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Member
Posts: 49
| I was wanting other people opinions, on rather my horse is hurting somewhere or just hates barrels. I'll give a rundown on her history. When she was 4 yrs. I started her on barrels, she seemed to take to it fine. I got her bred, so she was off for over a year. Then I sold her to a guy who wanted her for his wife, hoping she'd take up horse riding with him. I considered this horse okay for a beginner, as long as someone was teaching them to ride. She would get a little hot if you ran her, but nothing I had worried about. Anyway, I told him I'd buy her back if they decided to sell her, about 1 1/2 yrs. later they did. He said they had only rode her about a dozen times and his wife just wasn't in to it. So, I get her back. She looks like they took good care of her . I take her home and ride her, she seems very rusty and out of shape. I figure this is normal, right. Heck, she hasn't been worked in a good 3 yrs. So, I start getting her back in shape this spring. She refuses to break into a lope doing circles, just tries to trot real fast. She always loped circles good before. She even gets mad at me trying to get her to, and drops her head and tries to buck a little (she'd never tried to buck before). She would lope going straight, but it felt like she had a catch in her rear, it was not smooth. I thought she was maybe being bratty and out of condition, since she'd been off so long. I did take her to get her teeth floated, figuring that always helps. Well, I continue to ride her at least every other day. She seemed to get better moving and acting, but still not as good as she was before I sold her. So, through out the whole summer I took her to maybe 6 small barrel races. In this last month, she started getting excited or maybe it was agitated before we started towards the barrels and popping her head up, then lunging to take off and also lunging coming out of the barrels. I took her to a show last Saturday and sure wish I hadn't! She acted funny from the start, she had diarrhea at the horse trailer and seemed restless. She had always stood calmly at a show anytime before. One other factor, I had just weaned a couple foals from their mothers and put them in with this mare for company 2 wks previously, I thought it'd be a good idea, maybe not. Anyway, I went to warm her up before the show and she had an attitude and seemed chargey. I thought this ain't good, but it was a cool day, and that I'd better hang on, she's going to run aggressively today. Well, when it was our turn for the trainer barrels we walked in the arena and for the first time ever she refused to go forward towards the first barrel. She tried to go off to the side and even reared a little. I got her straightened out enough to go on around the barrels at a lope, slowly. Then we walked out of the arena, at this point I thought we'd just walk on back to the trailer. Nope, not happening. She preceded to refuse to simply walk forward and threw this horrible rearing fit just outside of the arena. She exploded, it was the worst she's ever acted or any other horse I've rode for that matter. She just keep rearing straight up like she'd totally went crazy. I had to get off and lead her away, because it had become very dangerous. I'd never lost all control of her like this before. I waited a couple of days and tried her at home, she didn't mind being rode, but if you pointed her towards the barrels you could feel her agitation building up, and she'd start head popping, like she was going to do it again. So, needless to say I'm going to keep her away from barrels. I'm thinking I misjudged this situation and totally wasted my time and effort working with her thinking it was just a her being out of condition problem. I've never drilled on the barrels over and over during practice, we only went around them maybe twice and then did other things. |
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 Dog Resuce Agent
Posts: 3459
  
Location: southeast Texas | My first thoughts, PSSM and ulcers.
Do do a search on the two, lots of information on this forum.. Good luck. It's frustrating I know.
Edited by roxieannie 2015-10-02 8:42 AM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| She would lope going straight, but it felt like she had a catch in her rear, it was not smooth.
This makes me think she might have some kind of stifle issue...im dealing with the same thing in a gelding right now but he doesnt have a bad attitude just feels off when trying to lope... But i also agree with the above poster who mentioned ulcers.. They can cause good horses to do very bad things. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Iwould definitely check for ulcers. Until I treated my gelding for ulcers, I had no idea that that was his problem. I am finding out that many behavior issues are tied into ulcers. And I learned about a lot of that on this site. Check out secondvet.com and post this on the forum there. Dr. Schell is absolutely great and is a vet. He answers question in a way that is very easy to understand. Since treating him, he has returned to his old self at home. I have not had a chance to haul him anywhere but the vet and chiro. In fact, I would seriously consider treating for hindgut ulcers regardless. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| I would take her to a good lameness vet and get her all checked out to rule out any sore hocks, back, SI, even get her palpated as she might have mare issues going on. I would have her looked over by a horse chiro; she may have rolled her pelvis, be out in her poll, or be out in other areas, all which could cause such behavior if she is hurting.
I would guess that she started getting agitated/refusing the barrels because something is hurting so she's associating the barrels with pain.
Good luck and definitely get her checked before either one of you get hurt! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 669
Location: Central Texas | veintiocho - 2015-10-02 9:00 AM
I would take her to a good lameness vet and get her all checked out to rule out any sore hocks, back, SI, even get her palpated as she might have mare issues going on. I would have her looked over by a horse chiro; she may have rolled her pelvis, be out in her poll, or be out in other areas, all which could cause such behavior if she is hurting.
I would guess that she started getting agitated/refusing the barrels because something is hurting so she's associating the barrels with pain.
Good luck and definitely get her checked before either one of you get hurt!
I agree with this. Get her to a good lameness vet and start there. Sounds like it's a pain issue not behavioral. |
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Member
Posts: 49
| Thanks everybody for the advice. I'm now thinking that it's a pain or ulcer issue too. |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Shes in pain
Lameness vet and xrays .. she may have stifle and hock issues.. and id also palate her ovaries.
Edited by Bibliafarm 2015-10-02 9:32 AM
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I believe you have two problems
Pain
And ulcers, you will have to treat both |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | The pain issue she has needs to be confronted and the ulcer she likely has needs to be treated. After the pain issue has been properly treated she should be better with the ulcer. I like to give the horses a cup of mash alfalfa pellets prior to saddle and then another when I go put their boots on to make my run, that very small amout of mash helps with the gastric juices and keeps them more comfortable.
Diagnosis, diagnosis, diagnosis to get to the bottom of the matter.
If this horse has IAD then that too can be a very real cause and you have a whole nother route to go verse physcial lameness. If the horse has been on round bales I would seriously consider that option! When a horse can't breath and they become hypoxic the beast comes out in them!
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| They could have ran her on bad ground, rode poorly, probably needs some vet care who knows what people do. |
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 Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7616
Location: Dubach, LA | I'm going with pain in the hocks or stifles. She's tried to tell you as well as she can that something is wrong. Take her to a vet that specializes in lameness. Horses just don't go bad for fun. (Usually not) |
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Location: Friendswood, Texas | First, I applaud you for getting off of her. You may have saved your own life. I want to suggest when you take her to be examined for soreness/lameness, please take the saddle you were using. Since it had been a few years for her and a foal to boot, her body shape may have changed enough to where that saddle is ill fitting. Prolonged riding in it may have intensified the issue. It's just my thought based on a similar experience. I do hope you update us as to what you find out. So many times, I wish our "babies" could talk to us. Good luck. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | It sounds like hocks could be sore. My old bay horse suddenly quit loping circles years ago - he would either stop and buck or just trot faster & faster. It turned out that his hocks had finally gotten sore enough that he wouldn't do it anymore.
I think your next stop with this horse needs to be a good lameness vet and I suggest that you plan on a couple hours for the visit because lameness isn't always easy to pinpoint (OK it hardly ever is easy to pinpoint on a barrel horse LOL) and then you usually have to do something to treat the pain. |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | geeze you are playing my song. if this horse was sound when you sold her and they took good care of her and she just sat I would put my money on a catchy stifle. they will trot trot trot until they feel that it is right to go to the lope. put her in a round pen with sand and you will see the catch if you look close. only go to a really good performance vet as the others will tell you your horse is fine uggg.
anyway my go-to plan would be aquatred
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | kwanatha - 2015-10-04 9:55 AM geeze you are playing my song. if this horse was sound when you sold her and they took good care of her and she just sat I would put my money on a catchy stifle. they will trot trot trot until they feel that it is right to go to the lope. put her in a round pen with sand and you will see the catch if you look close. only go to a really good performance vet as the others will tell you your horse is fine uggg.
anyway my go-to plan would be aquatred
I think with catching stifles though they are not quite so painful and lashing out because of it but It may have started sore hocks and progressed up to stifles.I would not do aquatred Until Xrays and hocks are thoroughly checked out..she clearly is in pain ... but thats just my opinion.. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| I am wondering if the lady that rode her was inexperienced, she let the horse get by with anything. It doesn't take much with some horses. The horse got a little rattled at the show and did what it had been doing with the lady that had her before. You said the lady lost interest in riding. That would do it for me. |
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 Independent Cuss
Posts: 3977
Location: Dearing, GA | Please update us when you know whats going on. I'm interested to hear exactly what this mare's problem is. |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | Bibliafarm - 2015-10-04 7:30 AM kwanatha - 2015-10-04 9:55 AM geeze you are playing my song. if this horse was sound when you sold her and they took good care of her and she just sat I would put my money on a catchy stifle. they will trot trot trot until they feel that it is right to go to the lope. put her in a round pen with sand and you will see the catch if you look close. only go to a really good performance vet as the others will tell you your horse is fine uggg.
anyway my go-to plan would be aquatred
I think with catching stifles though they are not quite so painful and lashing out because of it but It may have started sore hocks and progressed up to stifles.I would not do aquatred Until Xrays and hocks are thoroughly checked out..she clearly is in pain ... but thats just my opinion..
Edited by kwanatha 2015-10-04 1:20 PM
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24953
Location: WYOMING | streakysox - 2015-10-04 11:09 AM
I am wondering if the lady that rode her was inexperienced, she let the horse get by with anything. It doesn't take much with some horses. The horse got a little rattled at the show and did what it had been doing with the lady that had her before. You said the lady lost interest in riding. That would do it for me.
LOTS can go REAL wrong in a year and a half. I seen them go from pretty good to pretty bad in a month or two. |
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