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| How long have you had him? How long how you been his sole rider? |
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Location: U.S. | I bought him off the track 3 years ago. I'm the only one who rides him. |
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Expert
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| rockstarinboots - 2015-04-30 12:44 PM
I bought him off the track 3 years ago. I'm the only one who rides him.
Pain is probably your issue then. You will probably need 3rd and 4th opinions. Find a vet who takes finding out his problems personal, meaning he won't stop until he's helped you. I suggest a private practice lameness expert vet, you will pay more but it'll save you in doing things like an MRI or putting on a lameness locator like a university vet would probably haft to do to find the problem. Start with small less expensive things to try and treat and work your way up to more expensive things. Treat for ulcers, make sure the sheath area is good, check bleeding, teeth, locking stifles, kissing spine, have blood work pulled, ultrasound proximal spensories...these are the issues from what you explained that I would address first. I'll warn you that you are going to get into some money.
Everyone on here saying that if his behavior was normal then changed without you changing anything are exactly right... its most likely a pain issue.
On the off chance that he bullied you once and got away with it then figured out if he throws a fit you'll get scared and give him his way....well you are going to haft to teach him you can't be bullied.
Edited by astreakinchic 2015-04-30 11:55 AM
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
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Location: Phoenix | The first thing that came to mind was pain, but if not pain, then lots of time in the roundpen. And maybe 2-a-days, or at least standing tied all days saddled. A boot camp of sorts. Not hard work every time but maybe some round pen/groundwork in the morning, stand tied all day and then riding later that night. How often do you ride? I know a lot of people want to ride every day but often times but don't ride for a couple days and my horse comes back fresh and more willing to work next time around. It sounds like you trail ride but what if you try something entirely different like chasing cattle? Just to get his mind off of barrels. |
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Location: U.S. | We ride 5/6 days a week. Long trot 2-3 days a week. Arena work 2-3 days. (Moving feet correct, bending collecting, moving right sometimes cavaletti ect...) And one day a week barrel work. (Mostly slow. |
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| I had a friend that had a horse that acted like this and never could find it. Vet told her to give BUTE for few days, then ride and see if he acted different. He was normal so she knew there was pain, just had to find it. I believe stifles. |
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Expert
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| FLITASTIC - 2015-04-30 1:36 PM
I had a friend that had a horse that acted like this and never could find it. Vet told her to give BUTE for few days, then ride and see if he acted different. He was normal so she knew there was pain, just had to find it. I believe stifles.
^^^ I was just scared to say it on here! LOL I'll give bute/dex combo and if they go right in and work then you KNOW its pain somewhere. |
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 Extreme Veteran
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| You are not to far from Dr Honnas. I would haul him over there and tell him what he's doing. He will help you find and fix the problem. Call in advance |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | astreakinchic - 2015-04-30 1:44 PM FLITASTIC - 2015-04-30 1:36 PM I had a friend that had a horse that acted like this and never could find it. Vet told her to give BUTE for few days, then ride and see if he acted different. He was normal so she knew there was pain, just had to find it. I believe stifles. ^^^ I was just scared to say it on here! LOL I'll give bute/dex combo and if they go right in and work then you KNOW its pain somewhere.
exactly and usually hocks if it helps. also he gets worked all week? does he ever have a day to just have fun mentally they all need that to.. But my guess is pain still. how long ago was he injected and with whet and all the joints?
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 Having Smokin Bandits
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Location: Woodstown, NJ | It sure sounds like pain to me. The Bute idea is a good one. It's hard for vets to figure things out. Heck, human doctors can hardly figure out what's wrong and we can speak English! I really think it's pain. If you keep riding him, you could cause an ingrained behavior problem that continues after the pain is solved. Try the Bute. |
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Expert
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Location: west of East Texas | My daughter's 6yo horse did this. After owning her for three years, she started acting totally out of character. Long story short, her saddle tree had warped. Duh, what a simple fix that could have saved a lot of time and expense. 3rd vet pulled the saddle down, turned it over and we saw it immediately. I felt like an idiot. Changed saddles, problem solved. Oh, if all my horse problems could be fixed that easily. I'd keep looking for pain somewhere. |
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Location: Piedmont, OK | I would have another set of eyes, like a lameness vet check him out. It doesn't mean your vet is bad by any means but he could have missed something. I have a team of vets I count on to keep my horses going. But I have a mare that when her hocks are sore will do exactly what you described. And she is very stoic. The first time it happened one vet checked her hocks with a flex test and said she was fine just a mare attitude. It happened again another vet checked her she flex tested fine, took xrays still looked fine, he suggested lets Iinject her hocks. She used to be a reining horse and they are hard on the hocks. Low and behold he stuck the needle in and fluid started dripping out. After injecting her hocks the issue went away. It was just her way of letting me know something is wrong. Your horse is probably trying to tell you he has pain somewhere
Edited by soonergirl98 2015-05-01 6:46 AM
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 Lady Di
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Location: Oklahoma | daisycake123 - 2015-04-30 6:08 AM
Check you horse for epm and or ulcers. Will cause the fits. My horse was doing this and has a slight case of epm.
This....had a friend that her mare started doing this. It was EPM. It's amazing how it can change their behavior from quiet and docile to downright dangerous. You also stated he tripped....another sign....I think vets are going to have to realize that EPM has turned into an epidemic and personally, I think we, as horse owners, are going to have to start maintaining it like we do with worming. The protozoa is everywhere and running rampant. Thanks to the EPA we no longer have any pesticides to kill it, and PETA has killed the fur trade, so no one traps possums any more, and they're everywhere. Sorry you're having to deal with this, but it certainly sounds like that's what it is. |
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 Take a Picture
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| I would start with teeth. |
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Location: U.S. | Weird thing happen today we worked barrels and he was completely his old self... So I think even though my vet did think so I m gonna treat him for ulcers. Also side not I think Bute made it worse because I had him on Bute last weekend and he has his really big fit then...Also his teeth were done about 4 mo ago. I don't see any sings of EPM we did the tail test today and he really never trips... |
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 Thick and Wavy
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Location: Nebraska | rockstarinboots - 2015-05-02 9:37 PM Weird thing happen today we worked barrels and he was completely his old self... So I think even though my vet did think so I m gonna treat him for ulcers. Also side not I think Bute made it worse because I had him on Bute last weekend and he has his really big fit then...Also his teeth were done about 4 mo ago. I don't see any sings of EPM we did the tail test today and he really never trips...
if he does have an ulcer, bute will really hurt his belly |
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Expert
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Location: North of where I want to be | I am not sure where you are located but here in PA we have seen a very serious up tick in Lyme disease in horses & dogs. I ride a horse that has it & some of the symptoms are very similar to EPM. And many of the "behavior" issues are similar as well.
Just a thought. |
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