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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
  Location: My own little world :) | Critique me and my horse please. What are we doing wrong and does she look sore? We have only been loping through for a very short time...I know its rough right now but to me in the video my horse doesn't want to use her hind end. I don't know if that is soreness or is the tail wringing her just being a turd. I haven't rode in over a week and it was a blistery and windy day and its spring. Thanks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDAJ-juh_6s&feature=youtu.be |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
       Location: Phoenix | How old is she? Is she in shape? |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
  Location: My own little world :) | hammer_time - 2015-03-26 12:33 AM
How old is she? Is she in shape?
She is 5 this year and no I wouldn't say she's in shape. She hurt her left hock last June so we are just slowly getting back into the swing of things and I've really babied her in regards to exercising because I didn't want to hurt her. |
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
   Location: Texas | Zanadoo88 - 2015-03-26 12:38 AM hammer_time - 2015-03-26 12:33 AM How old is she? Is she in shape? She is 5 this year and no I wouldn't say she's in shape. She hurt her left hock last June so we are just slowly getting back into the swing of things and I've really babied her in regards to exercising because I didn't want to hurt her.
Did you have everything checked out by the vet that she's good to go?
She does look a little off to me with the backend but im by no means a lameness expert... Your riding looks really good which is what would make me suspect soreness. |
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
   Location: Texas | outrundaizy - 2015-03-26 1:27 AM Zanadoo88 - 2015-03-26 12:38 AM hammer_time - 2015-03-26 12:33 AM How old is she? Is she in shape? She is 5 this year and no I wouldn't say she's in shape. She hurt her left hock last June so we are just slowly getting back into the swing of things and I've really babied her in regards to exercising because I didn't want to hurt her. Did you have everything checked out by the vet that she's good to go?
She does look a little off to me with the backend but im by no means a lameness expert... Your riding looks really good which is what would make me suspect soreness.
If you watch her left back leg it looks like she can't keep it in the ground on the first and she looses it going around the second and third.. I would have that leg re-checked by a lameness vet. And get some PHT hock wraps if you don't already have them. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
     
| outrundaizy - 2015-03-26 1:30 AM
outrundaizy - 2015-03-26 1:27 AM Zanadoo88 - 2015-03-26 12:38 AM hammer_time - 2015-03-26 12:33 AM How old is she? Is she in shape? She is 5 this year and no I wouldn't say she's in shape. She hurt her left hock last June so we are just slowly getting back into the swing of things and I've really babied her in regards to exercising because I didn't want to hurt her. Did you have everything checked out by the vet that she's good to go?
She does look a little off to me with the backend but im by no means a lameness expert... Your riding looks really good which is what would make me suspect soreness. Β
If you watch her left back leg it looks like she can't keep it in the ground on the first and she looses it going around the second and third.. I would have that leg re-checked by a lameness vet. And get some PHT hock wraps if you don't already have them.Β
I agree and especially with all that tail swishing, she's trying to tell you something. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1612
   Location: Cocoa, Florida | I can't tell that well from my phone but she was on the wrong back lead but if she's still just starting Shes going to switch them until she realizes right from wrong, just do a lot of exercises outside of barrels to get her working off her hind end again.
She is swishing her tail but I have one that does that as well and I've tested every part of her body and she's completely sound, just make sure nothing is hurting her, saddle fit, that hock, etc. |
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 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
       Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | She looks sore in the hind end to me. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
    Location: Midwest | definitely looks sore to me in the back end. I'd get her looked at. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
       
| The horse is on the correct lead going into the barrel but switches in the back end going around each barrel. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
       Location: Phoenix | She just doesn't look very broke to me. Just being honest. |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
   Location: North Dakota | hammer_time - 2015-03-26 8:24 AM She just doesn't look very broke to me. Just being honest.
Really? You can tell that from a 30 second video? Maybe you're right, but what I see is a horse that has a pretty good body shape, pretty good headset, responds to the rider with fast feet, broken leads and wringing tail. With a known hock issue, I would not be doing any small circle work until she's in better shape AND had a good going over by a vet. Just getting her in shape might help her a bunch. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
    
| LMS - 2015-03-26 8:53 AM
hammer_time - 2015-03-26 8:24 AM She just doesn't look very broke to me. Just being honest.
Really?Β You can tell that from a 30 second video?Β Maybe you're right, but what I seeΒ is a horse that has a pretty good body shape, pretty good headset, responds to the rider with fast feet,Β broken leadsΒ and wringing tail.Β With a known hock issue, I would not be doing any small circle work until she's in better shape AND had a good going over by a vet.Β Just getting her in shape might help her a bunch.Β
I see a horse that needs a lameness veterinarian. I would start with a full lameness evaluation and hock X-rays, injections may be in order. Id pull her off the pattern and do lots of ponying in straight lines until I had a consensus that she's not sore and in better condition.
Then I would get back on her and exercise for at least a week or two just jogging and loping in the pasture. Then pull it in and do lots of big looping circles at a trot and lope in the arena for a couple of weeks after that. Then resume gentle pattern work.
I think you'd like how that turned out. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
     
| She is hurting
My guess both hocks |
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Veteran
Posts: 160
   Location: Texas | i would work on getting her in shape for a couple of weeks. lots of large circles. then go back to the barrel pattern. see if she wants to get in the ground more in the hind end and doesn't swish her tail. if she doesn't change, then have a lameness exam. I think you would feel better about it all. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3310
     Location: Jersey Girl | I would guess she is sore because of the tail wringing. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
       Location: Phoenix | I guess she doesn't look very broke because it looks like she doesn't know how to use her body....or maybe she doesn't want to because she's sore (which I think is the case). |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
  Location: My own little world :) | hammer_time - 2015-03-26 11:55 AM
I guess she doesn't look very broke because it looks like she doesn't know how to use her body....or maybe she doesn't want to because she's sore (which I think is the case).
I totally get what you are saying. Yesterday this just felt super trashy and even when practicing stops she doesn't want to stick her but in the ground and what not. I had a horse before that I remember feeling like something was wrong with her and everyone told me she was just being a butt. She's really never been a tail swisher and usually tries pretty hard for you. Yesterday she just felt like she didn't want to and that she was all over the place...but that could also be because I hadn't rode her in a week? |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
       Location: North Dakota | "no I wouldn't say she's in shape."
Then I would absolutely NOT be expecting to ask her to lope in small circle (AKA work the barrel pattern). They need stamina and strength to do that, and they can't do it if they aren't in shape. Work on getting her back into shape FIRST before doing any barrel work.
"She hurt her left hock last June"
Did the vet clear her to be ridden? What was the problem and how was it treated?
"She's really never been a tail swisher and usually tries pretty hard for you."
Then something is off if this is out of the norm for her.
I think she's in pain. Yes, she could be out-of-shape as well, but something just looks very "off" to me in her hind end. She's hopping on her back legs and cross-firing in every turn. She's also not reaching underneath herself. She looks really unhappy.
I would first have her checked head-to-toe by a good lameness vet, with particular attention to her previously hurt hock. I would also make sure her teeth have been done recently. And get her checked by a chiro. And get her feet up-to-date, if they are not already.
If no pain is found (although I'm guessing they will find something), then work on getting her into better shape for at least a few weeks, before you even try to do any barrel work with small circles. She may be cross-firing because she is green on the barrels, but you also have to give her the best chance you can (#1 being in shape #2 not being in pain). |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
        Location: MD | she looks like a p'd off youngster. she looks pretty ouchy in the hind end |
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