A little back ground...  I have a 15yr old Standardbred.  He was retired off the race track at about 6yrs of age, I adopted him about a year later and so have been working wiht him for roughly 8yrs.  In that time I have trained him to saddle and done some very basic dressage training.  During that time I moved and was married so my riding time has not always been regular.  Despite that he was making consistent progress until about mid July this year, when everything started to fall apart.  It all started after I moved him to a new place.  The frist ride (four days after arrival) was increditable.  But three days later he was a completely different horse, he would not trot only pace (this was in the ring, on the trail he was fine).  After two days of this behavior I took a lesson from a Dressage instructor, who gave me a trick that helped with getting the trot instead of the pace.  But over the next two months (riding about one to three times a week) there was a gradule but steady decline.  The pace became more and more evident and even on trail rides he would not trot.  He also during that time developed an inconsistent limp (he was not off, more of an odd step).  Then this past Monday I went to ride.  I had been on vacation so a few weeks had gone by since my lat ride.  I tacked up as normal and was taking him out for a trail ride, as soon as I got on he got all stiff, he started breathing very heavily, and his heart was beating so loud that I could hear it.  This was very odd, never having happened before, so I let him stand for a bit thinking it would calm him.  Then I asked him to walk forward and he reared and lunged.  Not expecting that I was thrown off.  He stood stack still with me directly in front of him and waited for me to get up.  I was not injured, just startled.  I took him around to the other side of the barn and got on again.  The same thing happen with the tensing and breathing and heart beat, so again I let him stand for a while but he again reared when I asked him to go forward.  This time I was prepared and stayed on.  He has never reared before.  Any thoughts on this situation???

Wow!  Sounds like it is connected to the new barn.  I wonder if something there has scared him, and even though it may not even still be there, he has memories of it and is acting on that.  I would also look into the employees at that barn, or to the other boarders to see if they know or remember any specific incident.  My horse remembers places, too.  We were riding in an arena once and in the far corner, in the next lot, the people had a corrugated roof on the ground.  Well, the wind can up and lifted the roof and dropped back on the ground with a huge bang just as we passed it.  That was four years ago and though the roof is long gone, she still freaks in that corner of that arena.  How to fix this though....I don't know,  this sounds very severe and very dangerous for you.

I would get a vet out ASAP... he doesn't sound frightened to me, he sounds like something is hurting him really bad.  If he's in with new horses, he may have taken a kick, or he may have injured something rolling or playing;  but with it escalating and with an odd gait suddenly appearing, there's something more than fear going on.  IMHO

Thanks.  Those were my thoughts too.  But talking to the owner (a very experienced trainer) has gotten me no where.  She says that it is because he has not been ridden consistantly and is adament that no one has touched him.  I guess maybe I know my horse better.  I was able to find a new place for him today and will be moving him tomorrow.  But I think that it maybe a while before he is ready for me to get on again, or I'm ready to get on again for that matter.  Thanks again for confirming my thoughts.

I had originally thought the same thing.  But after checking him throughly he is not tender or sore anywhere.  And I guess I neglected to mention... He was a pacer on the race track and he falls back into that gait when he is scared or confussed.  And as of Monday I saw no funny movements and his walk was very free, so I had been expecting a good ride.

I also think it sounds like he's in pain!

Jessi

One very important thing you do not mention is the farrier.

Did you change going to the new barn? Sure sounds like it!

Pacers and trotters and shod very differently. When shod to pace it is very uncomfortable for the horse to then trot. A horrible trimming/shoeing job can make a good horse off, lame, sore, and turn it into an animal that does no want to move.

 

 

I agree that it sounds like he's in pain.  You're not a vet, so getting a vet out asap would be a good idea.  Did anything else change along with the new barn?  Feed perhaps?  What is he being fed?

I would think pain, too.  When a normally well-behaved horse starts such a dramatic change, he is trying to tell you something.  This happened once with my daughter's gelding, she rode him all day at show once when he was not in condition and the last class he reared and refused to go forward, he was sore.  Time off and better conditioning and he never did it again.  I think you should have a vet check and if he is cleared by the vet, you may want to consider getting a trainer to get you past the initial fear you are bound to have after that experience.  JMO

As a reponse to all...  I did not change farrier, and he has not been shod for almost 5years now.  He has had regular trims (every 6-8 weeks depending on the season).  Also he was trotting and cantering in the field the very same day, with no signs of lameness or pain.  And he had not been worked that day, I was just getting on when it happened.  I do appreciate the comments about pain and he has been seen by a vet since he was moved to the new barn, and nothing showed up.  Also the rearing was only the most recent (and worst) of the downward changes that I listed.  Thanks again for all your concern.

It sounded like pain at first to me, I would still have a vet check him out. Even if it is something that isn't showing up as tenderness, his behavior is too drastic to let go.

Otherwise, is there any chance someone handling him could have been too rough? My friend's dad's horse is terrified of one groom at my barn. We figure Dude must have spooked while he was being led and the groom did something to scare him (hit him too hard, etc), because whenever this guy comes near him he gets agitated, tries to scoot away, will not let the groom touch him.

Somethings wrong!  has he been checked for ulcers?  That might be something to look at too?  Sounds like pain to me too, also just because they run around in a paddock or feild it doesn't mean they are not in pain.

HI00:

  Also he was trotting and cantering in the field the very same day, with no signs of lameness or pain.  And he had not been worked that day, I was just getting on when it happened. 

Then it sounds like he is in pain from the saddle and/or bridle/bit.

Jessi

 

I agree with Larissa.  My horse moved from Ca to Co.  When she got here, she was fine.  There was no one but me around, so I know no one scared her or hurt her.  She rode nicely for me at first.  She developed ulcers.  It took me about 7 months to figure it out.  At first, she would huff and puff when I saddled her.  Then when I tried to get on, she would kick and bite. I mistakenly assumed she didn't respect me and we did ground work with the saddle on.  Poor girl!  She was actually in horrible pain!  I figured it out when she coliced badly.  We treated the ulcers and she's better.  We have had to work quite a lot to get her used to the idea that the saddle isn't causing pain.  Aside from problems under saddle, she seemed quite spooky and she would occasionally (probably when she had pain) be very pissy with me even to the point of kicking me (not very hard, but enough to scare me).  Anyway, I figured it out.  She didn't die (thank God!), and now we are a pretty good team!  Maybe you can avoid some of that with your pony!  I agree with other posters, it sounds like pain.

Just wanted to update you all.  I was able to move him about a week ago and all is better now!  Within the first two days he relaxed and was back to normal (I hadn't released how tense he'd become until I saw the change).  And this past weekend when I rode trot was back and there was no indication of anything even in the realm of rearing.  Thanks to all for your thoughts and concern.  It turns out that it was something at that barn.  I will probably never know for sure what it was, but at least we are both comfortable now and happy.

What a relief!