Theme from the Bottom

I may have mentioned that lately the Porkchop has been displaying some ... less than desirable behavior.

It started probably over the winter when we started to work more on canter half pass and the changes. I would ask him for half pass, and he would suck behind the leg and hop up and down. Not rearing or anything, but a sort of stuck, hoppy, type deal. I thought he was anticipating a change and getting tense and crooked. So, I would abandon the half pass and just go forward.

Leg yieldin' But interesting to watch his left hind.

When we went to bootcamp, this hopping came back out. It was never about the change at all, it was about not wanting to go sideways. It was about ignoring my leg. So instead of just sending him forward, I demanded he go sideways no matter what. Don't care if he flops leads. Don't care if he is on the bit.

Porkchop did not like this. I had now called his bluff.

It resulted in a tantrum of rearing, leaping, hopping and general threats to be really, really naughty. At this point, the only thing on my mind is to get out of his face and send him forward BUT also sideways. This little issue is getting better the more I work through it. However, you better bet I ride with a grab strap now.

The issue is improving, and so is the canter half pass and leg yield. I am getting him to jump much more sideways now, and remain obedient and supple. I have not had to use my grab strap at all this week. Woo!

BUT ...

While I think most of this is a strength issue, I think we may have something else going on.

So I started from the bottom.

His feet.

Take a look at his hind hoof (this is the left hind). He has worn off the outside of both hind feet fairly significantly. Plus, the medial (inside) side of the hoof have flares. He wears down his toes, too. (Note he does not drag his feet when I ride him, but has a lazy, plow-horse walk in the field)

He is losing lateral support on his hind legs when I ask him to move laterally? Perhaps he does not feel he has a solid base of support? His right hock is sort of funky, is it bothering him? Stifles? SI joint? He has always had a snarky side to him, but such dangerous behavior is not his MO. I tend to think he is uncomfortable, or doesn't feel confident somewhere.

So, I am giving a new farrier a call. One who does custom shoes and was recommended by a friend. Our current farrier is great, but I think I'm at the point where if I am going to put hind shoes back on him, we need to make it right the first time. We need to get the flares under control and give him better support.

Then we'll see if that helps him. If not, I will move on up the leg - the hocks and stifles - and see if he is experiencing discomfort. He isn't lame. At all. This behavior only occurs during half pass and sometimes leg yield when I really challenge him. And it does not occur every day. I had really hoped not to put hind shoes on him, but frankly he is working solid Third level now and starting Fourth. He is just too big to continue on without some sort of support. Of course there is a laundry list of potential causes for this behavior from ulcers to lyme disease. But I'm going with my gut and starting with the feet. It could be that the work is just difficult and he is trying to figure things out.

I also have to face the fact that he might be topping out at this level of work. Do I think that is likely? No. But it is a possibility.

I'm also thinking about a round of Adequan for him. It's so expensive, so I'm still just thinking about it. Right now I think he is too young to do injections.

I can feel my bank account tremble in fear.