An example of the hurting horse and how to deal with it stands out in my mind. The young horse was over 16 hands, between the ages of 3 to 5, and had no previous known injuries. She arrived because she bucked…..hard…..randomly. She was given the “crazy” title and shipped from barn to barn. The bucking and dumping of riders continued and she found her way to me. Not knowing the depth of her past was a benefit to uncovering the main cause – pain. As she had done in the past, so she did to me. A perfect ride would be interrupted with a battle of wits and balance, eventually launching through the air in despair. By taking a step back I was able to see the issue.
Working the mare from the ground there was never any sign of pain. Side reins on, tacked and wrapped the horse gave no sign of distress in her movement. To be honest, she was beautiful. If she became worried her facial expression told me and I was able to talk her through with a soft, relaxed voice. Her attitude was unsure but honest. So what was happening under saddle? Every horseman looks to the saddle fit first, but as we discovered ill-fitting equipment was not the issue. Tack aside, the vet was called and a clean bill of health was given.
Working the mare from the ground there was never any sign of pain. Side reins on, tacked and wrapped the horse gave no sign of distress in her movement. To be honest, she was beautiful. If she became worried her facial expression told me and I was able to talk her through with a soft, relaxed voice. Her attitude was unsure but honest. So what was happening under saddle? Every horseman looks to the saddle fit first, but as we discovered ill-fitting equipment was not the issue. Tack aside, the vet was called and a clean bill of health was given.
