Horse flipping head around/leapy - ONLY at canter

[endlessclimb]

I did pull her shoes somewhat recently, in the last 8-9 months. She is flat, but not negative behind (via xray). I pulled the hinds first, then the fronts. She had been in 3D frog pads for almost a year with no improvement in angles, I wasn’t ready to wedge (me, mentally), so I wanted to try barefoot so I could at least get her toes back as far as possible every couple weeks.

The front angles have improved, but I do notice a sole callous buildup at the apex of the frog that’s a little unusual.

I tried hoof testers on her last week, got nothing. There could still be low-grade pain, though I would expect the equioxx trial to have shown some improvement on that.

[endlessclimb]

I don’t think any light would have gone through it. I am going to try it again, but with a longer ride. That should smoosh it a bit more I hope.

[endlessclimb]

When I palp her back, I get the most reaction on her traps, right by her withers. The rest of the back I get nothing. She does belly lifts and tail tucks without issue, seems to enjoy them.

[TWH_Girl]

I don’t think that’s a weird horse at all. I honestly can’t wait to put my horses shoes back on. His issues significantly increased when I pulled them.

[beowulf]

I love your mare. I hope you can get to the bottom of this.

I’ve had a few horses who developed that headfling/prop at the canter and for each of them it was different things rooted in a physical cause - but all were hind end related. So in that regard, you’re looking in the right place IMO. I think the poster mentioning hind shoes is onto something - I will say my experience is pulling shoes made these symptoms worse, too. For one it was hind end soreness from NPA behind, another it was an SI issue. With SIs usually canter is the worst gait, but not always.

Horses. Would be nice if they could talk.

[sascha]

For me, the weird part was the running around with all the weight on the forehand when the forehand was the origin of the tenderness. I mean it makes some kind of sense when you take the horse’s personality into account, but it wasn’t your typical manifestation of front end discomfort.

[Posting_Trot]

I had a couple of ideas while watching the video.

First of all, very cute mare! She also seemed to be moving well (at least to my eyes) at the trot at liberty. The snuffling along the ground was something I noticed, but it didn’t particularly alarm me–my current horse will do that, and she’d also much prefer me to hold her head up when I’m riding too.

My horse doesn’t do the head-flinging thing when I take up on the reins and ask her to come back and re-distribute her weight in how she’s carrying herself, though.

So, a couple of possibilities: have you checked the horse’s vision? The horse may be quite literally trying to see where she’s going with her head near the ground, and then she gets anxious when you ask her to bring her head up because she loses her visual cues.

Second, could it be her front end that is sore? Sometimes horses will lean into pain.

[Larbear]

Sorry if it’s been asked but how are her feet?

[endlessclimb]

@Larbear Feet are… ok. Not the best. Flat Palmar and plantar angles, barring the right front which is a titch negative. I’ve tried 3d pads for a year, they didn’t seem to do anything for her angles. She is negative to hoof testers.

@Posting_Trot vision has been checked on her regular vet visits, but not as a target. I’d expect some silliness at other gaits if that were the cause, but it’s not impossible!

@beowulf one of the reasons I pulled her hinds (other than the shoes were effing expensive and not helping the angles) was she was tripping behind a BUNCH with them on. Like that knuckling over feeling. As soon as I pulled them, it went away entirely. The fronts got pulled about 2 cycles later, for the expensive and not helping reasons.

I’ll post back with what the chiro thinks.

[fivestrideline]

@endlessclimb

she was tripping behind a BUNCH with them on. Like that knuckling over feeling.

My guy was doing that with his (expensive) front shoes. I just pulled them, so maybe we will see a reduction in the tripping.

In my limited experience, feet that won’t improve probably have a diet or physical higher up issue. From your posts here, I’m sure you’re on top of her diet so I’d put my money on something higher up causing the lack of progress.

Not for nothing, my KS/SI/neck (suspensory, stifle, hock) horse can’t seem to improve his hoof angles either.

[4horses]

I would do the trip to Perdue. Many of the muscle diseases (PSSM 2 or MFM) only present, or initially present at the canter. So can kissing spines, and SI disease, and many other possible causes.

Not quite right lameness issues are always so difficult to diagnose.

[endlessclimb]

Nothing from the chiro, she didn’t palpate sore anywhere, didn’t flinch for any of the stretches, lifts, pokes, prods, nothing. Soft and bouncy all through her back, from her tail to her nose. Not a pinned ear or even a side eye.

[endlessclimb]

I have a couple more simple boxes to check before I’m going to spend the big bucks - want the saddle fitter to have a look

[TWH_Girl]

Does she do it free lunging? It won’t cost you the saddle fitter to check. That will tell you if it’s an issue independent of saddle fit at least even if you still decide you have the fitter out.

[endlessclimb]

It’s hard to say, she’s generally a little wild when you bring it up to the canter free lunging, especially this time of year. Hard to know what’s her whooping it up and what’s a freak out.

[TWH_Girl]

Oh boy yeah. My little guy just goes around me as if an invisible lunge line is attached to him. I thought he would rip roar around too as he’s only turning 6. Polite young man he is lol. Useful skill I am finding though.

[endlessclimb]

She’s normally ok, and I put a stop to the mega craziness, but if she’s not on a line, “technically” it’s allowed.

[DIR]

Apologies if this has been mentioned, but my horse with inflammatory air way disease, fancy name for allergies that haven’t progressed to heaves started this way. She looks sound from an orthopedic perspective because she is but head flinging at canter is the first sign of trouble. Now that we know I can manage the winters with steamed hay and get a few more weeks spring and fall with drugs. Worth looking into maybe.

[endlessclimb]

That hadn’t even crossed my mind. It seems like she breathes ok but I will definitely keep this in mind.

[atr]

Good point. My roarer was very claustrophobic about going on the bit and used to fling his head around if he thought he couldn’t breathe. I’d forgotten all about that.