Saddling up, he's still apprehensive about, but not a lot. However, when I cinch up he moves away from me. I don't over-tighten. I was using a rope cinch with metal buckles right against the skin, but switched to a felt cinch with buckles padded. Doesn't seem to make a difference. So does it hurt, or is it just a natural aversion to pressure?
Walking to the round pen my dogs were all hanging close because my sister is here and they like her. As I sent him through the gate my sister watched him get worried about all the dogs milling around, then he humped up as he made the turn through the gate, and he took off bucking. I just let him go and shut the gate and let him get it out of his system. My theory is still that the back cinch came into play and he didn't like it. Could he be like Tonka? EPSM? Hmmmm. He doesn't seem to have the right muscular shape for it, but what do I know. Maybe it just bothers him, which would be understandable at this level of training.
We used my Ricotti pad today instead of the usual Professional's Choice pad. The Ricotti has a gradually built up front. I wouldn't say either pad made a difference in the bucking.
Could it be because the saddle doesn't fit? Sure, could be. Although I don't think the fit is that bad. Could be all the noise this saddle makes. Still sounds like a squeaky brand new saddle. Could it be that this saddle is haunted? I surely do not know. But I do know that Tonka had the same issues with this saddle. Scout and Bella have never complained though.
Time to fit a different saddle with a back cinch and see what he does about it.
Anyway. He's handsome. And he's a good, good boy. And I cannot wait to get past this and really ride him!
Backing up from just the wiggle of a finger:
Eyeballing the photographer with an ear on me. :)
I'm off to go play again before the darkness comes. Eww, speaking of darkness - I'm dreading "falling back" this weekend. I'll have no daylight left for my horse on the days I work. I hope the next several months just fly on by!
Well, I will try this again. Don't know what happened. As I said before it disappeared, I had to change the saddle on Sage. She did not like mine at all. One was too narrow and the other just didn't work. The trainer rode him with her Circle Y Equitation saddle and when we put mine on her she pinned her ears, shortened her stride and obviousle did not like it. So now to sell my two saddles to pay for the Circle Y Eq saddle that I got for her. She loves it and it fits me great too. Heavier than I like but most important she likes it. I also went from a 4 3/4 to a 5 1/2" bit. She is doing great. Could it be that he is pulling your chain. He is so pretty.
ReplyDeleteI'm staying open minded about maybe needing a new saddle, but still hoping that isn't it. I am so glad you got a new saddle that both of you love!
DeleteHe IS a very handsome boy! BTW, I don't think I ever told you how much I like your header photo. It is really cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I figured the other one had been up for too long. I keep hoping to get a good one with the donkeys in it too, but haven't yet.
DeleteIf you are worried about EPSM, you might want to rule out magnesium defeciency instead. A lot of horses with a defeciency are misdiagnosed with EPSM. Just a thought, I'm sure he will get past this.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. They can't misdiagnose on a DNA test can they? Or am I missing something? Hmm. I wonder which test would be cheaper. I know a trace moneral test where I work is pretty spendy if the vet draws the blood, but i wonder what it would be if I draw it? Will have to find out. An EPSM test is only $35 through some place in Florida.
DeleteWas there dogs around each time he has done this? The hind cinch is about where a dog/coyote/ect. would go for in the wild (I'm not one to equate all things to that, but it is a senstive spot on any horse). If he was a bit worried about the dogs and then the hind cinch touched him on the side he wasn't looking at. Such as you sending him through the gate...he was bending around and disengaging his hind quarters, I assume.
ReplyDeleteAll the mustangs I have trained have been very "watchy". Them not being able to see the touch made it much harder for them to accept. It seemed to be a whole other part of their brain for unseen touches that needed lots of time to get used too. The fresher off the range they were the longer and more work it took, even if other things were coming along easily.
I'm glad he was in a safe place to get it out. How handy! Did you just let him go last time too? What about Tonka? Sometimes giving them the space to calm down on their own really helps them process through it. I had a mare that really needed her 3 "panic strides" before I could ask her to slow down and face whatever spooked her. I have seen that trait in several mustangs I have trained. If they feel constricted before they can get away a little, they blow up worse.
I hope you can work though it quickly becuase he is such a handsome guy!
I would have said he's not at all concerned about dogs. I wonder of he was more concerned about my sister being there. I don't think there were dogs around the other two times.
DeleteThe other times we were out in the open and I tried to hang on, thinking I'd keep him safe, but he got loose and all I could do was jump in front of him and kind of direct him.
Tonka mostly did this in the last year of his life, almost always when it was cold, and always when the back cinch was on. He was diagnosed by DNA test with EPSM and was on acetyl L-carnitine to treat it, which makes them a little jumpy. I just took the back cinch off. He was old enough and broke enough that I knew it wasn't a training issue and it was only fair to make him more comfortable.
Could be just an overload of tension from the dogs, could be discomfort, could be a combination. Trying different saddles might reveal something. Any signs of soreness/touchiness on sides or belly otherwise? If so, consider ulcers as a possibility.
ReplyDeleteHe is a lovely horse and hope you get this sorted soon.
I was wondering a bit about ulcers, especially because of the cinchiness. I'll have to look that up. He doesn't mind having his belly scratched but he is flinchy on his flank sometimes.
DeleteI would not think a DNA test would be wrong, but I don't know much about that test. Clinically, the symptoms of Mg def. are the same as EPSM. You could do a forage analysis, which cost $38 at equi analytical. Since you have to look at the way all the mineral interact, doing blood work gets very expensive. A feed analysis will tell you if you have a defeciency as well as highlight any other mineral problems. It won't tell you about EPSM though so I guess you would still need the DNA test to rule that out.
ReplyDelete