Does your horse spook when being ridden?

This could be down to cranial jams which not only cause headaches and a number of other ailments, but can cause a change in peripheral vision making the horse more spooky, particularly on one side more than the other making hacking on the road and open spaces obviously risky. The horse should be assessed and the jams released as much as possible which may take more than one session. The horse can also suffer from recurring eye infections that need addressing and if left uncorrected can lead to the need to have the eye removed.

The cause of the jams are largely down to a head trauma/pull back injury (where the horse has been tied up and tried to break free causing the cranial bones to be compressed, resulting in the sutures (joints) being jammed together. These joints need to remain movable to enable the rhythm of expansion and contraction.

Once this has occurred it can cause behaviour problems such as head shaking and bridle related issues as well as front end issues, hock and stiffle problems. The horse will be unable to chew correctly so incorrect ware on the teeth is likely as well as muscle build up on the forehead due to the inability to chew correctly (an up/down chewing motion instead of grinding.) 

Disclaimer

Information on this webpage is not intended to replace veterinary treatment or advice. All blog information is based on the writers research and/or observations and training. You are advised to carry out your own research on blog articles.