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Member
Posts: 29
| I have a gelding who is totally challenging me at the gate. I have had a soundness exam at a university, have had his teeth done, have and can do time onlies quietly will walk in and out all day long. He will calmly slow work the pattern. He is really broke, move his feet, ribs, shoulder hip ect. easily. He refuses at the gate will stop, not go foward, spin and recently rearing. I have moved his feet and this usually helps because after I get after him pretty good he has always gone and made a good run. No real glaring problems on the pattern. This is not every time either some days he will walk up and take right off. I run him on lasix he bled about a year ago. I at first thought he was scared and it would take time to get over, but instead its getting worse. I do not work him at home on the barrels at more than a trot or slow lope. Mostly I just do conditioning in farm fields. At my whits end, is he spoiled, needs discipline, still hurting? Looking for opinions. I am getting ready to try another saddle and thinking of xrays of spine etc. I want to get this fixed but literally the only time he acts up is when we are going in for a competition run. Do I keep entering or??? Thanks |
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  Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
  
Location: CTX | Not sure, but maybe you are anticipating him refusing to go in? When you tense up he can feel it and start acting up. Hope you can figure it out, it can be dangerous when they start rearing up. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| the first thing that comes to mind is EPM. That was what my horse did when he had EPM. Could be kissing spines or saddle fit also. Kind of a broad area there. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 716
Location: who knows? | Ulsers.......or soundness exam........or chiro.............
Edited by nvrenuf 2015-10-26 3:37 PM
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Almost every gate issue I've ever dealt with has been pain related. If you have some sort of soundness issue, bute (or previcoxx)him when you ride AND compete....EVERY.SINGLE.TIME if he's better....there's someplace he's hurting. If he does it through the pain meds it's either anxiety or nasty attitude. OR he thinks he can get your number. If you are younger you need to ride a bit more confidently if you are not you may have to sacrifice a run or 2 and when he refuses the gate, lope him in the place where he refuses until he's begging to go into the gate and relax, you might have to lope him until you can slip him in while they drag but you get the idea...Some of these horses really feed off the rider....one circumstance of bad timing can cause weeks/months of problems. |
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Member
Posts: 29
| Thanks for the comments so far. I have done injections, and soundness, have tried him on pozzi relax, bute, and banamine. Still problems. I am thinking it is his attitude because he is a little on the lazy side when working at home. I have not had his spine checked and plan to have some xrays. At this point I am probably anticipating it some and agrivating the problem some. |
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| I have had a couple of horses like you are describing. Please read this article and then ask your vet about using "Dantrolene". http://www.aaep.org/info/horse-health?publication=782
Realize that the "tying up" they describe does NOT have to be obvious. The horse does NOT have to quit moving, or even change his manner of moving in any way, except they can refuse to want to go in and do an activity that they know can cause the terrible muscle paint that "RER" causes. So do NOT rule it out just because your don't see typical "tying up" symptoms. These horses are usually VERY TIGHT muscled. They may even bite at you when you try to touch them due to the pain their muscles are in from a constant state of contraction.
Edited by bingo 2015-10-26 8:52 PM
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Member
Posts: 29
| Did you have tests done to figure this out, great with diet only not??? He does get
****y when I cinch him up nothing serious just extra grumpy, so it sounds possible. I am curious how I would go further into seeing if this is the problem. |
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
Location: Texas | Go to walmart and buy omeprazole and ranitidine in the acid reducer section.
20 150mg ranitidine 2x a day
11 omeprazole 1x a day
Try this for 2 weeks and give him this time off. On NSAIDS ulcers will get worse so this could be why he wasn't better when using bute or banamine.
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Common Sense and then some
Location: So. California | You can 5 panel DNA hair test - animal genetics. It's a little over $100 http://animalgenetics.com/Equine/Genetic_Disease/Index.asp |
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Member
Posts: 29
| Did you have tests done to figure this out, great with diet only not??? He does get
****y when I cinch him up nothing serious just extra grumpy, so it sounds possible. I am curious how I would go further into seeing if this is the problem. |
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Common Sense and then some
Location: So. California | The test is easy (and inexpensive), you just pull mane hairs and send them in.
You can change your diet in the meantime, consider treating for ulcers, and wait for the results. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385
Location: Texas Big Country | Just a random thought are you with-holding water after you give the lasix until after you run? If you dont they can drink a ton and bloat up like crazy and feel real grumpy about athletic stuff until after they pee real good. |
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 Ima Cool Kid
Posts: 3496
Location: TN | some times its just a good case of nerves with a "younger" in the seasoning process. If your certian nothing is physically wrong, be patient and work on spending time in the gate area. try siging up for top of a drag and stay in the gate after the tractror . figure out ways to change it up a bit. can u find a saddle club and try a Ranch or walk trot class?? good luck  |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | horsingaround - 2015-10-27 11:15 AM some times its just a good case of nerves with a "younger" in the seasoning process. If your certian nothing is physically wrong, be patient and work on spending time in the gate area. try siging up for top of a drag and stay in the gate after the tractror . figure out ways to change it up a bit. can u find a saddle club and try a Ranch or walk trot class?? good luck
I like this advice. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434
Location: Northwest Florida | horsingaround - 2015-10-27 11:15 AM some times its just a good case of nerves with a "younger" in the seasoning process. If your certian nothing is physically wrong, be patient and work on spending time in the gate area. try siging up for top of a drag and stay in the gate after the tractror . figure out ways to change it up a bit. can u find a saddle club and try a Ranch or walk trot class?? good luck
I'm having a similiar problem with one of my mares, and having ruled out pain, I plan to take her to some saddle club shows and get her in the arena doing other things to get her more comfortable. Trail class, ranch riding.. to relieve the anxiety and anticipation she feels when entering the alley. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 787
Location: NE Pa-Gods Country | after ruling out epm....ulcers....try just trailriding and conditioning at home and no exhibitions or time onlies.... |
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Member
Posts: 29
| I ranch ride mostly all the time, I can go in any type of show/ ranch class, can time only, sit quietly at the gate, go in and out etc. Flat footed no concern at all. I do hold water after Lasix. He only acts up before the competition run. I am going to do the tests and treat again for ulcers in the mean time. Thanks for all the advice.
Edited by schofies73 2015-10-27 11:10 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1561
| I dont mean to get all scientifical on you...
Have you looked into the throat air flapper deally bob? |
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Veteran
Posts: 112
| For about 8 months I seriously struggled getting my mare in the arena for run. She would get super super nervous, rear up, etc. Tried all sorts of relaxing pastes, buddy horses, you name it and nothing worked. While we were hand grazing her one night after riding we started to hear an odd popping noise with her jaw. Turns out she had/has TMJ issues. Once we changed her bit and went to working on her TMJ she was a totally different horse. She will get on the muscle but does not throw the temper tantrum she used going in the pen. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434
Location: Northwest Florida | outrundaizy - 2015-10-26 10:55 PM
Go to walmart and buy omeprazole and ranitidine in the acid reducer section.
20 150mg ranitidine 2x a day
11 omeprazole 1x a day
Try this for 2 weeks and give him this time off. On NSAIDS ulcers will get worse so this could be why he wasn't better when using bute or banamine.
outrundaizy,
If this ulcer treatment does yield positive results, do you keep them on it? Is there a lower maintenance dosage, or can they only receive this for a two week period? |
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| cranky B4 10am - 2015-10-26 4:33 PM
Not sure, but maybe you are anticipating him refusing to go in? When you tense up he can feel it and start acting up. Hope you can figure it out, it can be dangerous when they start rearing up.
If you have checked everything else out and he is 100% then I agree that he could feel you anticipating like crankB410am said.
I had a gelding that would give me a hard time randomly like this. I noticed that when I would get tense so would he. I actually started walking him to the alley with one hand on the reins and one on his butt (leaning back as if I would be sitting on him relaxing chatting to a friend) and then when he got to the alley I would pick up two handed and go. Weird, I know, but it worked. |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | From everything you've already checked out....this really sounds like you're getting nervous and passing it to him.
I tend to ride hotter type horses and have been accused of being a 'nervous' person.... LOL! It's really difficult for me to 'just be still' when I'm ready to run. What works for me is to concentrate on my breathing a couple of runners ahead of me. I'll mentally go thru my run, always think of what you need to do, never what not to do. I'll take a deep breath and hold for 3 seconds and release. Very consciously relax your body, starting at your neck and down to your heels. I'll walk to the alley one handed and with a relaxed seat...when I'm ready to go, I'll pick up both reins.
My horse I'm currently running is hot and always on go when we're ready to run.....but if she doesn't want to go in, it's pretty much a guarantee she's sore somewhere. I'm fine with one being a fire breathing dragon in the alley, but really watch your body language if they get hesitant about wanting to work. |
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 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | BigStarBound - 2015-10-28 11:23 AM outrundaizy - 2015-10-26 10:55 PM Go to walmart and buy omeprazole and ranitidine in the acid reducer section.
20 150mg ranitidine 2x a day
11 omeprazole 1x a day
Try this for 2 weeks and give him this time off. On NSAIDS ulcers will get worse so this could be why he wasn't better when using bute or banamine.
outrundaizy, If this ulcer treatment does yield positive results, do you keep them on it? Is there a lower maintenance dosage, or can they only receive this for a two week period?
You don't want to use a maintenance dose of ulcer meds...They block absorption of other nutrients that they need. Heal the ulcers, find the source whether it's pain or feed related, and you won't have to worry about ulcers anymore. Maintenance is a bandaid for a larger problem...and will only cause other problems down the road. |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Where are you located?
Go to the best vet you can afford. You have not found the source of the pain yet. |
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read all other gate refusal posts! Help