Highland pony on loan, advice please

[Blueskytoday]

We have agreed to loan a highland gelding , he is very calm and has been used for riding school with previous owners. Current owner has done a lot with him,shows, fun rides .
Also stunning to look at and very sweet , gentle pony.
We are planning on hacking , fun rides, I'm sharing him with my 9 yr old nervous niece.
, he is 20 years old, appears to be in good health, is currently shod.he looks like he is stiff , turning at a gate. E.g.,
Owner has not been riding much so he is unfit and needs to lose some weight.
He's used to being out most of the time in field with field shelter.
He's not currently on any supplements, has a little feed.
Any advice in getting him back into fitness gently?
My first thoughts are joint supplement to help with the stiffness, and to try him barefoot,
He's very sturdy , hooves look great, I'm big fan of barefoot .
Also for him to be out as much as possible to help with the stiffness.

Probably arthritis at 20. Get the vet out to check. If so don't trot on roads, don't turn tight, I'm assuming you wouldn't jump a 20 year old, jyst light hacking should be ok, but basically semi retirement

I'd get a physio out to him and see what they think and what exercises they can give. Otherwise, it's a gentle build up in straight lines, moderate pace. I would check with the owner about going barefoot. I like it, but at 20 it's a big change to make and the owner may not be open to it at all. It may well take time and hoof growth is less over the winter. Plus IME the hoof softens in the winter. It will be less likely to crack, but the softness will mean it wears out quickly without getting the necessary regrowth.

Perhaps talk to the owner and suggest barefoot behind over the winter and see how he goes? Fronts off later if he's going OK and use boots to help him transition.

Lucky you, I love a good highland, they are brill ponies.

Vet and/or physio out to look at the stiffness and advise on supplements or treatments is a good idea, they may also be able to suggest a good fitness plan for him. Most natives do well with barefoot and it is cheaper than having them shod, but I wouldn't make any major changes to his management like going barefoot unless you have the owners permission and take advice from a good farrier experienced with trimming barefoot too...

A basic/conservative fitness plan from a horse returning from injury or a period unridden would be to start with long-reining or hand-walking in walk and trot building up from 10 mins at a time initially (start point depends on how fit he is to start with), then add in periods ridden in walk starting at maybe 10 mins a time and going up in 5 or 10 minute increments each week until he can be ridden comfortably (tired by the end of the ride but not distressed) for 40-45 mins at a time. Then add 5 minute trot intervals, increasing the number and length of the intervals week by week the same until you can ride for an hour or so, mostly in trot with 2-3 walk intervals comfortably. Then add canter intervals, building up in the same way (I would usually allow a short canter if the horse offers it before this point but no prolonged canter work until they're fit enough). Ideally do as much of the plan as possible out hacking, add in hillwork if you have some good hills available as this is useful for fittening.

I would gradually reduce the hard feed to nothing if he's overweight, Highlands are usually (very!) good do-ers and shouldn't need any hard feed even over winter unless they are in hard work (and often not even then!). If you need to feed him to give supplements a handful of plain chaff or similar should be enough.

As your niece is a novice just keep an eye on him as he gets fitter - his behaviour may change and he may get a bit more lively - if need be you can lunge first or make sure you have ridden him before she gets on (don't over lunge him though as this will be hard on his joints).

Also make sure you regularly check his saddle fit as he will change shape as he loses weight and gets fitter, and pain from a badly fitting saddle is a leading cause of behavioural issues. Regular physio sessions also not a bad idea for older horses/ponies to nip any aches and pains in the bud...

Thanks for your thoughts everyone,that's lots of great points.
He s really a sweetheart , hate to think of him being uncomfortable,.
When we tried him we took him for hack on main road at owners and he walked very well , if bit careful over any hazard
We have taken him for short hack on lanes at ours , he wants to walk in the middle of the lane , caused by the camber of the road making him uncomfortable?
Owner was very set that he was in great health
I asked a few times about arthritis as seemed very likely, due to age and being riding school pony for long time.
Have asked vet to come and have a look .
He's not on any feed , just half scoop veteran mix to put glucosamine in.

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He sounds lovely, lots of walking I would say until you have a feel for him and what impact the work is having, walking is very good for them and great idea to get him checked out, I love a good highland. Maybe look at veteran showing classes at your local shows next summer? Would be great fun. Sounds like the camber making him walk in the middle but maybe get a recommendation for a farrier to check his feet even if barefoot? I find if you are planning a bit of road work front shoes only can help but appreciate that you like barefoot and that has got advantages. I have seen magnet rugs do them good short term worn before riding, they are expensive but maybe a second hand one could be tried? Good luck he sounds like a great choice

He's a light hack only if avoiding camber. Could be arthritis, navicular, or less likely if just emerged given age, sidebone. I love Highland, but why get a pony that age who should be looking towards retirement?

Please don't take his shoes off just because you like barefoot. He already sounds lame and all you're going to do is make him very sore. He's not used to not having shoes and it's doubtful his hooves could handle it well, especially on roads. A healthy horse could, and even then I'd go easy, he's not healthy. Plus without consulting the owner you could make her very angry. I'd be furious if someone took my horses shoes off.

Sorry but he should be retired. He's not enjoying it if avoiding the camber of the road, he's in pain. Supplements won't help, he's already getting glucosamine and it's not helping that.

Removing shoes and going barefoot can help with many lamenesses - just look at Rockley Farm's results. I agree, as I said in my first post here. that the OP needs to consult with the owner. However, it could be the thing that greatly reduces his problems, rather than making them worse.

Being barefoot can help horses with many problems. Concussion is less when they're barefoot for a start, because the hoof can do what it's evolved to do.

It could also make him worse. Removing my horses shoes would make him lame at worst and uncomfortable at best. I would be furious if someone did that to my horse without even asking. Especially just for the sake of 'I prefer barefoot'. It's not even in the horses interests then, just to go one way rather than another. Not every horse can be ridden without shoes.

Just a thought re: the walking in the middle of the road. Do you know if he's ever been driven? Just wondering as we had a shetland on loan who wouldn't walk at the side at first because she was used to having the width of the trap behind her. She was ok after a while (she was in her twenties then).

20 is no age for a highland/native pony really - it would be different for me if it was a 20 year old TB or WB as they do tend to age earlier IMO, whereas my first pony was a Welsh A who was sound and doing pony club well into his late 20s (and merrily dumping kids when he felt like it!) - he would have gone on even longer but was a fatty and plagued with laminitis. I also know several other native and native crosses in their 20s who are hale and hearty. So fingers crossed for the OP that it's just a touch of stiffness that can be easily treated, I wouldn't write him off yet purely on the grounds of his age and I really don't think from the information given on the thread so far that we can diagnose him.

But as I said upthread it is very important that a professional checks him out asap, particularly before he is ridden by a novice on the roads...

I agree @maxelly. He may have something undiagnosed that warrants a quieter life or retirement. But plenty of things will cause a horse to avoid camber and some of them are quite easily fixed.

I had an interesting hack out yesterday with two new liveries whose horses are shod. They have just realised that a lot of the horses on the yard are barefoot and were a bit questioning of it, which is fine, because it looks odd if you're not used to it. They stopped questioning it when they realised the barefoot thoroughbred I was riding had not slipped at all, whereas theirs had slipped repeatedly, and she'd happily led most of the way, totally outpacing their two. It may well not work for all horses, but if the owner is happy to try it, I think it's worth a go.

Thanks for all your thoughts.
Our very good Vet has been out to see pony , she can't find anything at all to suggest he's in any pain or arthritis, old laminitis etc. Which is a massive relief.
She said he's in very good condition for his age , other than needing to lose some weight, which is starting to come off , girth a lot easier to fasten now.
I've taken him for hack on same lane this week and he was much better , walked at the edge of the road much more easily and felt more alert and responsive.
The only isssue now is with him tripping eg over speed bump, any uneven area.
He's very happy to canter in the field with me riding .
His owner is happy to do whatever we think is best regards shoes, she wasn't sure why she'd carried on having him shod for the last 2 years when he's not really been ridden or done much at all.
Niece is no longer riding him , we were too worried by the tripping , if he fell on her , he's huge.

That’s good news!

Maxelly -
Thanks for those thoughts,
Pony has tripped really badly this week, 3 times over the same short hack, no obvious hazards. In walk on tarmac whilst I was riding him.
Not just a little trip, which he does a lot and does not cause any worry, more of a jolting stagger when I’ve felt he was going to fall from under me .
I’ve ridden hundreds of horses and never had this sensation before, very scary.
I don’t want him to go down on the road and hurt himself and I don’t want to get pitched off onto the road or under him.
I’ve asked his owner if he’s done it before, she said yes when he’s half asleep and needs a tap to wake him up , keep his head up with firm contact.
Which isn’t really how I ride, I’m more of a loose rein, let pony stretch neck to balance kind of rider.
He wasn’t plodding along -he was walking very actively, looking round, very alert.
In field when turned out he’s moving much more actively recently.
When he first came he just stood in field and didn’t eat or move much at all.
In school he is happy to lose lunge , walk , trot, short canters, and hasn’t done the staggering .
He’s been seen by dentist last week and needed some work , had ulcers from sharp edges, so hopefully now his mouth will be feeling better.
He didn’t have bridle on for 4 days after dentist as they advised.
Any thoughts on this staggering much appreciated as it was very alarming .

That does sound very scary, did you mention the tripping/staggering to the vet when they came and did they have any ideas? I guess the good news is that if it was anything really scary like a neurological issue/wobblers you would expect to see it happening in the school or the field as well as on the road. But that doesn't mean there isn't a cause behind it, might just be difficult to get exactly to the bottom of it, it could be any number of things. Has anyone on the ground seen exactly what happens when he staggers, e.g. does he seem to trip over something, does he slip, does he take a misstep, does he struggle to balance using his hind legs or is he reluctant to put his weight on a particular leg? Does it happen in walk or trot or both? Have you led him in-hand or long reined on the road and does he do it then as well? Can you ask an instructor or experienced friend to walk out with you, perhaps even try and catch on video exactly what happens so you can show your vet?

Some horses are just more clumsy than others, for want of a better word, and I guess it's possible that out on hacks he's gawping at something on the side of the road or over the hedge and simply forgets to pick up his feet then loses his balance and staggers to regain it? I hear what you say about preferring to ride on a looser rein but if it is a concentration issue causing the tripping and he's used to a firmer contact and being kept well up to the bridle, using the riders hands to balance himself, you might need to adapt to that at least at first as he may not understand what you are asking him for with the longer contact. It's probably not easy for him given his age, build and stiffness to work truly long and low consistently... you can add increasing periods of asking him to lower his neck and stretch but make sure it's still on your contact and he's pushing through from behind and maintaining focus on the aids...

But safety first of course and make sure you're confident there's nothing physical going on before trying to remedy the issue with schooling!

Tripping is a bit of a highland thing. Join one of the highland groups on Facebook and search or ask for advice. I have seem many posts on there on similar issues.
I think the consensus is that yes, ride actively forward on a contact.
With schooling it should improve, naturally they are very on the forehand and getting them sitting back onto the hind legs can only help.

I ride a horse that does this due to lack of concentration. No advice I'm afraid but totally sympathise as it is so scary when it feels like your mount has disappeared from under you for no reason!!!

No we didn't ask vet about it as he hadn't done the really dramatic tripping then
It's very concerning because all a horses instincts are to be able to run at any danger, falling puts them at danger of attack
I've never ridden a pony who's been so unfit before so this is all learning for me
It's reassuring that it does seem to be a common thing with highlands, I've had a look on highland Facebook group.
He's fab in every other way to hack out , happy on his own, great with traffic etc
We've only recently got him, still getting to know him , will try the riding forward with more contact.
Thanks for all your thoughts, it's a great help

My first highland was very overweight when i got him and hadn't been in work for a while, he tripped a lot too. I was told that it was because he was very on the forehand, the normal shape of a stocky Highland doesn't help in that respect. Not surprised to hear it is a common highland problem. My second highland was very svelte and didn't have this problem. Yes, they tend to be long lived and hale and hearty into old age so I would imagine if you bring him slowly back into work and keep the weight off he will be a pleasure to have.
Highlands are quite greedy, my first one actually knocked a wall down to get to the other horse's food bucket. He also got himself wedged in the door of the tack room trying to get at the feed bins.

Staysafe that made me laugh, knocking a wall down , wow !
I didn’t appreciate how strong Highlands are, I sort of thought 14 h pony is a nice manageable size for me. They definitely are like a horse with shorter legs.
The first time I saw our fella I thought omg he’s huge! I can see how they could easily get wedged in a door.
Gorgeous but a heck of a lot of horse.
I’m really taken with Highlands, they are fab .
I’m taking a photo every week so I can see the changes in his size, I thought I glimpsed a bit of ribs today but maybe wishful thinking.
We will definitely make sure he keeps the weight off , we want him to have an active semi retirement.

I've had Highlands for years and when unfit can be very trippy, stubborn and lazy. As someone said join the Highland groups on facebook as you're basically just describing a normal old highland with some miles on the clock. He's never going to be fully fit so just keep him moving, get him as fit as his age will allow without injury and enjoy what you have. Show me a perfectly straight, fit human...yet we try to fix every pony in front of us no matter how kind the intentions are. I must say that I don't agree with taking shoes off though. Why put the poor thing through it at that age? Just my personal opinion! I hope you really have fun with him as Highlands are amazing ponies xxx

There's a difference between "tripping" and falling. My mare is a sky cadet and often has her eye on something 3 miles away (as do I!), But when she trips she never falls - more like a skip.

My friend's horse hits the deck. Literally down on both knees and has to haul himself back up.

Because horse's are prey animals they need to stay on their feet - you fall you die!

One fall you could just about write off... But if he's falling on a regular basis... Then I'd suspect neurological or bilateral lameness - my friend is undecided what to do about hers... But realised it's not good and having taken a couple of bad falls doesn't want a repeat.

I did have one with wobblers once. He didn't fall - he'd plant himself and was disunited... He only staggered at the end and it was so "violent" there was no room for interpretation as it was very obvious something very serious was amiss

Tripping is NOT a breed trait, it is a sign of a physical problem. It can cause a dangerous accident because if he falls on his knees the rider is likely to go flying. Get the vet out for a lameness workout, I will eat my foot if the vet doesn’t find something.

Crikey - that's terrible advice - tripping is absolutely NOT a highland thing. None of the highlands I've owned, or those I've worked for people, have ever routinely tripped without a serious underlying issue.