Ale almost had me off this morning.

MrA

MrA

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Feb 8, 2012
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His canter has really been improving lately. This morning I did some leg yielding in walk and trot, had a canter round on both reins, he wasn't very keen but thought he was just being lazy. Did some trot transitions to wake him up, asked for canter again and he said NO!

Huge bucks, head flew up, then ground to a halt and ran backwards. That is not a usual reaction.

Looks like I will be getting the vet out for him next week :( physio gave him a clean bill of health last week.

Gutted :(

It may be my imagination but I feel like his fetlocks are swelling up slightly at night, only his back ones and only very slightly
 
I would necessarily call the vet if this has only happened once. I would ride again and see what happens. Horses do sometimes buck and mess around. Perhaps something spooked him or perhaps he was just feeling the joys of spring. It has been so warm for the time of year I wouldn't be surprised if the spring grass comes through early this year. I am expecting my sedate Ben to be wild for a few weeks on the spring grass. He always is.
 
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It's been an ongoing problem. Had the physio out 3 months ago and she said he was tight and had probably pulled something. Introduced canter work again after a few weeks and worked on bending and balance etc. He has been improving ever since, but always seems very reluctant for the first couple of transitions (ears back, head slightly raised)

My instructor has been telling me to ride him through it and I have been and after a few transitions he is always much better. Physio was out again last Monday and says he feels great which backed up my instructor. So I have carried on asking for canter even though at first he doesn't want to. Then today it was like he had really had enough, I had cantered him on both reins once and he didn't want to canter but he did. Then I asked again and he really had a hissy fit, to me it didn't feel like him being naughty and he certainly didn't feel fresh or excitable beforehand.

I think the time has come to get the vet, whatever the problem is it clearly hasn't gone away, I'm going to have to trust my gut on this one.

I will get the vet to check his teeth but he had them done less than 6months ago and I tried asking on a loose rein.
 
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There may be something wrong, or it may be behavioural and he is just saying no. I guess the first port of call for the vet would be to put him on a bute trial to see if his behaviour improves on bute. Has this been done already?
 
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I'm sure there is something wrong, I asked for canter on the other rein just after his hissy and he did it, although he didn't really want to. Then I changed the rein again and asked very gently for canter to see what would happen, head went straight up and he bucked huge. I decided to leave it there he is obviously trying to tell me something imo
 
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It does sound as though something is feeling uncomfortable for him, I would always trust your own instinct Ale, you know him better than anyone else and if you feel that something is wrong then your doing the right thing.
If it's any consolation Belle did similar the other day, not in pain just being lazy, she got a tiny smack with the schooling whip as she was ignoring my leg and she bucked and had a hissy fit, she was fine afterwards though and has been since, like I say trust your gut and hope the vet can find an answer for you x
 
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Maybe they will see something, maybe they won't but I just feel he's not himself and this is more than just unwillingness.

We will see I guess. Just can't shake the feeling that he is trying to tell me that it's hurting or uncomfortable.
 
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Hope you find out what it is. My Storm has been acting very oddly on general (for her) running about and bucking, kicking up her heels.....I put it down to the high winds but she was just the same this morning and it's much calmer now! Not sure how I feel about getting on board later........o_O
 
Things just haven't been going very well for us lately but whatever it is I'm determined to not let it get us down! He's still my wonderful boy no matter what. As I went to put my boot on this morning he thrust his nose inside it, waved it around until it fell off then did the biggest cheesy grin haha. He does make me laugh.

Maybe he just needs a break, or just cantering is not his thing, or there is something wrong, could be nothing, could be serious we will see
 
Roxy was very fresh when I rode her yesterday - she is prone to the odd buck but they're usually pretty half-hearted, but yesterday it was feet-to-the-sky stuff! I was expecting it though as, due to hay supply issues, she'd had haylage for a couple of days beforehand - I don't normally feed her that but she stopped eating the hay so I mixed it in and of course she just ate the haylage and left the hay! Never mind. At least I knew why she was on her toes, it's always worrying when you don't. Hope you get to the bottom of what's up with Ale.
 
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I think you're right to trust your instinct too. Have you tried lunging him in canter with and without tack to see how he behaves? I'm just asking because when I had issues with Raf in the school I called on my RI to help. She agreed he wasn't going well with me on board so we untacked him and she lunged him for me so we could both see what was going on. He was fine. Put his saddle back on and tried again and he did a huge buck - something he hadn't done with me on board - and immediately looked very uncomfortable. I think the message was loud and clear!

Then again after all the problems we had with Cushings and the treatment, even when he started to pull round and feel better I still didn't think he was right. The physio said he was the best she'd ever seen him, he flew round the school on the lunge and his back was great. But ridden he'd feel fine one minute then sluggish the next. Vet came and he did his normal Arab flying trot up and down the yard looking fab until the vet got down to a flexion test on his left foot, then he went ever so slightly lame and vet diagnosed mild arthritis. A few weeks later and I don't know whether it's down to the Cushings treatment or the course of Cartrophen he had for the arthritis, but he is bouncing down the road, unable to contain himself - he hasn't felt this well for years!

I hope it's something as straightforward for you, and that you get happy Ale back before long. Fingers crossed for you x
 
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Go with your gut. You know ale.

I would get the saddle checked if it were me.

Last year ginger was the same. Physio said he was perfect but as soon as I asked for canter up went the back legs. We all know he is quick to buck but this was different real ears back nit happy mum. Tried my other saddle he was perfect (is it is ginger after all) other saddle on buck again but back was given the all clear.

Brought a new saddle no problem since.

Hope it is an easy fix for you
 
I've had his saddle checked a couple of months ago, if vet can't find anything I will get it checked again.

Want to try and free school him today and see how he reacts if I ask for canter, he is generally much better without me on board but still pretty reluctant
 
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