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 Veteran
Posts: 173
 
Location: Wyoming- where its always windy! | Just a quick question, I think I already know the answer but I just want to hear from others. When I ask my mare to lope, either direction, she pins her ears and swishes her tail at me. Once she is in the lope, she's fine. I've had her teeth recently done and just had her chiro'd two weeks ago. My next step is a lameness exam, X-rays and possibly injections if needed. Does it sound like I'm taking the right course of action? Anything else I could be missing? Thanks |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544
| You're on the right track. If nothing is wrong, it's probably just her personality. I had a mare that was that way, but she always ran when it came to barrels. She just hated warming up. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
 
Location: Florida.. | yes you are on right track. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 808
| Definitely on the right track.  My mare was the same way, after a chiropractor came and worked on her she was fine and has never had any issues sense! |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Good Luck..
Sounds like you are on the right track. She could still be in pain or she could think it's going to hurt and is why she is reacting like she is. Hopefully that is what it is and with time she will stop. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
Location: My own little world :) | I think you are on the right track. I always think it is best to rule out all possible lameness or discomfort issues so that you won't be doing more damage than good. For example, I had a mare that a few of my friends just thought she was being a brat and they told me to work her harder. She just seemed stiff to me and she would not take the right lead to save her life. The only way I could get her to take it was if I basically just dumped her on her right front end if that makes sense. My friends told me to take her out in a big field and lope her until she got it every time and make huge circles. So I did it....a week later I took her to my chiro and he said she was so sore that she needed about two weeks off. I felt so bad!!! So now when I get a new horse or one of my current horses starts acting funny I make a trip the the vet and my chiro. If everything is great then I know that I need to get after them a bit more.
That same mare though was kind of a little spitfire and she always shook her head, kind of pinned her ears, and thought about giving me a little hop when we first started into the lope when warming up. It was just how she was. I always thought is was just her temperament. She was sweet as pie but wanted to work for you....a very gritty mare. I always thought it was her way of saying "Hey Mom I'm ready so lets get to it!" |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I agree with the others you are on the right track, but I would also check with how your saddle is fitting, make sure its a good fit, check cinch area too and pad. I always check all these when I have a horse that is not willing to take leads and if they wring their tails any. But your doing it all right, but be checking tack fit....  Happy Thanksgiving  |
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I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Southtxponygirl - 2013-11-28 2:43 PM I agree with the others you are on the right track, but I would also check with how your saddle is fitting, make sure its a good fit, check cinch area too and pad. I always check all these when I have a horse that is not willing to take leads and if they wring their tails any. But your doing it all right, but be checking tack fit.... Happy Thanksgiving
I agree with this 100%.
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 Member
Posts: 32
Location: WisCONsin | Could be a possibility of ulcers. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Ovaries, have those ultra sounded.
Pssm test if nothing else shows up |
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Veteran
Posts: 173
Location: Wyoming- where its always windy! | Thanks for all the replies! Happy thanksgiving :) |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | what is a pssm test?? |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | After you have check areas up high ...check the feet make sure their balanced and shod big. If the dancing slippers ain't fitting right you don't go out on the dance floor. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Had one do that. It was saddle fit. |
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 Dog Resuce Agent
Posts: 3459
Location: southeast Texas | PSSM test
http://www.animalgenetics.us/
If you suspect PSSM, make sure ALL sugars are removed from horses diet. It does make a difference
Edited by roxieannie 2013-11-29 10:07 AM
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | I have had two that were reluctant to tranisition to the lope. in both cases it was a very slight hitch in the stifle. they were expecting it to catch once in the lope they were fine. the reluctance to transition to a lope is one of the indicators of a sticky stifle |
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 Expert
Posts: 2270
Location: Shhh.. I'm hiding. | If I were in your position, I would have someone video tape me doing lope departures. Do several videos from all angles. That may give you some answers. Good luck! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 563
Location: Small Town Iowa | You're on the right track. I have a mare now that will run a nice pattern, but is miserable to warm up or even work at home. She has been vetted, chiro'd and has nothing wrong with her than she just likes to be an arse when asked to do some exercise. Now that I know there is nothing wrong, me and her just have "attitude adjustmenst" when she doesn't want to work and I would like her to at least earn part of her keep. LOL. Just be careful about the injections because I've heard of too many vets that automatically jump to that conclusion that horse needs injecting. JMO, good luck.  |
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 "Drank the Kool Aid"
Posts: 5496
Location: Iowa, LA | Your horse is trying to tell you that she is hurting somewhere. Horses want to please us and we have to take those little body signals seriously. Not wanting to lope can definitely be a sign of PSSM , but there could be any number of reasons making your horse uncomfortable. I had a horse with an OCD leasion in his left stifle that went undiscovered for a long time because I didn't listen to my gut and until I lost my temper with the vet and MADE him X-ray everything we had no idea it was there. Had surgery and he was a different horse. You just have to look at the whole picture and, with the help of your vet, eliminate the possibilities. Good luck and let us know how it goes! |
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Veteran
Posts: 173
Location: Wyoming- where its always windy! | annemarea - 2013-11-29 10:27 PM Your horse is trying to tell you that she is hurting somewhere. Horses want to please us and we have to take those little body signals seriously. Not wanting to lope can definitely be a sign of PSSM , but there could be any number of reasons making your horse uncomfortable. I had a horse with an OCD leasion in his left stifle that went undiscovered for a long time because I didn't listen to my gut and until I lost my temper with the vet and MADE him X-ray everything we had no idea it was there. Had surgery and he was a different horse. You just have to look at the whole picture and, with the help of your vet, eliminate the possibilities. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Would there be other signs with the PSSM? |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | check stifle , hock before other things.. then if thats clear then look into other diseases.. |
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"Drank the Kool Aid"
Posts: 5496
Location: Iowa, LA | chasincans85 - 2013-11-29 11:42 PM
annemarea - 2013-11-29 10:27 PM Your horse is trying to tell you that she is hurting somewhere. Horses want to please us and we have to take those little body signals seriously. Not wanting to lope can definitely be a sign of PSSM , but there could be any number of reasons making your horse uncomfortable. I had a horse with an OCD leasion in his left stifle that went undiscovered for a long time because I didn't listen to my gut and until I lost my temper with the vet and MADE him X-ray everything we had no idea it was there. Had surgery and he was a different horse. You just have to look at the whole picture and, with the help of your vet, eliminate the possibilities. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Would there be other signs with the PSSM?
Yes. Mine are sensitive to grooming/shots, dread getting saddled (ancy, dancing around, pulling back, cinchy behavior) rough at a lope, appear to have stifle/hock issues but don't, etc etc.
You can find more info on my website: www.twobadgerranch.com
Also, the following is a list of symptoms provided by the U of M:
Symptoms of PSSM
Horses with PSSM will usually display three or more of these symptoms:
Difficulty holding up feet for farrier
Biting at girth when being saddled
Swishing and wringing tail or pinning ears when cantering under saddle
Wanting to roll immediately after saddle is removed
Frequently rubbing haunches and shoulders on stall walls, post, trees, etc.
Hitch in trot that seems like they want to break into canter (similar to locking patella syndrome) Stiffness or difficulty bending in one or both directions
Sore muscles behind the saddle area after working
Sensitivity to grooming
Staying camped out for an unusually long time after urinating
Regularly holding tail stiffly to one side
Traveling heavy on the forehand and/or tripping or dragging toes when ridden
Holding their head low to the ground for unusually long periods of time when lunging
Striking out with foreleg when being lunged or ridden
Lack of impulsion
Dislike/fear of being crosstied
Losing weight when being stalled, even though well fed
Difficulty picking up or maintaining a canter lead
Suddenly shying or spooking at “invisible objects” or objects they’ve been around before Bucking or rearing under saddle for no apparent reason
Taking off at a gallop for a few strides when ridden, for no apparent reason
Showing distress in breathing that seems unrelated to allergies or heaves
Exaggerated hock or stifle action (sometimes extreme like stringhalt)
Tying up (from mild to severe episodes)
Showing symptoms similar to colic (lying down, looking at stomach)
Rope walking
Bucking after jumps
Needing to be lunged before being ridden, especially after a few days off
Difficulty developing a top line
Stall walking
Difficulty collecting and bending properly |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 669
Location: Central Texas | Mine had/has sore front feet. Kept thinking it was the hind end but the hind end (stifle, hocks, si etc) was secondary soreness as a result of the front foot soreness. I could feel she was slightly off from time to time but she was a silent suffer and very good at hiding her pain until the time came that she was just so sore all over, she couldn't hide it any longer. After lunging her on a hard surface, the ever so slight and occasional head bomb showed itself. Left front was more sore than right front which explained why she felt stiff on her second barrel and just loping circles to the left. She had difficulty picking up the left lead. That saying "start at the feet" really is true a lot of the time. I hope you get figured out. Good luck. |
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Horse acting up when asked to lope?