cranky mare

Question
i have riden horses most of my life and i am 65. all geldings. i bought a mare from back east and have been riding her on trails and streets. a real flower sniffer for 2 1/2 yrs. in oct i was getting on her from a mounting block and had got both feet in the stirups and she lunged forward and buck and reared twice. well i went off as she has always been such a doll. just before this happened, about a week or two, she started acting strange. no one seems to know. any idea? i took her to a trainer who rode her twice in 2 weeks and said she has a problem, but doesn't know why. if you walk into her space, she may jump back from you. if you touch her side by the cinch, but back farther, she will sort of warn you with a small kick twards you. i do live on a major trail where people walk by and give her carrots. i also keep a light on her pen at night. but i know that workers use the trail at night. one vet thought that someone could have come over the fence and hurt her. but i feel she would know me from a stranger on the trail. she use to be sweet and loving. now cranky. her age is about 15. and she is a tennessee walker sort. the vet tested her blood and said it was fine. so it has been 5 mos and still no hope. the vet, the shoer and the trainer all don't know. the feed store thought ulcers? thank u for any help.  

Answer
It sounds as though her back might be out.  Ask around and see if there are any equine chiropracters in your area.  I know you said the "pain" seems to be around the girth area, but that may be related to a pinched nerve associated with the back.  

Something may have spooked her when you were getting on that day and the action of bucking and rearing could have thrown things out of alignment.

Try working her on the ground, see if she seems to bend well one way and not so well the other.  Lunge her and look for inconsistancies in directions.  These are all indicators of back issues.

Aside from a back problem, this doesn't sound like anything I am familiar with.  I do know that chiropractic and accupucture/accupressure sure saved us and a few of our horses down through the years.

Hope this helps.  Let me know.
Brenda