking her to your vet and have an xray done to be sure there is no injury. If the vet gives you a health clearance, I would say yes, call your chiropractor. A word of caution. Many chiropractors will tell you they can read xrays. Most cannot.
2007-02-02 03:42:43 · answer #4 · answered by Veneta T 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'd first check her saddle fit. It might be putting presure on her spine. And i would still call out the chiropractor. The saddle fit might have caused damage to her spine alignment so it will need to be ajusted before you refit a new saddle. My aunt's horse did this and it turned out that a fall in the starting gate had damaged her back beyond repair.
2007-02-03 15:43:06 · answer #5 · answered by PasoBrio13 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i used to have a horse like this, we had her teeth and back checked only to find there was nothing wrong. we managed to go back to her training and found out she was broken for showjumping and there fore was made to do this strange almost on the spot canter, she bucked out of excitment!!!
we managed to get her out of the habbit( occasionally!!!!) by changing her bit to something kinder ( was in a pallem) so she didn't feel as though she was being restricted, and doing hours and hours of schooling.
this seemed to work most of the time but she still does the strange canter and bucks when she is jumping or something spooks her, or she gets excited, or just gets up on the wrong side of the stable!!!
i think checking all of the options is very sensible, try schooling or have lessons on your horse to see if an instructor can spot a problem, it might be the way you ride that doesn't suit the horse.
But don't worry i am sure that between you and your horse and bit of help you will get there!!
2007-02-02 03:35:32 · answer #6 · answered by shamrock 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A chiropractor could be a very good idea. What does your regular vet have to say? I'm assuming you've had her checked for injuries.
2007-02-01 15:32:51 · answer #7 · answered by Nota yuppie 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Honey, your horse definately needs to see a vet. Someone who can accurately diagnose whats going on.
I wouldn't ride her until the problem has been taken care of. Cause if she's in pain, you dont want to make it worse.
2007-02-01 15:33:10 · answer #8 · answered by Steph 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
you should also get your saddle checked out. A lot of times having a poorly fitting saddle is the #1 cause of the problems that you are describing.
Check with the local tack stores & see if they can refer anyone to you.
Good luck!
2007-02-02 14:31:45 · answer #9 · answered by jamie c 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Why don't you have a vet look at her? If you don't want to accidentally hurt her, that's the best thing to do.
2007-02-01 15:33:00 · answer #10 · answered by lizzy 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋