RE: How many ways to sore a horse's back...let me count

["Flemmer, Linda" <flemmerl@rcbhsc.wvu.edu>]

Title: RE: How many ways to sore a horse's back...let me count

-----Original Message-----
From: Judy Finchum [mailto:judy@telecomm.umetel.maine.edu]

  I  Asked the
lay judge to check it again for me, thinking it was either the way I check her
or she was so tense on the trailer that she made herself sore. 

So, I learned something very important about my horse, even though I
did not ride her.  This is something I think I can massage out before
a ride.  Any other suggestions what I might do to get her to relax
while in the trailer?  She doesn't seem to eat while en route, but eats
fine when we're stopped.  She has always been tense on the trailer
and this is the first time she's been on one in about a year.  She
is hard to load.  She was in a trailer accident before I got her,
but she loaded well when I got her, but over time has become
resistant to trailering. 

Linda Flemmer's reply...

Judy,

What type of trailer is the mare riding in?  Straight load, slant load, standing free in a stock trailer?  I'm thinking that if she is facing forward in a straight load, she may be falling onto her forehand, then to the rear and tensing her back.  If she is uncomfortable in your trailer, that might explain why her back is sore.  Look at your driving habits with a trailer, too.  Can you do anything different?  I was taught to pretend that there were loose eggs in the bed of the truck.  Don't dare let any smash while you are trailering!  My horses are much more comfortable standing on a slant load or facing the rear of a trailer than in a straight load, too.  Something to consider when buying new trailers.

If the mare is sore only after trailer rides but quickly relaxes out of it, you may need to plan to show up at rides hours or even a day early to let her unwind.  If you get there in the early morning & wait to vet in til the last, it might help.

I'm glad to hear that you had a good ride!  It IS nice to learn yourself without having the worry about a green horse.  Much more relaxing that way.  The first ride I ever did was a 35 miler in Florida in the early 80's with a mare who had never done anything other than Arab Western Pleasure.  We were clueless and a little frustrated with the whole thing when we got done.  That 35 mile ride felt like 70.  (Obviously our "guesstimate" mileage for our training loops was a "little" off.)  I wish I had ridden an experienced horse to start.  Thank goodness I had an excellent mentor in Joyce Manucci of Micanopy FL.  She really helped us to succeed & complete our first 100 a year later.

Goo luck with your mare - I hope you're both still going down the trail many years from now.

Linda Flemmer