Looking for some suggestions for something we haven’t checked in my amazing horse who I can’t seem to help out.
Here’s the LONG story:
15h, 12 y.o. welsh cob. Came to me in poor condition, after few years off of work due to owner’s schedule, but with great kind demeanor and theoretically 3rd level dressage training. He arrived underweight. Zero muscle anywhere. No top line with a significant swayback. Extremely short, bullnose barefoot trim. Dentist said teeth were not great. In his plus category, he was quiet, extremely kind, very willing, and a diamond in the rough, with the best cob breeding for dressage, while this does not matter he happens to have a gorgeous head :).
Two vettings upon his arrival (one was general vet for a quick over view, one a lameness expert) show no back pain and no concern for the swayback, told to build top line thru all the ways we know: thru hills, cavaletti, correct riding. Everything else checked out, but he was not fully x-rayed. I am an amateur, but I do have tons of experience and loads of excellent help and guidance. I’ve ridden for 45 years and generally know when something is wrong, it is probably my fault, not my horse.
From the time he arrived, he did not like to take contact or, occasionally “over took” it, pulling and rooting, going in a somewhat “fake” frame as he did not come thru from the hind end or really lift his back properly as he won’t go out to the contact. I chalked it up to lack of condition and top line that tires out quickly. From the start, he also occasionally tripped in the front. Again, think it is a question of conditioning or recovering from poor trims. Chomps (not chews) the bit in trot and canter with a focused unhappiness. Chalk this up to needing strength to build confidence. Stiffle pops and buckles, vets, trainers and I agree needs more conditioning. Nervous in the barn, but not spooky.
After six months of slowly building strength, he is working well but becoming more spooky, more tripping, and eventually girthy. He also seems unhappy when his stifle pops in the downward transition. We decide that strengthening and conditioning is making his topline look a bit better, but overall, he is actually less happy in work by month 6. This begins a huge series of tests:
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Test out a ton of new saddles; finally buy a custom saddle. It makes no difference. Currently in a Schlesse Obrigado. Since its purchase, been fitted 4x. for minor adjustments.
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Tried literally every bit under the sun. I am like a tack shop now. No difference one to the other–only thing I haven’t tried is a ported bit. Currently in a Sprenger Mullen mouth, loose ring.
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Different bridles. Now in a micklem. Never seen a difference for him one to the other. Have considered buying a western bosal since those have (I believe) little poll pressure and obviously no mouth/ bar pressure.
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Ride with no tack; halter and bareback. No difference except he has no bit to chomp.
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Try different riders. I am 5’3" and 125 pound but my daughter at 110 rides him as well a 2 slightly heavier trainers, no difference detracted due to our size.
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Change farriers. Try shoes. Try no shoes. Try shoes on front only. Try different trims. No change.
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January 2020 Scope for ulcers. Has pyloric ulcers. Treat for six weeks. Rescope. He is better. Around April 2020 we add Outlast (still on), Rite Trac (in case of hind gut ulcers) and a month of Chinese herbs “just in case”. Now on Succeed for past 2 weeks. Just in case. After the treatment ended around February of last year, girthiness did subside somewhat. Now, in January 2021, increasing again.
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Stifle. The stifle pop is quite bad, and never improves with conditioning. Vet decides to blister in March of last year. Helps the stifle enormously but then the SI gets out of wack.
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SI injected around April. Doesn’t help anything. Did bunny hop but by September (when he gets back to work again as described below, it is resolved).
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During this time, second dental appt. takes place. Teeth said to be okay on a recheck. Also, should note, regular Chiro and Accupuncture takes place this entire time (every 4-6 weeks).
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We go back to the lameness expert… determines a very, very slight suspensory strain at the point of insertion in one hind leg. Do 8 weeks of shockwave with three months off. Allowed to be turned out during this time. Back to walking in late September 2020. Walk in month one is ok. By month two of trot, No improvement. Pulling/ rooting, dragging nose on the ground no matter how much we push forward. Chomping bit. Seems distracted, nervous and unhappy. Same horse as before suspensory treatment. Vet says keep at the re-hab work.
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Move horse home and out of fancy boarding barn to begin the rehab. Have good footing, etc. He seems less nervous at our smaller farm. Should add, vet rechecks show suspensory is fine now.
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Get a second opinion/ add another vet, November 2020. Leaning on bit/ chomping the bit, rooting reins away from us is worse than ever. We think it is pain. Pushing him forward doesn’t help. As we are worried as to how/ why we are hurting him, we run through all the suspects again with new vet. Retest for Lyme, send a PSMM sample out, E levels are low so we treat, analyze all the feed and determine it is spot on, do a metabolic panel (again) and he is fine… This vet doubts the suspensory diagnosis all together, does amazing Chiro and Accupuncture. Adds Chinese supplements. We do a round of Adequan.
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December 2020 still riding regularly, although both of us are miserable during it, and adding a little canter. I did think the Adequan (or any of the other things) did seem to help him get a little happier in the trot. Canter less annoying to him than trot, but he barely can keep it and reluctant to depart (he was the type you “think” canter and he did). Now there is head winging at canter, mostly to right. Hindquarters tossed in on the right. Again, we chalk it up to horse’s lack of strength. Two different excellent and highly qualified dressage trainers opinion, push him forward.
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Work is at 5 days a week, short ridden sessions. 7 days a week of hand walking/trotting straight lines in addition to very light longe work.
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Try two months of equinox somewhere around here. No change.
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Do the entire tack, bit, no-bit, no saddle analysis again. Same horse no matter what. Spookier than ever–really just not happy. Still unwilling to come thru and take the contact, nose on ground at trot, winging head at canter and somewhat at trot. Add smart ultra. Go back to ground work, no riding.
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January 2020 upon the urging of barn mates and a highly regarded dressage trainer (where our other horse still boards) we get involved with another vet. I was hesitant to mix another opinion but feel I can’t ride him because I am convinced he is unhappy, can barely stay in the saddle with how hard he is pulling, the head winging and crazy spookiness. This vet was brought up from VA ( I am in MA), and determines through only a visual analysis (no X-rays or ultrasound) he has poll pain. He doesn’t inject joints, but rather muscles and nerves to alleviate the pain so–in theory–he will relax and allow us to work him to build the top line, which he believes is the key to horse’s comfort. He injects from poll to tail, in the muscles. I am a doubting Thomas at this point, but I am hopeful. I am told to put him to longe work (I hesitate due to the suspensory) w/ neck stretcher and surcingle. I admit, I have given this one week and he said do it for a few months… but, horse is really unhappy. No change. Headwinging at canter and some now at trot, the bit chomping has become truly biting it, almost like he is biting the air. Continues to trip a lot, mostly at trot, as if his focus on rooting/ and snapping at the bit makes him forget to look where he is going. He is so high strung if asked to work… I think it scares him. He has an enormous heart and I can see he is truly trying and seems as if he is doing what he can…
I spend every night for months and months researching. I am exhausting my vets, trainers, family, and friends! But, I do not have a happy horse.
I want simply to make him comfortable. I am concerned about pushing a horse that isn’t happy–either under saddle, on a longe, or w/ assistive devices like the neck stretcher. While the suggestion is always “build the top line and he will be happier” he is really, really unhappy in the process of getting there.
This horse arrived really out of condition but went better than he is now. Now, he is extremely well fed, cared for, and clearly well medically examined… my working theory is the work agitated a preexisting condition or he plainly hurt himself along the way. The preexisting condition makes the most sense since most of these “symptoms” were there, just more subtly when we started, and we (along with trainers and vets) felt with proper, gradual work it would subside.
Have zero idea what to look at that we missed. Any thoughts?
**please no negative posts, I have poured my soul into trying to care for this horse. I’ve listened to truly excellent trainers, vets, and others but when I listen to my heart, I know I haven’t solved this for him (the source of the issue) and I feel it is my responsibility to do so. Appreciate any thoughts or similar experiences.
) - and to get a proper neuro exam and neck/back rads.