# Horse won't pick up right lead? Causing some ugly rides and fights (please help)



## RZstoney98 (Jan 1, 2017)

For the last 5-6 months my gelding has been seemingly unable to pick up his right lead. I have tried side passing him into it (got it 3x in a row but ended with a mess when he just got stubborn and refused to move much less sidepass), trotting him in circles into it (poor thing will still pick up the wrong one and just gets frustrated), tried it out on the trail (he's much happier out there but still no difference), with cues from different legs or both legs (no difference he will still pick the left).. and now it was brought to my attention that he was limping at the trot while I was riding and apparently this girl noticed it a week ago. This made me feel horrible for having pushed him so hard but I truly didn't notice. This horse is 18 going on 19 years old with some minor arthritis in his hocks (sound on a joint supplement), he is stall kept 24/7 (not something I agree with but I board and don't have much choice), has been adjusted by the chiropractor (2 weeks ago), and has good feet. I'm so frustrated and shut down, it's brought about so much chaos and we really aren't working as a team as well as we used to. I finally took some others advice (and would have anyway as I noticed he is limping now), and decided to give him a few weeks off and just try and see if I can make him any happier and give him some tlc to try and just get along with him again. And also to back off and not try and show him lope this year (im convinced that with his age and soundness w/t may just be his limit). But the determined girl in me that never wants to give up is having an awfully hard time with the giving up on us with this one. I really, really want some advice or suggestions, I'm in a tough spot and anything is appreciated. Thank you so much, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. I have asked my chiro, barn owner, friends, parents, and every trainer I know for help, and nothing has worked except people telling me it's his limit.. my only option left is to take him to the vet (if he's still limping in a week or so I'll have a reason for my parents and will be able to), or to just accept his limits and show w/t (which is something I would accept if I KNEW it was his limit). I'm just confused, lost, and don't want to make a somehow-got-messy situation any worse. I miss how me and this horse used to get along. Thank you.

(I know this could become controversial, so I hesitate to post it out here publicly, please keep criticism to a minimum unless constructive)


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## RZstoney98 (Jan 1, 2017)

Also, this is the same gelding I have been posting about, I figured I would try to localize this one issue to a single thread. Just clarifying


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

It really sounds to me that you want to do something that he can't or doesn't want to do. If he was limping then there is an issue. The fight isn't with him it's with yourself. 

I have a mare that is going on 10 years old this year. When she was six, she had a pasture accident that messed her hock up pretty badly. After spending 18 months of rehab and caring for her she was sound again. I know by looking at the hock that it is not all of the way normal, but she's sound. I also know that if I push her too hard there might be a chance that she will become unsound so I don't push it. There were a lot of things that I wanted to do with this horse when I bought her at the age of four. I won't be doing the things that I had planned with her. I still love riding her and she is a lot of fun so she is now a trail horse. There are times when she won't pick up the right lead or she will crossfire and I don't push it too much. But I know this mare, I know that if she could comfortably do it she would.

You have to decide what is more important to you. If you can only keep one horse at a time then you have to work with him and decide that you will do with him what he is capable of doing or sell him and get a horse that can do what you want to do.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

If he has a soundness issue, then it is not something that can be fixed by any training method.nor should you try to
Quite right to perhaps limit him to walk trot classes, plus help him with appropriate medication, including joint injections


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I hate to say it, but a vet visit, FIRST, would have been a better choice, IMO. a lameness evaluation will help clarify things so much and keep you from possibly wasting money in areas that may or may not be helpful. see, if the exam shows that his left hock is too sore to support the step off of the the right lead canter, then you'd know that chiropractic was a waste of your money.

however, that being said, does this horse behave the same way in teh round pen, asked to canter to the right?


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

He isn't picking up his lead because it sounds like it hurts him. Take him to the vet, and see what your options are.


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## RZstoney98 (Jan 1, 2017)

Thank you all I definitely agree. He will 30% of the time in the round pen, but it instantly ruins his mood and makes him grouchy. Honestly, what I've considered doing is simply using him as a trail horse. We hauled to the lake and trail rode probably 5 hours in December and I have NEVER seen him so happy. He was a blast to ride and moved forward beautifully (leads don't matter out there either). When he's happy I'm happy, and honestly i don't mind at all giving things up to work for both of us. I will see if I can plan a vet visit. Thanks so much for all the replies so far.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Hey, a good trail horse is priceless. Use him for trails and maybe lease a horse to show on, or take lessons? If he's a good trail horse, maybe put the showing on the back burner until things change. You won't regret getting out and trail riding, I show, but trail riding is my comfort and reward.


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## Hackamore (Mar 28, 2014)

If the horse is lame you should not be riding him at all. The next course of action is to have a good Equine Vet examine the horse to determine the exact problem & determine what needs to be done to heal the horse. 

Best of luck


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Lori -- OP said the horse is limping ):

Please get this horse seen by a vet. Until then, I would not be riding him.
Hope everything works out!


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## RZstoney98 (Jan 1, 2017)

No I definitely agree, will not be riding until he is sound  no worries there, I will do what's best for him. And I would, even if it meant never riding again.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Any time I have a horse that "fights" me on doing something I know they know how to do, the FIRST thing I do is take them to the vet (equine lameness vet), even if there aren't any outward signs of lameness. A good lameness vet can diagnose subtle problems. 

I agree that if you are not going to take the horse to the vet, then you should no longer continue to ride the horse. 

I also agree being stalled for 24/7 is not good for an arthritic horse. Can you change barns, to one that allow turn out?


Good luck.


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## RZstoney98 (Jan 1, 2017)

Here's an update for you all! I have a course of action:

Firstly, I'm going to schedule with the chiro again (is also a Western Pleasure trainer, our main discipline; and no I'm not asking for the slow lope right now) and I'm going to have him ridden and some troubleshooting, then potential adjustments and a lesson IF it is a problem that can be fixed that way.

If that does not work, I will take him to the vet and see what's wrong. And until I can get help or to a vet I will not be loping him under saddle myself so to avoid confusion.

By the way, his limp I had mentioned earlier is gone now, he is sound.


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