Back end problems

[mistysangel0]

I am currently training a horse. She's a five year old registered QH ( I don't know her lines). She does NOT belong to me. I just recently went to her under saddle work. On her left lead when she canters she loses her back end like it's not just a fluke that happened once, it's A LOT. She went nearly all the way down on like the second time she lost it.. She's fine on her right lead. I don't know really know what's wrong. But I don't want her to get hurt and I don't want me to get hurt, so we aren't cantering on her left lead any more. I'm not sure if she should even be cantered at all. She's not at all lame, or sore.

I told her owner, she didn't have anything to say about it.. It was basically just like oh that's weird.. oh well..

Why would this be happening, what could be causing it?

Again this is NOT my horse therefore I have no say in her treatment or care at this point. I can only relay information to her owner.

[WashingtonBay]

I would look to her left rear leg first... Because there is a point where all her weight is on that leg, with much more force than at any other gait. If that's when she falters, then somewhere between the hoof and the hip there's a problem.

My Bay, for example, slipped on wet grass out in the pasture and fell hard on one hip. He had difficulty with that lead for a number of months.

[Buckpoco]

How does she do to the left if you canter her on a lunge line or in a round pen?

[mistysangel0]

From what I can tell she's fine. I've not seen her fall or stumble or anything, no lameness.

[PatriotsDreamer]

She's only five and might be still finding her balance while carrying a rider, as you know, they have to carry themselves totally different and have just learned how to carry themselves let alone a rider too. u have just started her saddlework right? are you cantering in a circles or a small area or straight aways? if she is not lame, and you havent seen her fall or stumble that would be my bet just basing it off of info you have given and not actually seeing the horse in person. Have you ruled possible rider faults? Is the rider BALANCED with the horses motion( not just staying on its back)? is she on a tight rein? IF lameness has been ruled out and shes not in any pain, and vets cant find anything wrong with her. i would actually continue her canter work cause the only way she will get better is with more practice. Im very confident with my riding and abilities though.

[PatriotsDreamer]

also forgot to ask when the last time she was trimmed was? this can be a factor too

[mistysangel0]

She was just started with her under saddle work. She doesn't canter in a small area because I know they need to find their balance first. It's a probably about 2- 2 and a half acre thing that she works in currently, so no tight circles. She does move that leg oddly.. It's only on her left lead.. If it was a balance problem wouldn't it be more apt to happen going both ways?

I don't think I'm throwing her off. I haven't lost my balance and I don't lean one way or the other. I stay with her and have her keep her pace and all that. She is on a lose rein. If I can know that she is NOT having some sort of problem and it is only a balance issue I have no problem working with her more. I'm just worried it is something more then that.

[FredRock]

I wonder if her hip is stuck/out. Do her hips move evenly when she walks?

Fred's hip popped out after he fell in the pasture, went on for a while without being able to canter on one lead but could w/t/c fine the other way. The chiro came out and his hip on that side was popped out and stuck. When he walked, the affected hip always seemed to stay higher than the one that was fine. I never noticed it until she pointed it out.

You could reccommend that a vet or chiropractor check her out, to make sure that nothing is wrong. It's her choice in the end, but you obviously don't want the mare to be hurting this early in training.

[Joey A]

I told her owner, she didn't have anything to say about it.. It was basically just like oh that's weird.. oh well..

Why would this be happening, what could be causing it?

Again this is NOT my horse therefore I have no say in her treatment or care at this point. I can only relay information to her owner.

If these are the same people from your other thread, don't walk, but run away from this, and don't just run, run away screaming. They sound like idiots, and I'd almost lay money they try to sell this one too.

Don't do anything with the horse until you get a definitive answer on what's going on, and have the issue remedied. (or at least know it's not going to effect soundness) if it is a soundness issue and you're still workin the horse I bet I know who's getting blamed for it.

[HeavensEast]

Well, I'm not sure about the horse in this thread, but KC used to fall ALL the time at the canter. We almost took a header a couple times. He would canter with his head up and would trip constantly. His back end would also give out, I thought something was seriously wrong with him. We just worked through it and it turns out he was just so off balance and didn't have the muscling. Now his back end rarely gives out and when it does, it's because he isn't paying attention and he gets strung out.

[Tiz]

Because the horse is just starting to work, I think HE is probably on to the problem.

[natisha]

Because the horse is just starting to work, I think HE is probably on to the problem.I think so too. HE failed to mention that KC did this at all gaits but mainly the canter. I used to tell her that the only reason his butt kept up was that it was attached. He would also stumble on the front end. He never did any of that stuff on his own when loose.
KC's neck was also upside down & that took a while to change too.
I too would be wary of training that horse for those people.

[mistysangel0]

Because the horse is just starting to work, I think HE is probably on to the problem.

I don't understand.. Who is He?? The owner?? The horse? I'm sorry I can be sort of slow sometimes :p

I talked to my vet she said it could be a majority of things. Anything from just lack of muscling to other more serious things. She told me to just keep her at w/t for now but the horse should really have an ultrasound of her back leg to se what's going on.. but I highly doubt the owner will go for that.. cuz you know if she doesn't make a good riding horse she'll just breed her she says..

and yes this is the same person from the other thread.. I'm about ready to tlel her to take her hose and shove it. She's starting to irritate me.

[Tiz]

HE=HeavensEast

[mistysangel0]

oh my I am very sorry.. that was incredibly dumb of me

[Tiz]

Defensive maybe, not really dumb.:)

[natisha]

oh my I am very sorry.. that was incredibly dumb of meNot dumb at all. It's hard enough to figure out who is who sometimes when 'real' names are used.