Horribly rough left lead lope-help!

Thanks all-I have actually already contacted the Chiro for when he gets home the end of the month. She was my first thought. I tried getting more impulsion, but it really gets rougher, to the point that I will need a chiro myself! WE will keep working on it tho......WE may try some ground poles when we get home, and I will work on getting him bent correctly too.

Your trainer says get used to it? That horse is NOT moving correctly behind when loping left.

When they are pushing off with the outside rear but position the body/ balance with the inside rear (to not collapse into the circle). I'd guess something in the hip or stifle. A good massage therapist might help you pin point stiff or tight soft tissue points.

Other things of course - bit - saddle - hock. I see the head is more elevated to the left and you appear to have to guide more to the left.

Assistant trainer, who is the one who has actually been riding my guy, and I talked about this today. He feels is got worse a couple of weeks ago about the same time the horse colicked......hmmm. To the point he is not pushing for a headset right now. He knows the horse is uncomfortable, just not sure what he should do with that......he seemed relieved that I have a chiro coming as soon as I get him home in a couple of weeks. My initial thought is ulcers, but that would not be one sided, I wouldn't think.

Thanks for posting the vid, I could tell right from the get-go on that first one to the left, he is canted to the outside, he is not bending to the inside of the circle at all. Even his head is tilted to the outside, on the other vid, he is straight, still not bending, but at least not bent to the outside. Again, could either be a performance issue (need the chiro, MT), or a training issue. Your call.

I think he is traveling awful to the left and only slightly better to the right. He is not bringing his belly up and is not rounding his back at all. He is hollow and is therefore dragging his legs way behind where they should be. He needs to be bringing them further forward and needs a LOT more impulsion. This is going to keep him traveling flat and stopping flat and not rounded. He is not going to be able to get his shoulders up.

He is also showing a lot of resistance with his head and neck carriage and not showing good body bend either way but especially to the left. He looks like he is tipping his nose out most of the time to the left.

I think you need to work with a Vet that works WITH a chiropractor. You need to have his spine looked at but his stifles and hocks also need to be thoroughly addressed. They may need to be injected. Is he on Legend or Adequan?

I don't want to be taken as being real critical, but I would not be really thrilled with his trainer for that many months of training. If you would like to PM me, I would like to know who his trainer is. I do not know where about you live.

The more I think about it and watch, the more I agree. I was able to get him to round yesterday, but he was definitely not comfortable. He is not on any supplements right now, but that will most likely be what I do, based upon what I am told when he gets home. Believe it or not, he is hugely improved, so I do feel like his training has been worth it, since my goal was to have some reining training, but to really just have a nice horse who is responsive. As soon as he gets home the sliders will come off and he will return to being a horse, which I think will do him a world of good. I also need to back off a bit on him, and get this sorted out so that he can be comfortable. I know he knows how now at least. Cherie-some of it is made more difficult because he has a very obstinant personality, and seems to always want to do things the hard way by being stubborn. He has ALWAYS been that way. I say left, he says right type of thing. I will think about pm'ing you-the trainer really is good, and not a rough sort, which was why I went with him. It can be difficult to find a reining trainer who will even take a PMU rescue heinz 57 type of horse and even put effort into him.

Any chance this is because he is a TWH/QH cross? Even tho he is not gaited? Just a another thought.

Yup! As I watched the videos I said to myself, "Man, this horse lopes as flat as a gaited horse". That would explain the 'way of going' but would not explain why he goes worse one direction and does not bring his nose in to the left.

Thanks-that has been my suspicion, but still think we need a chiro.