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Horse Dropping Shoulder + Other Things

2K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  rosie756 
#1 ·
In the past year, I have started my horse with cantering under saddle and putting him to work. He was broke as a 3 year old and due to injuries wasn't able to work at the canter sooner. He is fine at the canter, except for the fact that he seems to be all legs and drops his shoulder in (the one he has his lead on).

https://www.instagram.com/p/34_mSuuKPP/?taken-by=rosie756

I'm hoping you can see that video, though that was his first time cantering outside of a round pen with a rider (Which was last year). It doesn't look as bad as it can be. I was wonder if there are exercises I can do to encourage him to lift himself and hold himself better at the canter, or even in general? I know he struggles with collection in general but has been starting to come around. However, at the trot he seems to not want to stretch his hind and reach. When lunging, I try to encourage him to by just tapping his hocks, which helps a bit but it only lasts for so long before he stops reaching. I did notice that pole work did help a bit, but past the poles, he just shortens himself back up. Any exercises that would encourage him to frame up better would be greatly appreaciated!
 
#2 ·
Also, here is a video of him lunging with side reins. I know they're pretty loose, but he was just coming back into work after being off for about a month and he's still very green to them. You can see that he just doesn't reach with his hind that far up. I've also wondered if it's just his conformation, since he has a rather long back.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BITvW7JAvCQ/?taken-by=rosie756
 
#3 ·
ok, he's just over three and has not a lot of time under saddle. he's a qh? a thoroughbred qh mix? not sure.

what I see is that , yes, his conformation has some to do with him not reaching under. he does move at the trot with his hind end trailing out behind him, and a very dropped and stiffened back. it looks as if he either has some physical issue in his back that makes him uncomfortable, or, that he is so green that he does not yet know how to deal with the contact that is required when he is using the side reins, so he moves in a defensive manner.

I'd like to see how he moved wiht nothing on him, just lunged , or even round penned to see his unfettered movement.

in the video when you are riding him, he is a little bit counterbent, but it's not that bad. he looks like a young horse who is looking out of the arena because his rider is not giving him anything imprortant to focus on IN the arena. his canter is reasonably free, and it's about what you'd expect from a green, horse who is recuperating from some time off.

I'd evaluate his movment without any kind of 'thing' on him, AND, I'd work more at the walk and trot and start building his acceptance of some contact on the rein that can encourage him to give a bit to the rein, and start developing , ever so slightly, the idea of having some bend in his body. NOT collection.

until he is reasonably balanced and forward on a following rein, you would not be asking him for collection. bend ? that's a slightly different matter.
 
#4 ·
He's only 3 and not in shape. Physically, he cannot yet do what you ask (lope collected). It takes TIME and conditioning for a horse to build the top line and muscles to do that.

In the meantime, work on teaching him body control at the walk and trot that you can eventually also use at the lope. Be able to control the ribcage, lift the shoulders, move the hindquarters, etc.
 
#6 ·
I do have a video of him not having anything on him, mind you it's from about 4-5 months ago.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDdSaCDOKOd/?taken-by=rosie756

I do think he may have a little bit of an issue with his back. Last year he got caught in a fence and must have laid down hard, atop of going over backward on me due to acting like a baby and he can be touchy with one spot on his lower back, which I'm planning on getting him adjusted to see if that'll help him a little bit.

A little more info about him, he's a 6 year old Quarter Horse. He was broke at 3-4 years, but that same year he was broke, he got an abscess in his one hoof, putting him off work for a good 4-5 months, and then the following year he caught in a fence and tore his back left hock up pretty good. That put him off for another 5 or so months since it took a while for him to become sound enough to work again. This summer it's just been a time management thing.

Do you know of any exercises I can do to encourage him to give and use his body a bit better?
 
#7 ·
If you think there's something going on with his back, then absolutely have that thoroughly investigated before doing much else. If there is pain or discomfort, you won't make much positive headway in his training and will continue having problems arise due to any compensating he may be doing.

Now, if you rule out any pain or discomfort and know that all of your tack fits well, I agree with doing work in walk and trot to build up those muscles and teach him how to support himself. Canter is really only walk + jump, so there's not much you can teach/work on in walk that doesn't transfer to the canter. Work on lateral movements, transitions, hills if you have them. Work on turns on the forehand, turns on the haunches, shoulders in (straight lines and on large circles, leg yield (straight lines and on large circles), half pass, shoulder fore, counter shoulders in, changes of bend (working toward 1 stride for complete change of bend), serpentines, cavaletti work. I'm sure there are more, but I have run out of names of things. Don't marathon any one particular movement, mix things up. If it helps, you can make your own pattern ahead of time and have it with you when you ride for reference.

The most important thing to remember when working toward building any skill is the correctness in the work. Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. Of course, no one really is perfect, but hopefully you get the idea.
 
#8 ·
This horse has had several set backs in his short life and needs time to learn how to balance with a rider AFTER pain is ruled out and the suspected back issue is corrected.


The exercises @SEAmom suggested are excellent, but I'd also alternate day in the arena working on them and getting out on the trails where he has to pay attention to where his feet are and learn how to balance in all types of footing/terrain. Hill work, only increasing time, distance, speed, or incline one at a time, will build his hindquarters and teach him to use them for impulsion. Don't rush! Like every horse, he has a his own unique time line that you need to work with---take it slowly and give him a chance to develop and figure out what you are asking.
 
#10 ·
I'll definitely work on everything the next time I ride him! I don't usually worry too much about his back, since he doesn't act uncomfortable when I ride him and seems as willing as his personality will allow to work. It's usually just a general tenderness that's on and off, which also could even be caused by the fact that when he lays down, he doesn't usually ease himself down, he just kind of flops over after getting onto his knees. I'll try the exercises and see if that encourages him since he doesn't act that uncomfortable. If it gets worse, I'll definitely talk to a vet about it!
 
#11 ·
If he has general tenderness and just flops over, that's huge red flag that something is seriously wrong----stop riding this poor horse and call your vet to have him checked over to find out what is wrong ASAP. Be thankful that this horse apparently has a good work ethic and personality and has NOT escalated the communication and thrown you!
 
#12 ·
I really think the conversation with a vet, chiro, equine MT should come first. Even if it's just for a quick consult and nothing is found physically. If there's a general discomfort, whether it's off and on or not, is something that really should be addressed. It could very well be that the action of cantering is what's causing the most discomfort. By not listening to him, he's going to get louder. How much louder do you want him to be in a canter?
 
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#13 ·
As I had said, I do plan to get him adjusted and see if that helps him any. He's currently not being ridden and hasn't been ridden since the start of the summer, which would have been the start of May. He won't be ridden for a little bit, either, due to throwing his front shoes. I'm not up to riding him without him having front shoes. Within the next couple of weeks he'll be looked at, as he is first getting his teeth floated (completely different thing).
 
#14 ·
I was looking back on a few things, things before he fell backward on me and I think he may have did something then. I'm looking at a few pictures/vids from before it and it seems he was showing some semblances of stretching out. When he fell, it really didn't seem that bad. I pointed him one direction and being young, he wanted to do his own thing and reared up a couple of times and fell back on his butt and fell/tipped over (I bailed as soon as I felt him sinking onto his butt). However, the side that can be tender from time to time is the opposite of the side he landed on when he fell. So, thinking about it, it is quite possible that he may have did something. He hasn't been ridden all too much since then, since it was during the fall and the weather turned, atop of me going to college.

Like I said, I do plan to have a chiropractor come and adjust him, so that may help a few things. I planned to have one come out for a different reason unrelated to his movement. If it doesn't help, I'll definitely look into other things.
 
#15 ·
Why does he have front shoes? Does he have an issue with his feet?

Along with a chiropractic check, you also need to do a full lameness evaluation. Clearly sounds like he's got some pain issues that need to be addressed. "On and off" general tenderness is not normal.

Id have his back looked at closely along with his left hock (old injury).
 
#16 ·
He has front shoes for a few reasons. The main reason is that his feet pancake without them (they flatten/spread), if that makes sense. It's something they've always done since before I got him, no matter what is done, they just pancake for whatever reason. The other is to help him stand with his front feet underneath himself. We can't figure out why, but when he's without shoes, he spreads his front feet out so they're not underneath himself more often. The shoes bring them back underneath himself and he's less likely to stand like that. The minor reason is that he is sensitive to rocks (we have a lot of rocky ground).

As for his old injury, it was on his right hock, which yes, that does tend to get tight. The scarring is right in the front of the hock and for a solid 4-5 months, he couldn't bend that hock due to the injury. It basically tore all the skin off of the front of his hock. As he works, it usually loosens up and flexes easier the more he uses it. He doesn't show signs of discomfort past getting a bit irritated when someone besides me touches it (not that I blame him, a lot of people had to poke at it to keep it maintained and to avoid infection). Usually if he stands and doesn't move around much (like in a stall) it does get tight and just needs to be stretched a bit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/8KJJdmOKAo/?taken-by=rosie756

I can say overall, this injury was watched VERY carefully. We had a vet out every few weeks to make sure that there were no further injuries past the cuts, so if there is any pain, it wouldn't be coming from there. It was a huge concern when he first did it, but we were lucky that he didn't twist or struggle in the fence he got caught in to make it worse than it already was.
 
#17 ·
Update:

Today he had his teeth done and I was told that they were EXTREMELY bad (He got done last year, too). So, if they were as bad as they told me they were, that could have been a big reason that he's been so tight, since his mouth probably hurt. He's turning to be a horse that needs to be done yearly since he has an annoying habit of grinding his teeth when he's getting annoyed/impatient. I'll work him lightly the next time weather permits and see if he's any looser since his mouth probably feels a lot better.
 
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