One Rein Struggles & Anxiety

[Ottbaxel]

Hey guys! My guy is sound and back in work after some previous struggles, but now we’re back to the problems we were initially having under saddle before the lameness popped up. I’m hoping somebody with a similar experience feels like reading all of this lol.

For context, my 10 year old ottb came up lame on his right front a few months ago. We took hoof rads and changed his shoeing as his right heel was significantly lower than his left (he is a chronic shoe puller and was wearing bell boots 24/7, so I guess that was how it was missed for so long). It took a little bit, but he is now sound and has been for a little over a month.

Anyways, the problem I have is that he hangs on the left rein and absolutely does not want you to take it. His left shoulder is much less developed muscularly than his right shoulder (presumably because of the uneven feet) so I am slowly working to build it up. I am aware this is probably contributing to the problem and recognize it is going to take time to fix.

The biggest issue I am having with it seems to be stemming from anxiety or stress though - at the walk and the trot he is generally ok, but the canter is when it all falls apart. If you try to use the left rein for any sort of flexion or to ask for any softening, he is extremely defensive, actually sometimes reaching the point of throwing his head straight up in the air and leaping or going sideways. Because we didn’t want him aggravating his feet on his first few rides back, we used a light dose of ace. He was phenomenal - working through the bridle really well and had just a gorgeous canter. Going off the ace, right back to the same anxiety. It is much worse when he gets excited jumping (I have not jumped him with ace in his system).

I am going to start experimenting with different calming supplements (and maybe some different bits as well), but I am curious if anybody has had a similar overreaction to just one rein in their horse and how they worked through it.

For the vet side of things for those who will ask: His teeth have been checked, I have back rads that are perfect, hocks have mild arthritis that have recently been injected. Scoped for ulcers & treated last year, recently given an additional round of treatment just in case when he had begun to display symptoms again.

[FjordBCRF]

@Ottbaxel

His left shoulder is much less developed muscularly than his right shoulder (presumably because of the uneven feet) so I am slowly working to build it up.

@Ottbaxel

The biggest issue I am having with it seems to be stemming from anxiety or stress though

My first thought is you need to go back to some kind of specific conditioning routine to get that shoulder stronger and closer to the shape the other one is in before you start asking much from him. If its noticeably less developed, I would image that could cause him stress and anxiety because when you ask for more from him, it doesn’t feel good/right. Imagine someone asking you to run a race with major asymmetry in your legs.

Id start there long before I would go the supplement/drug route.

[LadyB]

When my guy gets super hangy, it usually means his hocks are due, maybe something to consider, its physical and not behavioural?

[Ottbaxel]

It certainly could be. His hocks were just done, back is fine, feet are now fine so we can rule all of those out. The thing that makes me think behavioral is when I gave him the light dose of ace for a few rides, he didn’t hang on the rein at all and worked through his body really well. Could certainly be that the ace would also allow him to ignore any physical issue he has if it’s minor enough?? It just seems like such an insane overreaction that I would think if it’s a physical issue the ace wouldn’t completely cover it up.

My head is spinning!! haha

[Jealoushe]

Was the head x rayed when teeth were done? I would first x ray the head and poll.

Second I would do some serious digging physically. It could be as simple as not being able to move the way you are asking and needing some ground work/stretching/muscle building to be able to work the way you want.

What happens on the lunge? Same thing?

Also scope again for ulcers, ulcers can form in three days so even though you treated last year, they could easily be back.

No calming supplement will help this so don’t waste your money. Get a second vet opinion and I would start with x rays on the head by a certified dentist.

[Jealoushe]

Horses don’t over react. If it’s an insane reaction that’s your horse screaming at you it’s in pain when you ask it to flex in that direction.

Start there. On the ground ask for the flexion and see where the resistance is. move the neck down and to the side at the walk from the ground, see if the horse can flex that way and watch the body and how it reacts.

[Ottbaxel]

Head was not x rayed so I could look into that.

The lunge is the same-when he is calm and relaxed he has three lovely gates. When he gets hyper or stressed he starts flinging his head all around and leaping and running, and it is much worse tracking left when the line is connected to the left side of the bit.

Vet doesn’t think we need to scope for ulcers, since he just finished an additional round of treatment about two weeks ago.

When I ask for flexion at the walk and trot (typically I ask for a few steps, then release once he listens and softens) there is no head tossing. It’s only at the canter that it is an issue. On the ground we do carrot stretches every day and he can bring his head all the way to his hips both sides.

[Ottbaxel]

I should also probably add - my trainer has ridden him, and he does the same thing with her. What I haven’t tried is having her ride him more than just a couple days in a row, but I don’t think it is my riding causing this-although that is never something I will truly rule out with any horse issue.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I have spent time on resistant horses (lesson horses for beginners) and I started a “new” turning aid (it isn’t new, it is in the literature.)

I move my OUTSIDE rein forward, with relaxed inviting fingers while keeping the same normal tension on the inside rein. I move my hand forward when the horse’s outside leg is moving forward. If the horse does not understand I add an outside leg aid when the horse’s inside forefoot is moving forward, so I am alternating my rein and leg aids.

This method seems to relax the horse’s neck and contact the best of any I’ve tried for this type of problem.

At the canter I make sure to move my hands forward, with relaxed yielding fingers, when the horse’s head moves forward, and down a little.

[Jealoushe]

I would definitely go with the head x rays just to be sure as we have had several here with dental issues unknown until x rays.

How straight does he go under saddle? Does he feel unbalanced or very crooked?

[Ottbaxel]

he is definitely crooked in that he is always bulging out at that left shoulder. I figure the two are somewhat linked - but not sure which is causing which. Kind of a chicken and egg situation. His saddle does tend to pitch to the left as well because of that underdeveloped shoulder, but it has been professionally fitted and flocked to him recently so now that issue has been resolved (for now, until his shape changes again).

We started doing raised poles and finally the hills are open so we’ve been begun walking them as well hoping to build up that shoulder.

[fivestrideline]

So walk and trot are okay, but the canter falls apart? And the shoulders are visibly uneven?

Don’t canter until the shoulders improve, would be my advice. Lots and lots can be done at walk and trot, so there is no reason to be drugging, cantering, or jumping. Go back to basics and build the muscles he needs to carry himself and you at the canter. If the issue persists, even when he’s FIT, you need to get a workup done.

I wouldn’t rule out dental issues either.

[Jealoushe]

ok that’s what I was thinking was likely.

One of my mares was so crooked and unbalanced from how she was ridden at the track, it basically built her shoulder up in the wrong way and way under developed on the other side.

She would have the same issue at canter, and get very tense and upset after a bit (getting tired and sore). She basically couldn’t do more than 4 minutes of trot and was very upside down and hard to straighten.

I went back to ground work and lunging in a halter, showing her how to stretch down and then have her flex on the lunge so she could learn to carry herself in that position without a rider.

Also did carrot stretches, backing up ten steps x 5, walk over raised poles. Then also doing shoulder in in hand down the long wall and getting her to stretch down.

Combine that with chiro, PEMF and regular masterson method sessions by me and she is soooo much stronger and finally able to stretch down in the trot and move freely through her shoulder. Her whole body shape has changed.

This is just anecdotal but your horse sounds similar to what I’ve just gone through and with very easy and consistent ground work and manipulation of the body it’s done wonders.

[Janet]

The one thing you haven’t mentioned is a chiropractor. If I were in your situation I would defnitely consult a good chiropractor.

[Jealoushe]

Some helpful MM for this:

Masterson Method on Instagram: "When doing The Masterson Method®️ with a...

This one in particular gave my horse instant relief!

Masterson Method on Instagram: "Why Wednesday ~ My horse feels very...

[Ottbaxel]

definitely not drugging anymore - that was only first the first couple of rides back after about a month off so he didn’t hurt himself if he got a little overexcited lol. Just so happened to solve the head tossing in the canter issue as well which is what made me go hmmm…

[Ottbaxel]

I didn’t think of doing shoulder in in hand-that’s a good idea!! We’ve been doing the carrot stretches, backing up, raised poles and hills already. I’ve been trying to work some masterson method both before and after rides, as well as spritzing some liniment along sore spots after riding. I need to brush up on my masterson methods though-I had only been lent the book from a friend and since gave it back.

[Ottbaxel]

I will give these a go tonight! And I agree with both you and Janet, I need to bring a chiropractor in. He hasn’t been adjusted in a while so I’m curious what she will say - I will reach out to her today and see when her next available appointment is.

[Blugal]

I have experienced this with several an OTTBs. For my current horse, it was mostly in trot. Got her at 3 straight off the track, and due to my boarding situation, needed to ride her for a few months before winter. At first she would not really turn right, would grab the right rein, head straight up, and move her body left, going towards the wall. I figured asymmetry from the track was the issue. She was seen by the vet at the beginning, teeth done, saddle fitted.

At first I just didn’t ask too much, long easy turns, and did not fight the rein snatch. Always asked for upward transitions on the straight wall so it was not turning and transitioning at the same time. Got body work done, turn out, and built up muscle on trail rides.

I also lunged her, and it took a while to get her consistent and quiet. I worked a bit on just walking on the lunge, so she knew it wasn’t just running time, and figured out that she could long rein. That gave me the opportunity to work on rein aids and voice aids without me on her back unbalancing her.

I felt silly asking for a “dressage lesson” on a 3 y.o. when I could barely turn her, but I’m glad I asked for help. We did walk/trot lessons for quite a while. The walk was a place to keep calm and ask slowly, so we worked on flexion and coming from the hind legs in walk for a good 15-20 minutes before trotting. Once she was soft on both reins then would ask for trot on a curve, often a small circle, doing repetitive exercises such as, 12m circle in walk, pick up trot towards the wall, trot for half the long side, go into 12m circle and ask for walk as we started the circle. This gave a lot of structure and didn’t let her become strung out and quick which is when she would start grabbing the rein.

Also I needed to be reminded to stay very consistent, not get caught up in “correcting” or fighting the rein grab. Instead, I was to “shake her down”, meaning, subtly shake/wiggle that rein, without holding or pulling, until she gave to it.

Once those little exercises were consistent, we’d gradually trot for longer stretches, working on subtle bend then counter-bend, using her better directon to help get her more supple, and lots of this going large on the straights of the arena. Lots of leg-yields, only doing a couple steps, then straight, then yield the other way. Lots of using the shape of the exercise to help, e.g. reverse teardrop, serpentines.

I’d canter at the very end of a 45 minute lesson, sometimes just her better direction, and do some subtle counterbending. Between lessons I’d ask for canter over little jumps, then try to use my legs more than reins for turning and putting her together. I’ve always found the real greenies do better cantering in open spaces where they don’t have to keep turning due to arena walls. So I used fields and trails if possible to build the canter, in addition to ring work.

A while later we figured out she preferred a loose ring double jointed bit (I usually start babies in a full cheek).

After several winter months off, the following spring I just did the same thing, and within a couple months she was going in a frame in trot, which gave me the ability to build up her top line through changes in frame and engagement of core and hind legs. We did several nice consistent dressage tests by the end of her 4 y.o year as well as an event at 2’9" where she was clear XC and SJ.

Every now and then she’ll hang on that right rein, e.g. if she’s feeling frisky, and I just use my various tools to get her back.

[Jealoushe]

You’re on the right path. Just keep working at that. I would aim for him to be able to do walk trot stretch on the lunge easily before starting the canter again. You’ll know when he’s ready.

Please keep us updated on your progress and don’t lose hope, slow and steady and he will be feeling better in no time.