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Help! I need some advice from anyone out there who
may have come across this problem. My step-daughter has a thoroughbred and
competes in hunter jumpers, and is having this problem with her horse that has
everyone including numerous vets and a chiropractor stumped. I am hoping that
someone out there can give us some advice.
This horses problem seems to be a progressive one.
He started out with bucking. REALLY huge bucks when he was being ridden.It
doesnt seem to be malicious in nature which is what made us watch him a little
more closely. When he is asked to canter in a circle or a straight line he
always cross canters. When we turn him out in a roundpen and free lunge him he
still cross canters, but not quite as badly. But as soon as he is ridden he
starts to buck again. We called a chiropracor out to adjust him, thinking it
could either be in his hips or back. The Chiropractor said he thought his hips
were out, so he adjusted him, but it didnt help at all. We then decided to bute
him and see how he goes. Well, he didnt buck at all while on bute, but as soon
as we took him off, he would start bucking again. So now we know he is in pain
SOMEWHERE, but cant figure out where. When we apply pressure down his spine and
back muscles, he doesnt show any discomfort at all. So we laid him up for a
month and started riding him again, just to be faced with the same problem. We
tried different saddles (all jumping saddles) and various saddle pads, all with
no change in the horse. The thing that seems to be a red flag for me is his
cross cantering. Could it be a hip thing? He hasnt taken a lame step
ever.
I would really appreciate any advice anyone could
offer. I thought I would put this out to ridecamp before spending hundreds
taking him to a hospital.(I think we may have to do that anyway!)
P.S we spoke to the previous owners of the horse,
and they cant think of anything in his past that may have caused this. We asked
if he fell, and they say he hasnt. They did dressage on him for a few years. He
is 8 years old.
Thank-you in advance for advice!
Yvette and Katie.
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