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 Veteran
Posts: 164
 
Location: Oregon | I have had my horse adjusted several times and his poll is ALWAYS out ... no metter how many times i have had it put back in.. Has any one ever dealt with this before? Could this be because of another issue im missing?? Thanks in advance! |
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Cold hands and Warm Heart
 
Location: oklahoma | Teeth done lately and on a regular basis? |
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Member
Posts: 44
| Have same issue with my mare, poll & C2 & C4 always out. I believe it was caused by the fact that she used to pll back BAD! The last time she did it was a particularly bad episode. She shakes her head on the first barrel and her teeth are slightly out of alignment. I am going go take her to the vet as soon as possible to check for any potential damage. My chiroprator said it is very common for a horse who has had a history of pulling back to need adjusted quite often. However, I want her checked for permanent damage.
Edited to add: The reason I believe she may have done damage is due to the fact that she used to pull back often, but now as soon as her halter gets the leastbit tight she steps forward so there is no pressure on her head. I have seen her in the past get downing her butt and throw herself from side to side.
Edited by sharpone 2014-01-01 10:15 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 733
| Make sure teeth are good. I would look into a PHT poll pack or a Back On Track cap. |
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Veteran
Posts: 164
Location: Oregon | I have not had his teeth done yet but i do think they need to be done i doubt his previous owner EVER even thought about it. And i guess i didnt think it would be causing a problem with his poll. You learn something new everyday :).. My friend has a poll pack i can borrow but i hate to leave him stalled with a halter on... I am always paranoid that he will catch it on something and pull back really hard which he has done at least twice in the last 2 months just being put in a different stall so i can clean his stall. So maybe he has permanent damage as well? Not sure... but i am going to have the vet out and do his teeth soon and check for anything else :) |
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 I keep my butt inside
Posts: 3281
Location: Weatherford, Texas | Check the jaw, atlas, and his teeth. When a horse pulls back it can cause them to be out and it may take a few treatments to get them back aligned. Make sure when you have him adjusted to give a day or two off and some bute to help the muscles not tighten and push it back out.
Also- does he ever go on a walker- my chiro pointed out that regular walkers are the worst thing for polls.
And- it may be less poll and more flexibility that is causing it- stretch him to both sides (shoulder, withers, lower back, and as far back as he can go) with treats. Do shoulder on each side, then withers on each side and work your way back alternating sides. Then stretch him up- hold cookie up over your head to make him stretch the chest muscles, and then roll the cookie back out straight in front of him so his head, neck and withers are all level. It may help to hold one hand on his chest to keep him from walking forward. Then roll the cooking down so that he stretches down between his legs until you get a good roll in the back.
Stretching daily or at least every ride can really help chiro issues. |
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Expert
Posts: 1488
| Try a different Chiro
Bet you pay check they find something else "chronic"
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 Been Blessed
Posts: 7587
Location: Living in my Promised Land | I had one and learned to put it back in myself. I used magnets and lots of massage and she got to be ok. She did not pull back, though. All of that pressure could really exacerbate the problem. |
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Expert
Posts: 2678
Location: Mi | My mare poll use to be out all the time it seemed. Everytime I had her adjusted it was out. I started using a PHT Poll Pack gosh its been 3 or 4 yrs ago now and she rarely has it out anymore. I bought a few stuck one on her "good" halter, and one on her "everyday" halter. I do also turn her out for a few hrs with it on in the paddock, not everyday. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 695
Location: Missouri | we had one that was, but he has head issues anyway! lol - he would pull back and run backwards. it took several trips to the chiro and we finally got it to "stay" in place. We do keep a poll pack on his halter and one on his head stall. we do not leave halter on when turned out. He stays quiet but when his poll gets out he lets us know and we have him chiroed. He is going a lot longer in between visits. -
FYI -his teeth and jaw are fine |
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Too busy outside!
Posts: 5417
| DD2012 - 2014-01-02 6:23 AM Try a different Chiro Bet you pay check they find something else "chronic"
Agree 100%! 80% of chiros make a fortune just adjusting the poll and not releasing the rest of what is causing the atlas (C1) to be strained to one side. Those chiros who only do a fraction of the real job are going to make alot of money off you, since you will probably need to be on their schedule for life. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 473
| I have a client that has this problem as well, in the poll.
The horse throws his head a lot, just his thing. Not when she's on him, just out of boredom. He does it himself. |
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Veteran
Posts: 164
Location: Oregon | I am going to have a different "massage therapist/chiro" out soon also... but he does throw his or more does a circle in the air with his head ALL the time when he is turned out lunged ect... Only time he doesnt do it is when i have him in hand or am riding him... |
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 Super Woman
Posts: 1365
| Have her checked for TMJ. |
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10D Crack Champion
| How exactly does one determine a horse is out in his poll? |
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Veteran
Posts: 164
Location: Oregon | barn goddess - 2014-01-02 6:00 PM
Have her checked for TMJ.
I have heard of that before but dont know much about it can you explain a little please? :) |
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Veteran
Posts: 164
Location: Oregon | cooper08 - 2014-01-02 5:04 AM
Check the jaw, atlas, and his teeth. When a horse pulls back it can cause them to be out and it may take a few treatments to get them back aligned. Make sure when you have him adjusted to give a day or two off and some bute to help the muscles not tighten and push it back out.
Also- does he ever go on a walker- my chiro pointed out that regular walkers are the worst thing for polls.
And- it may be less poll and more flexibility that is causing it- stretch him to both sides (shoulder, withers, lower back, and as far back as he can go) with treats. Do shoulder on each side, then withers on each side and work your way back alternating sides. Then stretch him up- hold cookie up over your head to make him stretch the chest muscles, and then roll the cookie back out straight in front of him so his head, neck and withers are all level. It may help to hold one hand on his chest to keep him from walking forward. Then roll the cooking down so that he stretches down between his legs until you get a good roll in the back.
Stretching daily or at least every ride can really help chiro issues.
Also he does not go on a hott walker at all. And he is great and stretching side to side, up and down every where! He is the most flexible horse i have ever owned.. |
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Veteran
Posts: 164
Location: Oregon | He also grinds his teeth alot while being ridden sometimes you barely notice it and other times my friend can hear it half way across the arena?! Lol my gosh he is a mess apparently... |
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Too busy outside!
Posts: 5417
| BKC2112 - 2014-01-03 1:42 AM He also grinds his teeth alot while being ridden sometimes you barely notice it and other times my friend can hear it half way across the arena?! Lol my gosh he is a mess apparently...
Hate to sound like a broken record, but the Masterson Method teaches you how to help your horse with all of these issues- sounds like you have troubles with the poll/atlas, TMJ & jaw alignment. Instead of always wondering and not knowing who to call for help, you can learn how to assess these things yourself and treat them. After working with the Masterson Method for a little over a year now, I can't imagine ever having to depend on someone else to fix such a common issue for me again. IMHO- it's critical for the owner of a performance horse to at the very least, know how to release the poll/atlas junction. |
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