filly doesn't connect ground work to saddle work

brokenpony · 02-17-2006, 04:38 PM

I'm breaking a 3y.o. filly. She was sent to a trainer as a 2y.o. and was raped by the trainers intact jack, this broke a vertebrae in her neck and did minor damage to he hind end. When she came back she was very agressive and depressed and would stand in her stall with her head in a coner and do nothing else but attack if someone tried to mess with her. she gotten over that although she is still a bit nippy. She was given a clean bill of health and the go ahead to ride 12 weeks after the injury. The trainer had supposedly done 30 days under saddle but when she was tacked up and longed she buck and squealed and acted like it was completely new. I've been having some problems getting her to go under saddle. her groundwork is near flawless she transitions by voice command alone. she will even halt from the canter with a simple "whoa". But under saddle in the round pen or the arena she doesn't want to move, to the right she will even stop, stamp her feet and paw and sometimes back up. I had help today and she did a little better with a person on the ground with a londe whip but she would still randomly stop and be resistent to move. I took her on a trail ride yeasterday and she wasd great, even though the other horse was awful. The only time I've ever had this problem before more groundwork fixed it but hers is already great. Does anyone have any advice?

skysthelimit · 02-17-2006, 04:44 PM

wow, poor girl! I'd get my money back from that stupid trainer...grrr...I don't trust sending horses off to people, you just 'hear' things, you know? Well, I'm not sure...I was gonna suggest having someone in the seat and someone else on the ground; perhaps on the lunge line....but it looks like you've tried that already. Have you thought about just doing simple walk/trot lunging with someone on her back?

JBandRio · 02-17-2006, 07:57 PM

I am laying money on pain. Any time there are broken bones, regardless of where, there are compensations the horse makes - self preservation. This can lead to short or long term issues with muscle spasms, muscle tension, chiropractic issues, etc. A "clean bill of health" may simply mean that the broken and hind end damage have healed, but doesn't indicate that the compensatory issues have been resolved.

I wouldn't think that 3 months would be nearly enough time to overcome those issues, personally. The behavior she is exhibiting is not from an attitude, it's from discomfort.

SaddleUp158 · 02-17-2006, 08:21 PM

once all issues of pain are ruled out, you might try just being a passenger on her while someone else either leads her around or ponies her around the arena or pasture. it might help her get used to having the weight on her back without having to worry about something getting her since all she will be doing is following another horse.

02-17-2006, 04:38 PM	#1
brokenpony Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 5	filly doesn't connect ground work to saddle work I'm breaking a 3y.o. filly. She was sent to a trainer as a 2y.o. and was raped by the trainers intact jack, this broke a vertebrae in her neck and did minor damage to he hind end. When she came back she was very agressive and depressed and would stand in her stall with her head in a coner and do nothing else but attack if someone tried to mess with her. she gotten over that although she is still a bit nippy. She was given a clean bill of health and the go ahead to ride 12 weeks after the injury. The trainer had supposedly done 30 days under saddle but when she was tacked up and longed she buck and squealed and acted like it was completely new. I've been having some problems getting her to go under saddle. her groundwork is near flawless she transitions by voice command alone. she will even halt from the canter with a simple "whoa". But under saddle in the round pen or the arena she doesn't want to move, to the right she will even stop, stamp her feet and paw and sometimes back up. I had help today and she did a little better with a person on the ground with a londe whip but she would still randomly stop and be resistent to move. I took her on a trail ride yeasterday and she wasd great, even though the other horse was awful. The only time I've ever had this problem before more groundwork fixed it but hers is already great. Does anyone have any advice?

02-17-2006, 07:57 PM	#3
JBandRio Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NC Posts: 23,471 Images: 143 Blog Entries: 12	I am laying money on pain. Any time there are broken bones, regardless of where, there are compensations the horse makes - self preservation. This can lead to short or long term issues with muscle spasms, muscle tension, chiropractic issues, etc. A "clean bill of health" may simply mean that the broken and hind end damage have healed, but doesn't indicate that the compensatory issues have been resolved. I wouldn't think that 3 months would be nearly enough time to overcome those issues, personally. The behavior she is exhibiting is not from an attitude, it's from discomfort. __________________ - JB Acres, owned and operated by Dynamite animals. - It's a wonder horses as a whole don't just kill us all and be done with their misery. - Keep your voice soothing and low - even when things get western (buck1173) - Rio feels good - he bounced an in-and-out

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02-17-2006, 04:44 PM	#2
skysthelimit Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Georgia moun...hills Posts: 2,879 Images: 161 Blog Entries: 1	wow, poor girl! I'd get my money back from that stupid trainer...grrr...I don't trust sending horses off to people, you just 'hear' things, you know? Well, I'm not sure...I was gonna suggest having someone in the seat and someone else on the ground; perhaps on the lunge line....but it looks like you've tried that already. Have you thought about just doing simple walk/trot lunging with someone on her back?

02-17-2006, 08:21 PM	#4
SaddleUp158 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,756 Images: 68	once all issues of pain are ruled out, you might try just being a passenger on her while someone else either leads her around or ponies her around the arena or pasture. it might help her get used to having the weight on her back without having to worry about something getting her since all she will be doing is following another horse.