|
|
Post by nicolcaplin on May 22, 2008 0:17:19 GMT
My ID that I share is about as sure footed as an obese lady in six inch stilettos running down escalators. He scares me all the time because he slips and trips over everything when we're out hacking, especially in trot. I try to gather him up but nothing seems to work. It doesn't help that the last fall I had (way back in 05  ) was when Bobby the bay I shared went completely down in a boggy patch I didn't see, in trot, and I managed to stay on until he was completely down, tumbled off gently and had to pull him back up. Frightened the fetlocks off of me so i'm always a bit more cautious on challenging terrain, but with Joey my current share it's getting ridiculous. Any thoughts? |
|
|
|
Post by racaille on May 22, 2008 6:10:09 GMT
Not an expert here but I offer some thoughts: the most obvious is that a stumbling horse can simply be one that is going lazily and needs more collection. But you've tried all that.
I also remember reading that stumbling/tripping can be a symptom of some medical conditions. I expect someone on here will have some more info.
|
|
|
|
Post by Maes Seren on May 22, 2008 7:22:47 GMT
Maybe road nails would help him with grip?
Is he shod all round? Ive heard that by removing shoes it can improve balance and confidence...
Mine are shod in front, with the exception of Gem whos shod all round due to her work load.
|
|
|
|
Post by maximum on May 22, 2008 11:21:00 GMT
from a physical point of view you can ask your farrier to roll the toes on his shoes which will help with the breakover.
make sure toes are not allowed to get too long.
I can totally empathise as Max is like this - unless it is exciting and he wakes up then its no bother or when we are in the arena but he finds hacking out incredebily boring and its such hard work!
lots of half halts and really sit up and imagine your legs round him lifting his rib cage up. gettin him on his hocks as he is almost certainly on his forehand. sorry i know it is hard work and I know I can never reallt just relax and bimble along I have to keep Max up to the bridle all the time.
Is it just in walk? I find when we are fine in trot and canter as he is more on his hocks so its just bloody hard work! I hate hacking!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by nicolcaplin on May 22, 2008 12:02:07 GMT
it's mainly walk and trot he trips over. His shoes are perfect as his owner is the farrier! oh dear oh dear. Maybe I should just give him some 4x4 tyre treads on his shoes...
|
|
|
|
Post by Becca on May 22, 2008 13:15:15 GMT
is he like it in the field or when walked or trotted in hand or just when ridden? It might be worth getting his back checked, Bernie used to lose his footing on his back legs loads (you know the feeling when someone pushed the back of your knees) anyway turns out it was due to slack ligaments over his stifle and his back lady gave me some exciercised to do to strengthen him up. Where abouts are you? The company is called Theravet and i would recomend them to everyone. www.theravet.com/ |
|
|
|
Post by brigadier on May 22, 2008 18:16:46 GMT
Irish draughts seem prone to this Im afraid- its really as Maxi says, get the toes of his shoes rolled and then ride him up to his work all the time. Check his conformation- is he a bit over at the knee- this will make him more prone to it, but is not a bad fault otherwise especially if it is slight.
The other approach is to remove his shoes altogether but they can slip more but not trip as much, also some irish draughts can have soft feet and when they are like this it never seems to toughen up.
brig
|
|
|
|
Post by duckles on May 22, 2008 19:04:59 GMT
I also heard that removing shoes can help a tripper. However, I would be a bit worried about a horse who trips a lot in trot. Has he been checked out? What is he like in the arena?
|
|
|
|
Post by nicolcaplin on May 23, 2008 2:53:49 GMT
Hmmmmm it's all very daunting- especially as his owner thinks he is perfect (not that she ever, ever rides him) I have a feeling even though I am technically collecting him up, he's not listening to me. He constantly rushes when we hack out, no such thing as a long, or even slightly loose rein- grackle noseband and a french link on and it rips my hands out- but his owners daughter will "ride him in a headcollar" so I can't possibly do anything bit wise. Nevertheless he does trip in the arena too, admittedly less, but the ground is smoother. it's usually rocky/treeroots/uneven surface where we just go trip slip trip slip. Maybe this is normal and maybe i'm being a bit bottomy about it.
|
|
|
|
Post by aimee on May 23, 2008 10:25:13 GMT
My OH's shire is a bad tripper. He is barefoot as his feet are clover shaped due to his last cheapskate owners who decided they would trim him themselves.
He is not too bad in trot and canter, just walking so I found that collecting him up and getting him in an outline, and making him march along not just being lazy and slogging along helps!
|
|
|
|
Post by brigadier on May 24, 2008 15:00:57 GMT
Just thinking about this and the other thing with a tripper is ...has he got scars on his knees?
Has he been down, because his knees would be the first to strike if he trips. If this isnt the case then you need to ride him in some knee boots, and let him sort himself out, ride on a long rein etc, once he's scared himself then he will learn to pick them up. a lot of young horses trip because a/ they are on the forehand and unbalanced and b/ because they havent learned to pick them up. so maybe he has just never learned! If your nerves can stand it then let him get on with it and learn for himself!
brig
|
|
|
|
Post by nicolcaplin on May 27, 2008 1:34:00 GMT
Cheers Brig, I might have to just bite the bullet and let him get on with it like you say, just hope I don't get squashed if he goes down |
|
|
|
Post by twinkle on Jun 8, 2008 15:03:30 GMT
I used to ride a dalesx who used to do this tripping and stumbling my instructor said i wasn't creating enough impulsion but it didn't matter how hard i tried he just wouldn't listen he was just a lazy horse like the horse your riding. In the end i just had to give him a kick up the butt ( not literally of course). I had to use my whip which i wasn't to keen on but it was for the horse and my safety (of course i used my leg as well) anyway he certainly improved and got of his forehand he still tripped sometimes but not to the extent he was and he was stumbling less.
|
|
popsicle
Apprentice Poo Picker
Me and Lolly at the Burton Hunt
Posts: 396
|
Post by popsicle on Jun 8, 2008 21:33:48 GMT
Tripping can somtimes be down to a low grade lameness in both front feet, or even back problems, if he is really tripping that much he could be in pain, i would personally get him checked out. My old horse (not in years) Milly used to trip a lot and I read everything I could on it and found it could be down to pain in feet or back and they are not using themselves properly through trying to avoid pain somewhere.
|
|
|
|
Post by raymond on Jun 12, 2008 7:52:32 GMT
Hi, I have just read this. My boy is really quite lazy/clumsy with his feet and tripped a lot, so much that the vet thought he had some sort of neuro problem/OCD/joint problem. Turned out to be absolutely nothing, but he was checked out for it in the course of a lameness investigation.
I have recently been hacking him out loads, up and down hill and over varied terrain and he seems to be getting better. Don't get me wrong we have had a few scary moments, when I thought he was going to fall, but he seems to sort his feet out and think more for himself.
I also worked him over poles in the arena that are set out at no particular distance so he has to pick his way through them. I just walked and the trot him through them, giving him his head. A David Broome exercise I think.
He is much more sure footed. He slipped a lot as well, but two road studs instead of one in his back feet has sorted that out.
|
|
|
|
Post by maximum on Jun 12, 2008 8:52:22 GMT
Raymond I think you hit the (road) nail on the head- you have to let them sort it for themselves! some are just big gallumfs (i.e Max) and so I sit will back and hope he sorts it, since moving to a hill field he is much better but its just that he gazes about and seems to enjoy himself so much he forgets he has feet! when he concentrates he is fine!
the pole exercise is great I saw Tim Stockdale use it and often use it in teaching.
|
|
|
|
Post by finefilly on Jun 19, 2008 19:29:00 GMT
Dazzle used to trip and slip a lot on his back feet a lot just in walk and trot. the farrier put road studs in to try and stop this. however, he still tripped a lot. when the farrier shod him he noticed that he slid his back feet instead of picking them up so he shaped his hooves a bit to stop him doing this. however, he still tripped and slipped. he hurt his back from slipping over on a road and was quite stiff afterwards. i got a back specialist out who said that his back was twisted (not due to slipping over but due to him being a showjumper and had probably over stretched himself too often. he improved a bit after she had treated him and i got a treeless saddle to use which helped his back.
|
|
) was when Bobby the bay I shared went completely down in a boggy patch I didn't see, in trot, and I managed to stay on until he was completely down, tumbled off gently and had to pull him back up. Frightened the fetlocks off of me so i'm always a bit more cautious on challenging terrain, but with Joey my current share it's getting ridiculous. 
)
Always saddle your own horse
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
