Ugh guys.
I’m not panicking. I refuse to panic.
Temps over 100F combined with a hiatus to study combined with cementing myself out of the barn all added up to over 2 weeks without riding. Eeyore occupied himself in the pasture galloping around, playing bitey face with Pete, rearing and having a good time.
Last night I finally got to ride. The temps were cool, overcast and windy. Watching him vibrate in the crossties didn’t instill a lot of confidence in me so I plopped him on the longe and let him rip. Literally at times.
He bucked and reared and farted and had a good time getting his wiggles out to the left and then I asked him to go right and he tried to nope his way right out of that. I got him to go but he was sulky, barely picked up the canter and only kept going because I forced him to. I didn’t think much of it. He had had his fun going left after all.
I tacked him up and hopped on to find a very compliant and content poneh under me. Really guys, we have come such a long long way from this time last year. We trotted and cantered left to warm up then turned to go right and he refused to pick up the right lead. He never has an issue with leads. Ever.
Eventually he got the right lead, then swapped then got it again then sulked and got angry ears. It was obvious he wasn’t happy but was he not happy in the right lead or just because he was working?
Back to the left and no issues. Picked up the left lead, held it, worked on the 20 m circle. No issues.
The right? Same pissy, not wanting to pick it up, lurching into it behavior that told me he was not happy.
Well damn.
In the trot he was fine. I couldn’t detect anything off and he was happy enough to move forward and we even didn’t completely suck on the circle, but he did not want to canter right.
Well damn.
But I’m not panicking. You are panicking. Not me. I’m not having flashbacks to all last year dealing with right side lameness. Nope. I’m moving forward towards my HT debut in November. Yup. I’m fine.
My game plan is to get under Trainer AB’s educated eye and maybe her butt too and see what she thinks. He was perfectly fine 2 weeks ago when I rode him last which was a flat school at home. He has been looking happy as a clam running around in the pasture. I couldn’t palpate any pain, swelling or heat anywhere and I made sure to really palpate hard around his left hip and SI area as that has been touchy before though it didn’t show up as any gait abnormality instead showing as a sensitivity to being groomed in that region. I found nothing. No reaction at all. I don’t know.
He is due for shoes next week and I may put pads on him. The ground is concrete though my arena is soft and fluffy. Maybe he is just sore from that???
Maybe????
If he is still weird tonight I’m going to make an appointment with the doc who did his lameness stuff last year. At least she will have her notes as a comparison. It may be a one off thing. Maybe he is sore from his pasture shenanigans or the hard ground or from his playing on the longe or maybe he got kicked by Pete or Gem or maybe he fell or maybe a few hundred other scenarios and he will ride perfectly fine tonight. Hopefully it isn’t anything and I’m just being paranoid but I have a gut feeling I’m screwed. We will see.
The Roaming Rider 
Mehhhh my first thought is that he’s likely kind of muscle sore/stiff from playing so hard in his field when the weather got cooler. I would give him a ride or two on a long/low frame mostly at the walk, then some trot. Both gaits with lots of bending. Throw in some carrot stretches. And then see where he is at.
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Mine too! Maybe a full body linament rub down, too?
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I thought this too! Also could be hocks or saddle fit.
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SI was my big concern. I’d hope my saddle fit didn’t change that much in 2 weeks. The fitter had said to check it again next spring
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I can try that. He does love a good massage
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That’s what I was hoping and why I’m not panicking….yet. It’s just such a difference from normal. He can get pissy but never hates the canter or refuses to pick up a lead. I have a xc outing Saturday so I’m going to do what you suggest with a bunch of long and low stretchy rides until then and then get Trainer’s expert opinion on the matter
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If life’s taught me anything lately it’s to ignore it and keep riding while you play around with it unless it becomes a real issue
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Ha!! Yeah. He isn’t that off and he isn’t dying so he will get ridden until something tells me I can’t
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Agree with what’s been said. I guess I would have been more concerned if he was off in the trot as well?
Like your plan.
And, IMO you don’t want a goat. Everyone who has gotten one, myself included, enjoys them for like a month, and then they’re a pain in the rear and have eaten everything. Although that goat IS really cute
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Trainer AB will be a good help this weekend. I can even put her in the irons and see if she feels anything too. As for the goat we won’t be getting one. We’d need to completely redo all our fencing and that isn’t in the cards right now
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Yeah, don’t get a goat. We raised dairy goats for 4H as a kid and they’re the spawn of satan. We couldn’t have anything nice because they destroyed it even getting into our mail and eating important checks and bills 🤦♀️
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No goats for us! I want a pet cow though that too requires our fencing to change and that isn’t on the list for a long time to come.
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Yep no goat though the entertainment factor would be high
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have you ever had bodywork done? my horse kinda struggled with some right side weirdness. Trouble picking up the lead, swapping, being a general asshole going to the right. ‘regular’ (in quotes bc is ever 3 months regular?) bodywork has eliminated ALL (!) of these issues.
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Yeah I’ve had the chiro vet out before and am thinking of having someone back out. He has wonky front legs that make me nervous and a bit over reactive to any slight offness. I’m also having the farrier out to check his feet.
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FWIW, Grif is a complete shit going left and displays similar behaviors, so possibly it’s just his natural sidedness and nothing crazy! Griffin’s left is his overall weak side and he isn’t as compliant about anything – even carrot stretches – as a result. I’m working to strengthen those weaknesses and he is getting better with time.
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I’d be more prone to think it was attitude if he was always like this. He is for sure left sided and going right is a lot more work but he never refuses to canter. That’s what freaks me out a little bit
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Who doesn’t? I can’t wait to see my chiropractor and her massage therapist!
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Could be weaknesses, could be lameness, shrug – sometimes it’s hard to tell unless they are REALLY off so keep working him until the vet comes out.
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I’m hoping to hop on him again tonight and have a xc school on Saturday so I’ll have Trainers eyes on him then. If she thinks it’s off then I’ll call the lameness vet
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I agree with everyone too haha. It sounds like he’s just a bit sore, especially since he feels fine trotting right. I know for Amber I generally have a bottle of the sore-no-more ultra performance on hand, and I’ve certainly been using that all over her body to help her as she works through building up muscle and getting sore. Maybe that will help?
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I have a lineament that he generally likes and will try that
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What they all said. And until he gives you real reasons to worry, don’t worry too much. Or at least that’s my philosophy. Time off, hard ground, running around like fools… don’t stress too much yet. Batt gets weird when he loses muscle (especially if he also gains weight) and can’t/won’t can’t sometimes so it really could be fitness related too. Keep us updated but don’t stress too much either. Off to go deal with my idiot who has decided he only eats alfalfa in his stall and won’t touch orchard grass inside anymore…
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Maybe he was just being overly resistant. Right is his worse direction but he has never fought me to get the right lead. My mind goes to bad places quickly though.
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I’m the same way. Keep us updated.
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ugh oh man, c’mon eeyore!! it’s always something with these horses, geez….
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Thankfully he seemed perfectly normal the next ride so who knows?? The ground is concrete so I think he was ouchy from shenanigans out in the pasture
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