Old Age Problem!

[lacey011]

I have an American Paint horse that just turned 24 years old. He is used as a lesson horse and only rides 2-3 times a week for an hour each time. The past month or so he has been very moody. When I go to saddle him he tries to bite, kick, spin, and rear. He has never ever given these problems before. I had my vet come out and he gave him a clean bill of health and said that he should be ridden a little more than 2-3 times a week to keep his legs in good shape and to keep arthritis away. Does any one have any idea what could be wrong with him or have a horse that does this? This gelding has never done this in all of his years until about a month ago. He has gotten to where I can't have anyone around when I saddle him, much less let my riding students do it themselves. After he is saddled he is an angel and a dream to ride. He has recently kicked me in the knee and put me out of the saddle for 6-8 weeks, but I can't part with him. He is my baby! Please, if anyone knows anything..it would be taken to heart!

[Candice_17]

Maybe try a chiropractor? He sounds like he is in pain to me, that is what I would try.

[4jpainthorses]

I am with Candice, if the vet gave him a clean bill of health, that would be the way I would go to. Check with vets in your area and they can probably point you to a chiropractor in your area.

[mitzi francis]

He may be telling you,"RETIRE ME"!!!!!!!!! just kidding!!
I would also get his teeth checked,my old horse is 28 y.o. now.He has some of his back teeth missing or loose.But I float his teeth once a year.I did have to retire him at 24 y.o. his legs got weak,trip stumble.
But there is something bothering him somewhere.He may be out of line some where.
I just wonder what happens if you go out there and catch him and just brush him,give him a treat,handfull of feed or something.Try moving him from the spot that you saddle him all the time.
Change his routine around and see if he reacts the same or different.
Good luck

[lacey011]

Mitzi: I do catch him and brush him all the time! He stands there and acts like an angel. He is even fine when setting the blanket/saddle on his back and while we fasten the breast collar. It's only when you go to tighten his girth and his back strap. And I don't have any places left to move him! We have moved to I know 20 different places but he still does the same thing!

I called my vet and got a couple different numbers for chiropractors. I called two different ones this morninggand one is coming out tomorrow morning. He said that he wasn't sure it was anything he could trat because we are able to get the saddle on his back without and trouble.

[mikarod]

Is he with other horses? Maybe one of them bruised his ribs and it only hurts really bad when the girth is tightened?

[ltc4h]

Check were the cinch comes across.
Sometimes right in the center they get crude, which certainly woud get irritated.
All my older greys have some sort of tumors, shark cartilage seems to help.

[mitzi francis]

Very odd,I know you are at your wits in.It must be in the girth area--let us know what you find out.
Good luck :wink:

[westmar]

Are you using a new cinch to him? Or maybe you need a new cinch?
Also, maybe his tummy is bugging him for some reason?
It wouldn't hurt to give him a tube of Probiacin [probiotic] along with electrolytes.
Another idea might be he is ingesting some sand/dirt with his feed when he eats it off the ground and maybe he could use a Phsyllium [spelling] supplement which will help him pass any sand/dirt. A test for too much sand in his diet is to use a clear plastic glove, take a fresh stool sample that has not touched the dirt [from the top of his poop pile]. Turn the glove inside out-just pull it off your hand with the sample in it, then get the fingers down- it's tricky-or use a new glove, then fill the glove with water and shake it a little. Wait for it all to settle and check the finger tips of the glove for sand. That's where the sand will go cause it is heavier than the feed. No sand is good, some sand means he needs the Psyllium. [spelling?]
Good luck and let us know what all you try and what all you find out. :)

[saturns_realm]

You said when the saddle is on he acts like an angel, and if he shows no signs of it hurting him or like you said the vet cleared him as sound. If nobody else can seem to find a problem with the horse then you may have a completely different problem, and it may lie within the riders who are saddling him.

If you rode him all the years before, then started him as a lessons horse and saddled him yourself, finally moving to letting the people taking lessons on him saddle him themselves the answer may be simple. If someone who is learning starts saddling a horse they have a tendancy to cinch the horse too tight and too fast. It is almost like a comfort blanket to new riders to cinch a horse tight, especially those who are more nervous when ridding. This always ends with a horse who becomes what I call cinchy.

The horse will generally react in one of two ways and in extreme cases sometimes both. They will either act out when being cinched as yours has or they will start to suck their breath. Anyone who reads this and has ridden many different horses knows what I am talking about with sucking their breath. They hold air in their lungs so that the girth area is expanded and then they later let all the air out making the cinch on the horse very loose and with novice riders who do not double check the cinch could be dangerous.

Alternatives to help a horse who is cinchy, buy a non-slip cinch (they are all soft and rubbery and can be found at D&B and most tack shops) this can be done with other cinches but the non-slip is more reliable for this and my horses like them better, then slowly cinch your horse to where the cinch is not all the way tight. These cinches were never meant to be sucked up really tight. Lunge your horse with the saddle on for no less than 15 minutes then readjust the cinch to a comfortable, safe tightness. You should see better results with your horse when it comes to cinching him up. I would not allow anyone else to cinch him until you are completely sure that this is either not the case or give the students practice lessons on how to properly cinch a horse. I have even seen a few experienced riders cinch their horses in a hurry to get on and ride. Cinching the horse should be taken slowly (but not like molasses) and thoroughly. I would not want something sucked up too tight way too fast on me, their goes all the air in the lungs and ouch!

About the non-slip grip girth:
As the horse sweats under the rubber cinch it grips better and helps hold the cinch from sliding too far back and keeps the saddle from trying to lean to one side or another during heavy trail rides. They last a long time, and are extremely easy to keep clean, dirt and hair wipes right off of them. I have had great reviews on them from ever horse I have ever put one on. I have not had a problem with them pinching or rubbing. Excellent product, I think they are made by weaver but don't quote me on that.