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Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > General Gaited Horse Discussions > Horse Health Issues > Bad painful heat cycle? |
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Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > General Gaited Horse Discussions > Horse Health Issues > Bad painful heat cycle? |
| Moderated by: Brenda Im | Page: 1 2   |
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| Bad painful heat cycle? | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Fri May 4th, 2012 01:37 am |
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1st Post |
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NOELLEE G.O.G Community Member 
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crs trail rider wrote: Is never a dull moment with our horses is there? No, it is crazy lol. Enjoy the trail ride with Jenny  (tried to speed it up!)
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| Posted: Thu May 3rd, 2012 10:14 pm |
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2nd Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand 
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I will have to look at the shims. I havent had the saddle back on her because I am taking Jenny this weekend for the camping trip so working with her. Is never a dull moment with our horses is there?
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Thu May 3rd, 2012 03:16 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Lakota Ranch Hand 
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Oh yes Lisa, I emphatically believe that they do understand every word we say. I have a book titled 'Straight from the horses mouth' by Amelia Kincade. She is an animal communicator and the book isn't just about horses, but I tried just one of her techniques and was able to communicate with my mare. I had my eyes opened a little bit more and now I talk about everything I'm going to do before we do it. It has really strengthened our partnership. I see that you have that great partnership with Jenny too. I really enjoy my sensitive little Paso mare!
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| Posted: Thu May 3rd, 2012 01:16 pm |
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4th Post |
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NOELLEE G.O.G Community Member
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crs trail rider wrote: The more that I treat her like a partner and not like a -well- horse- the better our communication seems to be. That is a good horse that partners up! And interesting that she was expecting pain and letting you know upfront before it got painful again, what a smart mare communicating to her person. So Honey, right? Is the one with the saddle slipping and she is growing still? If so, I had that similar problem with my growing QH and used shims in a fleece / wool pad to work until I found the right saddle fit for him to grow into. He did not have enough shoulder bulk to hold the saddles I had in place at the wither, but the shims worked. Now I found him a good fitted saddle and he has more shoulder bulk in place at 5yrs old. The Have A Heart pad addition might be an option, maybe with your 4-beat as I understand it helps with horses that have less bulk at the topline/wither/shoulder. Last edited on Thu May 3rd, 2012 01:17 pm by NOELLEE |
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| Posted: Thu May 3rd, 2012 11:49 am |
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5th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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Lakota- I did second guess myself when she first swung her head around with pinned ears. But I had just checked her back pretty carefully before putting the saddle on. I just wanted to make sure that she wouldnt react first before realizing it didnt hurt. I rode her yesterday- and she stood like a good girl from the get go for me to get on. And she moved very freely and was happy on the trail. I am glad she let me know before I got on her a few weeks ago that she was in pain. She was emphatic about it. But while most people I know watch our horses very carefully and listen to their signals- but what about those who are hard wired to think- 1. the horse is a "dumb" animal and has no soul and 2. a horse is there for our pleasure and must do what we ask them to do at all times. Are they as in tune? She and I communicate all the time. I believe she understands a whole lot of my verbal communication- once I was on a trail ride with a friend- the deer fly were eating us alive and I was looking for a little used short cut- we had not used it in over a year! It was over grown and I could not find the trail head off of our normal trail. I was riding down the trail looking for it- had said we need to find that short cut and Jenny started pulling towards the woods. I corrected her- she continued to try and turn around - I realized I had gone too far, turned her around to go back and she IGNORED me once we were turned around and took me right to the entrance to the trail- it was so overgrown I had missed it- but she somehow knew what I was looking for and found it for me. She had been trying to turn there going the other direction and wouldnt let her. (I have since learned to listen to her a bit better) When we do obstacle work - I found if I say Jenny I need to get that- and point to the object she works with me to get that. If I am quiet and just try and ride her over there- she is more resistant. (she wants to keep going down the trail not stop to pick up a stupid bag of cans : )) The more that I treat her like a partner and not like a -well- horse- the better our communication seems to be.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Wed May 2nd, 2012 03:53 am |
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6th Post |
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Lakota Ranch Hand
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Lisa, thank you for sharing this. I wonder how often a horse 'anticipating' pain confuses the heck out of us as owners. It's something I really never would have thought of in this situation. I just love mares.
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| Posted: Wed May 2nd, 2012 01:54 am |
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7th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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Noelle- its my new girl who is having trouble with saddle slipping and Jenny had a sore back..... confusing huh? I rode Jenny today. Got her out and tacked her up - she did fine- went to get on her and she said NO just as emphatically as before pinned ears, swinging her head etc. Now- I had palpated her back extensively over the last three days with no reaction so I decided that was I was seeing was the anticipation of pain. So I took her to the well where I could lay over her back so if she went bonkers I wouldnt be catapulted. I laid over her back and she pinned her ears and swished her tail and then took a few steps and stopped. I got off of her led her back and did it again- and she stood still- ears forward head and neck relaxed! Yipee! For good measure I did it a few more times before mounting up fully and walking around the yard. All was good so off we went down the long driveway across the street- gaiting some and a nice big swingy walk. Yay! Once she knew it wasnt going to hurt she was fine. Taking her on a trail ride tomorrow. I have a camping trip this weekend and would prefer to take her - she is saner and more seasoned. And no saddle spin- the saddle fits her like velcro- even with the girth OFF. No more gel pads- I'll stick to the tacky pad.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Tue May 1st, 2012 01:55 pm |
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8th Post |
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NOELLEE G.O.G Community Member
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crs trail rider wrote: I think I have found the culprit. I had bought a new saddle pad- a nice expensive gel saddle pad- to help with cushioning and some saddle fit issues I had noticed- and I wanted to avoid her back getting sore- (irony?) anyway. Hi Lisa, I had one those expensive gel pads once, lol. Got rid of it and vowed never to buy another! It created one problem or another. If you are riding Jenny in the 4-beat regular tree, and still finding it slipping with a regular tacky pad, you may want to look into adding a tacky pad with built in shims in the wither area, or maybe taking to Jake about whether adding the Have-a-Heart to your regular tacky pad might help? When one of my horses was going thro growth changes, I used a fleece / wool pad that had pockets for removable / add-in shims. Last edited on Tue May 1st, 2012 01:57 pm by NOELLEE |
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| Posted: Tue May 1st, 2012 12:05 pm |
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9th Post |
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sharplady G.O.G Community Member 
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The being tight at the start and then loosening after minuets sounds like she is "blowing up". Holding her breath when you cinch up. I had one horse who would do that and even walking him in a circle for a few rounds would not fix it. I had to lunge him a few rounds to make him really have to breathe and not take really shallow breaths which is what he was doing the stinker. I hope that you get the problem figured out soon!
____________________ What goes around, comes around. www.thecountryhaven.com |
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29th, 2012 09:40 pm |
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10th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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roundish but flat back not pudgy but a really good back for bareback. The it stays centered really nicely- which is why I dont know that its loose. But I am very balanced (15 years of dance will do that to a person) so unless she makes those quick moves nothing happens. I havent had a saddle slip like that in years and years and never twice in a row.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29th, 2012 04:49 pm |
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11th Post |
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Lakota Ranch Hand
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Oh I see. Boy, you are having more than your share of difficulties lately. Is Honey low withered and/or round backed and pudgy? I've dealt with some horses in the past that just didn't hold a saddle well at all & I found myself constantly hunching my weight in one stirrup to recenter the saddle. Thank God they didn't do 360's or I'd have been in the same boat.
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29th, 2012 02:21 am |
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12th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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I do use the 4beat saddle- have a standard for Bella and right now Jenny and Honey share a wide tree (I have the new one on order....) I usually use the reinsman tacky too pads- because they come in pretty colors (yep I admit to it- I want color coordination) and they grip well- I have used the square version of the gel pad that hurt Jennys back for years with my appy mare with no issues. This pad is wool covered but ( I will have to get a pic) the seam is the problem on the round skirt. And I always ride in a breast collar- do not tack up without one. (except for the Appy mare- it pisses her off for some reason and she spends the ride picking at it. I dont know why-) I have actually had issues with Honey- the saddle is slipping. I tighten it up we ride a bit and it loosens then she spooks big time - once 2 360's and once a huge 90 degree turn and bolt quickly to the left.... caused the saddle to flip to the side of her - my feet were still in the stirrups! I didnt even feel it was loose. I had just gotten on from the ground about 10 min before on Friday (the last fall) and there was no slippage. So I dont know. But the breast collar kept both of the falls from becoming bad accidents - she was freaked out that I fell off- much less if the saddle had slipped under her. I always wear my helmet too---- I now have to quickly figure out how to fix the saddle slipping- because we have a huge ride next weekend and I cant take Jenny like I wanted- I have to take Honey. Last edited on Sun Apr 29th, 2012 02:22 am by crs trail rider ____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Sun Apr 29th, 2012 02:21 am |
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13th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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I do use the 4beat saddle- have a standard for Bella and right now Jenny and Honey share a wide tree (I have the new one on order....) I usually use the reinsman tacky too pads- because they come in pretty colors (yep I admit to it- I want color coordination) and they grip well- I have used the square version for years with my appy mare with no issues. This pad is wool covered but ( I will have to get a pic) the seam is the problem on the round skirt. And I always ride in a breast collar- do not tack up without one. (except for the Appy mare- it pisses her off for some reason and she spends the ride picking at it. I dont know why-) I have actually had issues with Honey- the saddle is slipping. I tighten it up we ride a bit and it loosens then she spooks big time - once 2 360's and once a huge 90 degree turn and bolt quickly to the left.... caused the saddle to flip to the side of her - my feet were still in the stirrups! I didnt even feel it was loose. I had just gotten on from the ground about 10 min before on Friday (the last fall) and there was no slippage. So I dont know. But the breast collar kept both of the falls from becoming bad accidents - she was freaked out that I fell off- much less if the saddle had slipped under her. I always wear my helmet too---- I now have to quickly figure out how to fix the saddle slipping- because we have a huge ride next weekend and I cant take Jenny like I wanted- I have to take Honey.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Sat Apr 28th, 2012 09:41 pm |
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14th Post |
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Lakota Ranch Hand
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I don't recall whether you said you use the 4-beat saddle. If you don't, a Supracor pad would be the best investment you can make short of buying a 4-beat saddle. If you already have a 4-beat, too much padding can cause saddle roll issues so don't use one of these with your 4-beat saddle. Personally, I like to use a single thickness 100% wool blanket. I never have too much padding messing with saddle fit or saddle roll problems. Brenda's matching 4Beat pads have the tacky tack neoprene on the bottom to help with slipping problems, but for me I find them a little thick. I think most people ride a bigger size horse than me and they seem to work well for them. Noellee recently posted a pic on here somewhere of her 4-beat with the matching pad and it is a great fit on her TWH. Anyways, glad you care enough to find out what was bothering your horse.  Oh, wanted to mention too that a breast collar can keep the saddle from going all the way under the belly. Don't know if that would've kept you on the horse or not.... Last edited on Sat Apr 28th, 2012 09:45 pm by Lakota |
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| Posted: Sat Apr 28th, 2012 03:59 am |
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15th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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I think I have found the culprit. I had bought a new saddle pad- a nice expensive gel saddle pad- to help with cushioning and some saddle fit issues I had noticed- and I wanted to avoid her back getting sore- (irony?) anyway. I had to move it to get to another pad the other day and it flipped over- and there is a weird seam running down the middle- with ridges and it is about 2inches wide -right down the spine if it was on the horse - I rode her in that pad twice- once in the riding ring- and she did fine- she got a little humpy when we cantered a few steps but I didnt think anything of it- she can be pissy in the riding ring. And then I did a trail ride maybe 5 miles- on Sunday before I found her sore (Saturday) The thing is - it seemed to "fix" the fit issues- I had a nice sweat pattern- but I think with the flex tree it was pinching her - bruising her back. I didnt get to check her today - I went on a ride with Honey (who spooked and the saddle slipped and I went Boom again- sigh- not sure why the saddle will not stay tight- I mounted from the ground with no slippage it WAS tight - but it wasnt when she spooked about 10 min later.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Sat Apr 28th, 2012 03:59 am |
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16th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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I think I have found the culprit. I had bought a new saddle pad- a nice expensive gel saddle pad- to help with cushioning and some saddle fit issues I had noticed- and I wanted to avoid her back getting sore- (irony?) anyway. I had to move it to get to another pad the other day and it flipped over- and there is a weird seam running down the middle- with ridges and it is about 2inches wide -right down the spine if it was on the horse - I rode her in that pad twice- once in the riding ring- and she did fine- she got a little humpy when we cantered a few steps but I didnt think anything of it- she can be pissy in the riding ring. And then I did a trail ride maybe 5 miles- on Sunday before I found her sore (Saturday) The thing is - it seemed to "fix" the fit issues- I had a nice sweat pattern- but I think with the flex tree it was pinching her - bruising her back. I didnt get to check her today - I went on a ride with Honey (who spooked and the saddle slipped and I went Boom again- sigh- not sure why the saddle will not stay tight- I mounted from the ground with no slippage it WAS tight - but it wasnt when she spooked about 10 min later.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Fri Apr 27th, 2012 03:58 pm |
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17th Post |
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slipslider G.O.G Community Member 
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Glad you found the issue! I had a horse that reacted to a back problem. Had vet out and he verified the problem and wanted to put her on steriods to help with the swelling in that area, but they were costly and i did not figure that would solve the issue in the long run. I took her to my chiropractor, immediately she found she had a locked him. After a couple days rest she was fine and has been fine ever since. So the good news is the chiro can sometimes cause an immediate fix and you can be back riding quickly. Of course if it is a saddle issue, then just a few days rest will help and of course change of tack. You state Honey and you do not know each other that well. Well again, the good news is...there is nothing like a nice long trail ride to help fix that, lol. So perhaps this was a blessing in disguise, you will get to know Honey and have her as a good back up horse, or she may turn out to be your main horse. Good luck!
____________________ LaVonne Summertime Stables, LLC Life's journey is not to arrive safely in a grave in a well preserved body But rather to slide in sideways, Totally worn out, Yelling......What a Ride ! |
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| Posted: Tue Apr 24th, 2012 06:43 pm |
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18th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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Well- as my hubby said- that is why you have other horses. I am putting Honey into a crash course of conditioning- every other day trail rides and on the "off" days 30 min. of lunging. I have been riding her at least once a week if not more- and I have taken her on one big-ish trail ride- maybe 75-100 horses. And she did great- the # of horses didnt bother her at all- in fact she seems more content the more horses - instead of nervous- she seems to like a large herd. She relaxes better on trail rides where there is four or mother horses on the ride vs one where there is only one or two other horses. I just worry because it is a 3 day ride- with a goodly number of big hills- and she and I really havent had a bunch of time to get to know each other- but she has been doing awesome so far. I just went out and checked her back again- and she is less reactive- which is good- I have to put some elbow grease into putting pressure on the same spot to get her to react. I vetrolined her back up (now my hand is tingling-lol) and gave her some pain meds and anti-inflammatory stuff and turned her back out. I am a worry wart of the 1st level when it comes to my horses.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Tue Apr 24th, 2012 12:39 pm |
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19th Post |
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whattarack Pasture Boss 
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Dang. I know how frustrating it is to be planning a ride and then having a horse come up unrideable. Sorry, darlin. I hope she gets well by the time you need her.
____________________ Being Offended is Optional. |
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| Posted: Tue Apr 24th, 2012 12:17 am |
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20th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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Her back along her spine- both sides- is very tender. I ran my thumb along the spine while she was eating (so not paying that much attention to me) and she grunted , dropped her back and swung her head around and gave me a "look" and then I repeated it- same thing- repeated and she left her food and wouldnt come to me. To double check did the same thing to my other 2 and no reaction what so ever. Dang it. I have a big ride in 2 weeks and I just dont feel Honey is ready for that big of a ride. But I also have a competition in 3 weeks- GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR I guess a call to the vet is in order- just to see if they think there is anything they can do- damn it- I cant believe I canceled that chiropractor appt. for her last week. But she was wet and muddy and it was pouring. sigh
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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