I have a horse that recently started to kick out in corners occasionally and only while jumping and only the right lead. Vet did see him and thought hocks needed to be done but thought he looked fine in exam. Chiro work too was done with no improvement. Could this be ulcers? I also started to ask for changes and he is a bit flustered by them so could it be residue from that?
My first vote goes towards physical pain - not ulcers. Vet told you hocks need doing - so I’d start there. From your post, you increased/changed the work load, so between that and being a bit sore, I’d act out too.
I would address joint issues and see what happens.
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Thank you! Yes, got his hocks done but I know it takes a little bit to be fully effective. Im perplexed why it only manifests during jumping but not during a flat? I know they are different but you would think if it hurts, it hurts!
Jumping is certainly an extra effort (above and beyond most flatwork) and it’s not uncommon to get pain reactions from jumping that aren’t triggered elsewhere. A normally steady jumper bucks on the backside because it’s landing on sore front feet. Or starts swapping leads in front of the jumps because of sore hocks. Etc.
Hard to tell from your description what you might be dealing with but if this is normally a steady Eddie and now you’ve got specific issues, at least you have some decent clues to investigate if the hock injections don’t resolve it.
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There really isnt enough information to make an educated guess.
How old is this horse?
What is the workload?
How often are you jumping?
What height?
It may be a soft tissue injury , strain tear in tendons or ligaments.
It be bone , arthritic changes.
It may be a problem with hooves. You may want to have radiographs taken .
Could be a problem in the back .
You may also want to consider finding a specialist in diagnosing lameness.
I get that it might not be an easy thing to do. But I would be concerned if a vet told me that it “might be hocks”. I’d like a more definitive explanation than that.
How long ago did you have his hocks injected? Did you follow the protocols regarding recovery time after hock injections?
You may also need to hold off on jumping until you can have more tests done.
There is also the possibility that it may be an incorrectly fitting saddle. It may be sitting crooked on his back , causing it to shift when you jump.
Hope you find this useful.
Good luck
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Got it. Thanks for insight. No bucking after jumps but it happens occasionally in the corner or a tight turn before a fence.
I might try a course of bute to see if I have any improvement.
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A few years back my gelding did the same - kicking out on tight turns to the right approaching fences. He could do the same pace/diameter turn with no issues when there wasn’t a jump.
Turns out he’d pulled a muscle in his quarters - diagnosed by a very good equine physio. Once that was fixed the behaviour went away.
Try a different saddle to rule it out. I have seen it when the saddle was broken or did not fit.
