elevenelevenxo
12-04-2008, 07:08 AM
It seems pretty obvious to me, but I figured I'd post anyway to get some second opinions.
The mare I'm leasing has been pinning her ears when I groom her. I switched brushes to a much softer one and have been going very slowly with lightly pressured strokes. She started doing this about a week ago in her stall, untied. The most noticeable spot was around her flank. I cleaned her feet and for the first time ever in my experience with her (I've been riding her since mid-July), she somewhat kicked out at me with one of her hinds (on the same side as the assumed soreness). Not a big kick or anything, just slightly moved her foot to the side when I set her hoof down and moved away from her. She hasn't done that since, though the ear pinning has continued.
It lessened once I put her in the cross-ties to groom and tack up. And I switched from my Wintec to my trainer's English saddle, but the pinning continued. Now she does it less when I'm brushing her around her flank, but moreso around her shoulder and girth area. I've switched from riding English for a while to Western in a treeless saddle. At first it seemed like that helped, but yesterday she was particularly unhappy. All I did was bring out the saddle blanket and she pinned her ears and raised her head. Under saddle there's no ear pinning, bucking, or tail swishing. She goes in a nice round frame and is not hollow-backed. She's been somewhat bad about standing at the block for mounting, but she is still in conditioning after coming off an injury (cut to her front pastern), so I don't know what's to be expected because of that and what's possibly the result of pain. I've put pressure along her spine and shoulder with my fingers only and there's been no reaction like there is during grooming and tacking up.
Any ideas? I think a chiropractor looking at her wouldn't hurt anything, but it's only a half lease and I don't have any say or part in medical stuff with her.
The mare I'm leasing has been pinning her ears when I groom her. I switched brushes to a much softer one and have been going very slowly with lightly pressured strokes. She started doing this about a week ago in her stall, untied. The most noticeable spot was around her flank. I cleaned her feet and for the first time ever in my experience with her (I've been riding her since mid-July), she somewhat kicked out at me with one of her hinds (on the same side as the assumed soreness). Not a big kick or anything, just slightly moved her foot to the side when I set her hoof down and moved away from her. She hasn't done that since, though the ear pinning has continued.
It lessened once I put her in the cross-ties to groom and tack up. And I switched from my Wintec to my trainer's English saddle, but the pinning continued. Now she does it less when I'm brushing her around her flank, but moreso around her shoulder and girth area. I've switched from riding English for a while to Western in a treeless saddle. At first it seemed like that helped, but yesterday she was particularly unhappy. All I did was bring out the saddle blanket and she pinned her ears and raised her head. Under saddle there's no ear pinning, bucking, or tail swishing. She goes in a nice round frame and is not hollow-backed. She's been somewhat bad about standing at the block for mounting, but she is still in conditioning after coming off an injury (cut to her front pastern), so I don't know what's to be expected because of that and what's possibly the result of pain. I've put pressure along her spine and shoulder with my fingers only and there's been no reaction like there is during grooming and tacking up.
Any ideas? I think a chiropractor looking at her wouldn't hurt anything, but it's only a half lease and I don't have any say or part in medical stuff with her.