Dealing with Refusals

[hj0519]

[QUOTE=Pennywell Bay;7635614]
I’m glad you have a good farrier. But I thought your vet didn’t really do horses? I guess he knows the good circuit type farriers, but he’s primarily not a horse vet. My local to cal vet wouldn’t know who to send me to, you’re lucky.

Quote I’d like to see the look on my vet’s face when I ask for flexions. He’s more of a general farm animal type vet…we don’t really have an experienced equine vet 'round here. I’d have to haul to Tallahassee to really get answers.[/QUOTE]

I’m guessing she means the vet that she shipped the horse out to, not the vet she was talking about in that quote.

[chestnuthunter]

[QUOTE=Pennywell Bay;7635614]
I’m glad you have a good farrier. But I thought your vet didn’t really do horses? I guess he knows the good circuit type farriers, but he’s primarily not a horse vet. My local to cal vet wouldn’t know who to send me to, you’re lucky.

Quote I’d like to see the look on my vet’s face when I ask for flexions. He’s more of a general farm animal type vet…we don’t really have an experienced equine vet 'round here. I’d have to haul to Tallahassee to really get answers.[/QUOTE]

I meant the equine vet in Tallahassee. He’s the one who recommended the farrier, not the general farm animal vet. Sorry for any confusion!

[CrowneDragon]

I hope you are on the road to getting things sorted out
You can add me to the camp that thinks that any horse (or donkey for that matter) that is sound enough should be able to jump 2’6". 12 hh pony, draft horse, Arab, stocky QH, whatever. 2’6" is quite small and should not be a detriment to soundness unless you are drilling over and over and over. I have a working cow bred QH that I jumped the legs off as a young guy who is sound today at age 23 and was retired from jumping because of eyesight issues. Love me a good QH.
Anyone who thinks the OPs horse is out of place jumping 2’6" should go out in the hunt field in Ireland :lol:

[Perfect10]

[QUOTE=vxf111;7635450]
It allowed the vets to see the unevenness in his gaits easier, that’s my guess.[/QUOTE]

Yep, that’s it

[chestnuthunter]

Ok, so we had his hocks injected and shoes put on. He has now become an energetic idiot.

Exhibit A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrymK_7HHI8

I guess the arthritis was causing him to move more quietly and not want to kick up and play. I swear he’s behaving like the horse he was 5 years ago. Guess he’s feeling good!

Refusing jumps is not an issue anymore. Now it’s more controlling the charging!

[supershorty628]

OP, one thing that I really see in that video - it’s really jumping out at me - is how locked your elbows are. You have what Joe Fargis calls “pipe arms” - they are locked stiff and straight; there’s no give to the horse’s mouth.

Just something I noted that you might want to work on. He looks like he’s feeling great!

[vxf111]

He probably has been feeling stiff/not so perfect for a while. I’d give him a couple of days of good riding to settle back into his routine. No comment on the riding because you didn’t ask, but the fact that he’s suddenly got sass/energy that he hasn’t had before is a sign that he’s feeling better!

[fordtraktor]

Great update, OP! Get that sass channeled toward good and you’ll be set. That definitely looks like playing/enthusiasm to me. Have fun and remember to pull his head up and kick him forward when he plays, the answer to play bucks is forward, not stop. yay!

[chestnuthunter]

[QUOTE=supershorty628;7647068]
OP, one thing that I really see in that video - it’s really jumping out at me - is how locked your elbows are. You have what Joe Fargis calls “pipe arms” - they are locked stiff and straight; there’s no give to the horse’s mouth.

Just something I noted that you might want to work on. He looks like he’s feeling great![/QUOTE]

This was actually in a lesson, and the whole time the trainer was getting on to me about those elbows. I try to listen, but they are my biggest problem! I don’t know why I keep them so locked. He was really pulling and diving into his circles, so maybe I was pulling back and locking my arms? I’ll definitely try to work on it!

Critique is always welcome from you, supershorty I think he’s feeling great too!

[chestnuthunter]

[QUOTE=vxf111;7647098]
He probably has been feeling stiff/not so perfect for a while. I’d give him a couple of days of good riding to settle back into his routine. No comment on the riding because you didn’t ask, but the fact that he’s suddenly got sass/energy that he hasn’t had before is a sign that he’s feeling better![/QUOTE]

I think so too. He’s got some wet saddle pads coming his way in the next few days. He’s so energetic that he makes me tired!

[chestnuthunter]

[QUOTE=fordtraktor;7647107]
Great update, OP! Get that sass channeled toward good and you’ll be set. That definitely looks like playing/enthusiasm to me. Have fun and remember to pull his head up and kick him forward when he plays, the answer to play bucks is forward, not stop. yay![/QUOTE]

Yes! That’s the goal- get the sass channeled into his work. I think it’s playing too. He never does anything malicious, so I think it’s just him being silly. Up and forward, got it! It took me by surprise when he started kicking up since he hardly ever did that before.

[Lix_Tetrax]

It’s amazing to see, isn’t it? My old schoolmaster got IRAP for his knees years ago. I swear, it took ten years off him! He was never the bucking or playing type but he was happy and forward. I figured first ride back he’d be same old Kody, just more comfortable. Saddle and halter with lead rope. Nope, had to go get a bridle. He felt good!

Looks like that’s what’s happening to your guy here! It’s great that he’s feeling better.

[KateKat]

glad he feels so much better! The arms may be a result of tension from suddenly having a much sassier horse to deal with

[chestnuthunter]

[QUOTE=KateKat;7647240]
glad he feels so much better! The arms may be a result of tension from suddenly having a much sassier horse to deal with ;)[/QUOTE]

Me too! And that’s what I think as well. My “yes ma’m” sweet gelding turned into a sass master. It’s ok though! I’d much rather deal with naughtiness and know he feels good. His behavior was so different from usual I think I just automatically locked my elbows to counter it. Something to work on!

[chestnuthunter]

Look at my sweet little guy go!!! He’s doing wonderfully. No one even look at my eq. Avert your eyes from the horror.

Bless him. Those hock injections work wonders!

[vxf111]

Haha, told you so

No, I’m really happy for you. I think you have the horse you need right there, and you’ve had him this whole time.

[Spud_amp_Saf]

That’s a great update. Very happy for you both.

I also agree almost any reasonably sound horse can jump a 2’6" fence, including stocky built quarter horses. In fact, if that wasn’t true, I wonder how many of us would have learned to jump at all since to my memory, almost every school horse I rode as a beginner and taught beginners on was a stocky quarter horse/appy type.

[KateKat]

Awesome and adorable!

And now you know the signs to be looking for when he needs his next round of injections. Which, FYI may come soon but then after that you might not need them for awhile.