shetlan problems

Question
So I am 15 and I give lessons to young kids on this shetlan.She's been acting up lately though.She won't lounge and when I was letting my cousin ride her she just wanted to follow me.Shw wont trot or anything.Shes has a lot of energy and she is in pretty good shape I don't know why she's acting up lately.Can you help?

Answer
Breea -

When a horse has a sudden change in behavior, I tend to get concerned that something is causing pain.  If she won't trot at all, I would really be concerned about something causing her pain.  I would definetly contact your vet to rule that aspect out first.  Pay attention to when and where she acts worse - it can help the vet determine where the pain (if any) is coming from.  For example, if she is harder to work on hard ground, it is more likely to be because of arthritis or something related to the horses skeletal system.  If the horse is more sore on soft ground, it will point toward a muscular problem.  If the horse acts up when the saddle is on, or a rider - the horse may have back problems.

It very well could be a behavior issue - but in my experience, sudden changes in behavior usually mean sudden changes in health.  And if it were me, I would talk to the vet and rule that out first.

Best of Luck!
Michael Hockemeyer
Kicking Bear Mustangs