Heather -
Oh.. the guilt! Last year I sent him out to a trainer in another state on my instructor's recommendations - she'd taken several horses there to be started and had several other friends who were thrilled with the results. I don't know if he just slipped through the cracks of their program or no one wanted to admit that they didn't have the time, but in the last few weeks before I picked him up, they apparently drilled the heck out of him in small circles and neglected to do anything with his feet after trimming him in ways that he's never stood in his life. I picked him up after they requested some more time (or me riding in a tie-down) because he was 'copping an attitude' at the canter.
He was grade 2+ (on a scale of 5) on his right hock. X-rays fortunately showed no compromise in the joint, but all joints were puffy and he was totally body-sore.
I picked him up in August and turned him out for the winter to recover. We started again in the spring, where he seemed to be coping: some residual weakness behind and some unevenness overall, from compensating, we assumed. Then hit the insulin resistance: fat deposits in weird places, grumpy horse, and TIGHT sore muscles in his back and hindquarters. Didn't have the vet draw blood for a definitive diagnosis as she advised trying the diet changes and seeing if those made a difference. They did: he's moving much more freely (also gave him a few more months off from work other than simple ground manners). His chiro is pleased with the progress he's made so far. Both agree that he needs corect consistent work in straight lines to start building tone in his back and rear end. Under saddle at slow speeds would be fine, especially since none of us want to put him on a lunge line: he's still a bit creaking in the joints at times.
The fact that he's so uneven and unfit led me to investigate the treeless saddles. I didn't want the trouble of having a fitter out often and perhaps waiting too long and having him suffer a poor fit.
The pointed croup is probably a lingering back or pelvic issue - he was tight enough through the back that he would 'slap' with his front legs and the chiro noticed that he was 'tucked' with his rear end .
I don't have latest pics, but his topline is slowly starting to level out within the last few weeks. It's been truly depressing to experience and I can't believe I was so trusting with the trainer. I bred my mare to get Beorn. He's *my* baby!
I think I'm probably going to end up needing both sets of panels eventually... as well as some shims. Shannon is probably going to let me keep the shaped moulded panels from the trial saddle and order another set for herself (yay Shannon I LOVE you!), so that'd leave me with wanting the flat moulded panels and some shims, right?
