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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
  
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | I am riding a horse that has a strange issue when being saddled. He has to be saddled VERY slowly... I thought it was behavioral for a long time, but I'm starting to think this is actually something physical.
I'm not real sure how to explain it, but it's like he can't control his legs and feet for a minute or two while being saddled. Once he's over it, he's completely fine, no issues riding around. But, while cinching he will stumble around rather uncoordinated, maybe slightly panicked, and several times has even gone all the way down...obviously I don't dare have him tied up when I'm cinching him. The couple of times he's gone down, when I've cinched him up to quickly, and he cannot get back up for 5-10 seconds. Like, I get after him big time, and he cannot get up for a few seconds??? He was rather uncoordinated when he did get up. Then he was fine.
I've tried tree'd and am currently using a treeless saddle on him with virtually no difference. I'm stumped... |
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 Midget Lover
  
Location: Kentucky | I would get x-rays to check for Kissing Spine. Overall lameness check too. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Ribs. Chiropractor adjusted mine and everything was fine.
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | Murphy - 2016-09-06 9:40 AM
I would get x-rays to check for Kissing Spine. Overall lameness check too.
Hmmm...never thought about kissing spine. He does pass a full lameness exam. |
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | He's been chiro'd and had accupunture. No noticeable change in it, but maybe he needs a few more sessions. |
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Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | RockinGR - 2016-09-06 10:49 AM Murphy - 2016-09-06 9:40 AM I would get x-rays to check for Kissing Spine. Overall lameness check too. Hmmm...never thought about kissing spine. He does pass a full lameness exam.
My mare would act like she wanted to collapse when I would cinch her up. She passed a lameness exam, but when I took her to another vet, they snapped some x-rays of her back and there it was. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| I can't remember where I read this, but, a racehorse trainer was talking about this behavior and he said that there was a nerve there that was usually covered by muscle or was between 2 muscles, but in some horses was outside the muscle and it caused this behavior. It only lasted for a short while and then all was good. I probably just muddied the waters, but maybe this helps a little. Man, I wish I could remember how I found that article. It was on the internet,  |
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | Murphy - 2016-09-06 9:55 AM
RockinGR - 2016-09-06 10:49 AM Murphy - 2016-09-06 9:40 AM I would get x-rays to check for Kissing Spine. Overall lameness check too. Hmmm...never thought about kissing spine. He does pass a full lameness exam.
So have you found anything that helps her? |
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | GLP - 2016-09-06 9:56 AM
I can't remember where I read this, but, a racehorse trainer was talking about this behavior and he said that there was a nerve there that was usually covered by muscle or was between 2 muscles, but in some horses was outside the muscle and it caused this behavior. It only lasted for a short while and then all was good. I probably just muddied the waters, but maybe this helps a little. Man, I wish I could remember how I found that article. It was on the internet,
My vet mentioned that as a possibility too. Just not sure if there is anything I can do to help him out, whether that's the cause or something else. Or is it something I have to just put up with? It would probably make him hard to sell >:( |
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Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | RockinGR - 2016-09-06 11:00 AM Murphy - 2016-09-06 9:55 AM RockinGR - 2016-09-06 10:49 AM Murphy - 2016-09-06 9:40 AM I would get x-rays to check for Kissing Spine. Overall lameness check too. Hmmm...never thought about kissing spine. He does pass a full lameness exam. So have you found anything that helps her?
You have two options to treat KS: surgery or injections. My mare is 19, so I won't do surgery with her. She gets injections twice a year in a back and she's a different horse. |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | From what I understand, there's a major vein that runs along their side. If the ring of the girth sits on top of it, it can cut the circulation off and cause some pain too. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| RockinGR - 2016-09-06 10:01 AM
GLP - 2016-09-06 9:56 AM
I can't remember where I read this, but, a racehorse trainer was talking about this behavior and he said that there was a nerve there that was usually covered by muscle or was between 2 muscles, but in some horses was outside the muscle and it caused this behavior. It only lasted for a short while and then all was good. I probably just muddied the waters, but maybe this helps a little. Man, I wish I could remember how I found that article. It was on the internet,
My vet mentioned that as a possibility too. Just not sure if there is anything I can do to help him out, whether that's the cause or something else. Or is it something I have to just put up with? It would probably make him hard to sell >: (
I really wish I could remember how I found the info because the racehorse guy acted like it was no big deal. Kinda sounded like a big deal to me.
So I did a very quick search and some people found that if it was the nerve, that tacking up while the horse was walking helped as did a center fire rigging. Also mentioned was EPM, chronic anemia (once they treated it, the horse never had a problem with cinchiness. This actually made sense to me because I have had severe anemia and dizziness was a symptom), Lyme disease and ribs being out.
I hope you find out the cause and/or you find something that helps and then update us please.
Edited by GLP 2016-09-06 10:58 AM
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | Just talked to my vet that does my chiro and acupuncture work, asked her if there was any issues with his T15 area (Kissing Spine area). That was one of the areas that he was not out, and didn't respond negatively to acupuncture points. So I'll try antacids and a new cinch before we go to xrays... But I'm still wanting more ideas! |
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Regular
Posts: 82
| Could it maybe be ulcers? We have to slowly tighten up one of our horses because if he was tightened too quickly he would do this as well. The pain when being tightened to quickly could be a sign of ulcers. |
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | Speed_Demon1 - 2016-09-06 1:32 PM
Could it maybe be ulcers? We have to slowly tighten up one of our horses because if he was tightened too quickly he would do this as well. The pain when being tightened to quickly could be a sign of ulcers.
I'm not gonna rule them out as a possibility. Being a barrel horse, the odds that he has them are good, but whether that's causing this issue I'm not sure. Gonna try some antacids tonight and see if it helps...if it does I'll try some more in that direction, if not, then I'll go a different direction--try a different cinch maybe. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 966
Location: Loco,Ok | Bet it was way he was started from.beginning. I had some over years simular deal. Pulled to tight and left standing for a while. Rode with with cinch cutting them into. Soar . Narrow cinch to. Rule out physical problem first. But look into that. One would lay down,one would flip. One set back. If saddled him standing loose ease the cinch up a little walk a circle or two and add a little pull he was fine. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| How is he built? |
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | clampitt - 2016-09-07 2:14 PM
Bet it was way he was started from.beginning. I had some over years simular deal. Pulled to tight and left standing for a while. Rode with with cinch cutting them into. Soar . Narrow cinch to. Rule out physical problem first. But look into that. One would lay down,one would flip. One set back. If saddled him standing loose ease the cinch up a little walk a circle or two and add a little pull he was fine.
I'm actually the one that started him, and yes he did do it somewhat when he was younger, but not to this degree. I sold him as a 3 year old and he came back to me as an 10/11 year old. No, he was not handled improperly with me--but I cannot speak for the 7 years that I had no contact with him.
He is better if I start loose and walk a circle between holes in the cinch, but it doesn't eliminate the lack of coordination and "panic" all together, but it does help a lot. |
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | veintiocho - 2016-09-08 8:45 AM
How is he built?
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| RockinGR - 2016-09-08 10:34 AM
clampitt - 2016-09-07 2:14 PM
Bet it was way he was started from.beginning. I had some over years simular deal. Pulled to tight and left standing for a while. Rode with with cinch cutting them into. Soar . Narrow cinch to. Rule out physical problem first. But look into that. One would lay down,one would flip. One set back. If saddled him standing loose ease the cinch up a little walk a circle or two and add a little pull he was fine.
I'm actually the one that started him, and yes he did do it somewhat when he was younger, but not to this degree. I sold him as a 3 year old and he came back to me as an 10/11 year old. No, he was not handled improperly with me--but I cannot speak for the 7 years that I had no contact with him.
He is better if I start loose and walk a circle between holes in the cinch, but it doesn't eliminate the lack of coordination and "panic" all together, but it does help a lot.
Oh wow, I've got one just like him! I started her as a 3yo and she maybe did it a few times I don't remember, but not every time like she does now. I sold her as a 5yo to my dad and just got her back this summer. She was really fat and it was like saddling a barrel. I thought maybe my saddle put pressure on her that she didn't like because as I've been riding her and she's gotten in shape she doesn't do it as bad. When I saddle her up I walk her around as I tighten the cinch and let her breathe a little. |
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