Kicking out.

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

My 17 year old Quarter horse has recently started kicking out while I ride him. At first we thought he had some pain in his stomach from gas. But his behaviour has continued. And he has had no sign of gas pain.  

He has only ever kicked out before at other horses when they come to close to him while riding. But he has only done that maybe twice.

Now he kicks out most of the time when i ride. But so far its only been during riding lessons with other horses. He even does it when a another horse isn't even close by.

I rode him with no other horses one day and he was fine. But he has never reacted that agressively before towards other horses. On the ground he is fine too, except for lately when i have been doing up his girth, he has been pawing a little more than usual. But this behaviour started before the kicking out.

I also recently purchased a new saddle, but if thats whats bugging him than wouldn't he have kicked out that day when i rode him alone?

I'm very puzzled, it could be so many things, but i'm not sure what.

He also seems to me the kind of horse who likes to be in charge. He ceartanily likes to be the boss of most things. But he has never rebelled towards me like that when riding.

A couple months before the kicking out i noticed that, only somtimes, before coming to a jump he would bring his head around slitely and sort of bit the air.

My horse doesn't always like when i put my leg on, because he is sometimes sensitive to touch, but he has only ever reacted to that with putting his ears back.

When he kicks he usually starts by putting his head up slitely and putting his ears back. Than his stride faulteres and than he kicks toward the inside. When he does that I push him forward and he will usually stop for a while. And he does not do it consitantly. Sometimes he'll kick out, than stop, than ten minutes later do it again. Other times he'll kick out, and than a couple seconds later do it again. He has being kicking out for about month i believe.

Please let me know if you would like any other information about my situation. Although i've pretty much told you almost everything.

I would be very pleased if you could reply back very soon. What my horse is dong is dicrouraging me very much, and i don't know what to do.


ANSWER: Hello Erica,

My advice is that first you have him checked out by your vet.  Tell the vet exactly what you told me, the vet will probably have you ride him or trot him.  Perhaps he is kicking out because of some joint pain or internal pain.  First you have to completely rule that out.  Then, if he still kicks, you may have to discipline him when he does it.  Right now, he is getting away with it.  But before that, please call your vet to check him out.  He may need xrays of his hoofs to rule out a hoof problem, or xrays of joints.  At 17 years old, he may have arthritis or some such ailment.  Also check his eyesight.  If his eyes are going dim, being with other horses may make him slightly afraid and he may kick when they get near him.

Best wishes,
Dorothy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much for awnsering my question. Yes he has had some lameness in the past but that has been taking care of. He also had some type of hind end injury when he was with his old owners. But if it was something medical, wouldn't of he kicked out when i rode him alone that one day?

He is in need of his yearly shots, so when the vet comes out I will tell him about my problem if it still exists.

Thank you, it is much appreciated.

Erica

Answer
Hello Erica,

Any horse that is suffering pain of any kind will feel more vulnerable and threatened when he is in company of other horses, so he may not have kicked out when he was alone.  If he senses any sort of aggression from the company of other horses, even if they did not show it, he would react.

Get that vet out, and make sure he checks his vision.

Happy riding,
Dorothy