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Expert
Posts: 2685
   
| with your "barrel horse" but you don't see any signs. I'm sure they are there but I don't see any common signs of pain. I just have a feeling something isn't right.
I know her teeth are due in Feb. Other than that I have no idea. Her feet have good angles. Hocks injected a month or two ago because she appeared "uncomfortable" but not "in pain." (Her hinds are toed out a little putting more pressure on her hocks). Been to Chiro twice in past 3 mos.
Behavioral I'm seeing: better to left than right (always been that way), hollowing out when being asking to rate 1st barrel and stop coming down the alley (could be teeth).
I just have a little voice in my head saying something is off. Professionals I have spoken with say there is nothing wrong with her, teeth are just a little long. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | what bit are you using?
I have seen that if there is to much Bit in a horses mouth and to much hand and when asked to rate or collect they will hollow out especially if not being ridden from hind. back pain can happen to... it could also be reason for needing chiro so often.. do you warm her up long and low and ask her to come up from that and keep her working from hind and soft in face ..
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| When was the last time you checked your saddle fit?
I was having a need for a regular chiro and having some barrel issues. Turns out my saddle was pinching him. It did fit fine 8 months ago, but he has changed shape a lot in 8 months. It reminded me that saddle fit is something we should be looking at every 2-3 months, especially on young horses and horses being brought back after time off, since their shape is changing. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| I'm using a short shank jr cowhorse on her. She doesn't give any- anything on the 2nd or 3rd barrel. Only 1st and coming home stopping she hollows out. I thought maybe I need to work her more to the right than left for a while so she can learn to use herself to the right more and maybe build muscle up using herself that direction?
I do know my saddle fits. I have been very particular about that.
I did wonder however, her last heat cycle really kicked her butt so maybe her girly parts? Maybe getting a kidney cleanse (or whatever its called) from silver lining and/ or putting her on a mare herb supp??
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | id lose the short shank and see how she acts in a simple snaffle at home.. back soreness - ovaries .. basically all areas of same pain.. do long and low exercises.. , stretchs, etc.. might take a few weeks but see if it helps her back. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| I ride her in a snaffle or a hack at home. She is better on the left rather than the right 100% of the time no matter what im doing or how or when..ect. She never swishes her tail, never hesitates to do what I ask. I did notice going to the left I can give her the cue to rate with my seat & voice and man oh man she will bury her butt and shorten her stride however to the right she slows but doesn't bury her butt or shorten stride. Now, I say that but today (this morning) I was loping circles (big circles) and I ask her to rate (to the right) and it wasn't perfect like she usually is to the left but about 75% better so.....????
I have a video of me working her 1/2- 3/4 speed at home back in November in an O-ring and it doesn't look like she hollowed out at the 1st but I wasn't going half as fast? Maybe its a learned thing going that fast? Maybe I should try running her in the O-ring? I would really like to have more whoa in my hands in case though.... |
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | Just because your saddle fits doesn't mean it's not the issue ! Check your tree make sure it's not broke or cracked! Then I would throw a sport saddle on and make a run just to eliminate saddle! You said hocks were injected but did u X-ray ? Next I would check feet for balance! Might have right angle but not balanced! Flex tests for hocks and stifles also! Kudos to u for paying attention to these subtle clues. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| mreklaw - 2014-01-12 2:50 PM
Just because your saddle fits doesn't mean it's not the issue ! Check your tree make sure it's not broke or cracked! Then I would throw a sport saddle on and make a run just to eliminate saddle! You said hocks were injected but did u X-ray ? Next I would check feet for balance! Might have right angle but not balanced! Flex tests for hocks and stifles also! Kudos to u for paying attention to these subtle clues.
I thought about trying a treeless just to see if I could deal with one because that would eliminate that crap LOL
Also, no I did not get x-rays. My mare started coming off wide of the 1st with great approach. She would turn and face the 2nd to launch and step WAY off. My vet did a flex test and figured her hocks were a touch sore. We just injected and I haven't had an issue since however she was also having a bad heat cycle and I went back and did some basic pattern work so to be completely honest I don't know what did the trick. Maybe all 3... |
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Pig-Bear Dog Lover
| I just start with a simple lameness exam... I wouldn't go out and get injections willy nilly... I would get xrays first. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Id still work her long and low and let her stretch out no matter what her issues are.. also no horse is perfect both ways. ride her the way she does better at.. even us riders have a better side. |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | Bibliafarm - 2014-01-12 1:59 PM
what bit are you using?
I have seen that if there is to much Bit in a horses mouth and to much hand and when asked to rate or collect they will hollow out especially if not being ridden from hind. back pain can happen to... it could also be reason for needing chiro so often.. do you warm her up long and low and ask her to come up from that and keep her working from hind and soft in face ..
This was my first thought about the hollowing when asked to rate. I have a gelding that the MOMENT you get too heavy on his face (either your hands or your bit choice) he will collapse his back, his butt gets all strung out, and sticks his face in the air. It is ugly as sin to both watch AND ride.
If I were you, I would put her back into a snaffle and see how she works. If she is working well, I would then proceed to focusing on A LOT of collection exercises. Practice half-halts, make sure you are asking her to engage her hind end instead of letting her drag herself around with her front end. Ask her to round her back and use her topline. If she strengthens her back muscles, she may not need to see the chiropractor so often as her muscles might start to hold the adjustments a bit better.
Good luck! |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | RoaniePonie11 - 2014-01-12 2:48 PM
I ride her in a snaffle or a hack at home. She is better on the left rather than the right 100% of the time no matter what im doing or how or when..ect. She never swishes her tail, never hesitates to do what I ask. I did notice going to the left I can give her the cue to rate with my seat & voice and man oh man she will bury her butt and shorten her stride however to the right she slows but doesn't bury her butt or shorten stride. Now, I say that but today (this morning) I was loping circles (big circles) and I ask her to rate (to the right) and it wasn't perfect like she usually is to the left but about 75% better so.....????
I have a video of me working her 1/2- 3/4 speed at home back in November in an O-ring and it doesn't look like she hollowed out at the 1st but I wasn't going half as fast? Maybe its a learned thing going that fast? Maybe I should try running her in the O-ring? I would really like to have more whoa in my hands in case though....
On your first barrel and on your stop at home, do you give her those same voice and seat cues to ask for a stop BEFORE going to your reins? Or do you go to the reins first? Pay close attention to YOUR body, maybe you brace slightly on the first barrel because you are EXPECTING her to hollow out? Make sure there is NOTHING else different on that right turn..... Do you ride with a stronger right hand? Do you ride with a stronger right leg? Does any part of you LEAN to the right (I know my spine has a slight tendency to bend right when I relax at all). |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I would call your vet ask do they have a thermoscam it will show if your horse is sore and where. I had a lamness my horse had been to 2 vets and the second one was a lamness vet his first words where that my farrier did a great job. Them get the thermoscam out it shows heel pain but when we did xrays it showed that inside of feet where different than outside. Then other thimg was one lower hock fusing. The thermo scan was 50.00 office visit 65.00. So what i am saying for about 125.00 you can find out if you have a problem. |
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 Fridayaholic
Posts: 1990
Location: Warsaw, VA | Saddle fit
Shallow palate - if so a 3 piece mouth works better than a 2 piece..
If feet angles are a tad off will cause issues with hocks, chiro issues etc and also anything out of whack in back, pelvis, SI etc will cause hock/stifle issues..
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | My vet always starts with the front feet. Granted, that is the problem area on my rodeo horse and his sorenesses always seem to start there. If my old bay gelding is not acting right, we check hocks and his breathing first. Those are his main issues. The sorrel horse hasn't shown us a "problem area" yet so I just take him in and ask Doc to find the soreness if there is any. He's pretty good at zeroing in on the problem just by watching the horse move and hearing my description of what's going on.
I agree with whoever said needing chiro'd that often is a sign that there's an underlying problem but not sure where it would be. Personally, I'd take the horse to the vet and spend $60 on a lameness exam to find the problem for sure, but I know not everyone's vet is that inexpensive. I'm lucky to live in the boonies but near a racetrack so we have a good horse vet without paying big city prices. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| If it is not a soreness issue, I would suggest taking her off of the barrels, set up some pylons in a big circles lope around the pylons then pick one rate her then turn it them go back to the big circle. This gets them listening to you.
If she is still not giving to you, I would suggest trying a German martingale, I use this when my horses are not giving to me when I am asking for high speeds. |
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where do YOU start when you think something might be wrong