Conference noted::equitation

    I never heard of a horse doing such a thing, how odd!  You never know
    what these beasts will do.  When she tightens the girth is she
    tightening it all at once?  I am training a filly who used to rear up
    in the cross ties when the girth was tightened.  Now when I tack her up
    I put the girth on the first hole and tighten it before I get on when I
    am in the ring.  I just started putting it up a couple of notches
    before I take her off the cross ties and it doesn't seem to bother her
    anymore, she is as sweet as pie.  I don't think it's right to tighten
    the girth right up on a green horse.  Just my opinion!!
    
    Keep us posted!
    

    If he's sensitive or coldbacked, he may just find the tightness of the 
    girth uncomfortable.  My horse was very good about saddling (I taught 
    him and always tightened the girth very slowly), until I sent him to a 
    "trainer."  She was too impatient to tighten the girth slowly and in 
    stages, so she started deliberately jerking the girth up (she said to 
    "desensitize him") -- as soon as he would relax.  Needless to say, in 
    no time he became extremely difficult to saddle.  As soon as you would 
    approach with the saddle he would lunge forward on the cross-ties and 
    then start plunging around fighting every step of the way.
    
    It didn't take too long to fix things -- probably because his initial
    experiences were so good.  I just started all over from the beginning...
    going very slowly, rewarding him first just for standing still when I 
    approached with a saddle.  He never did get back the pride he started
    with (look at me, I'm wearing a saddle!), but at least now I can tack
    him up without a fuss.
    
    Mary

    yes. i 've seen horses just buckle under the saddle like that..
    
    
    The only thing you can do is... dont cinch em up so tight.. just have
    it snug, its good if he/she has a good set of withers but a pain 
    if the are mutton withered
    
    

    
    Has the horse been checked for back problems?
    
    Amy

    
    
    When I was first breaking out my mare, she would rear when I would
    tighten the girth on both the lunging surcingle and the saddle. She was
    not tied up at all but would go up even when the girth was tightened
    slowly a hole at a time.  It took me awhile to figure it out but it
    turns out that she was tickelish in the girth area.  I was using a
    string girth on the saddle and a cloth girth on the surcingle.  When I
    started using a leather girth with the saddle, the problem went away.
    
    Pat 

    the mare i am speaking about in 1494.13 did exactly the same when they
    started using her for riding. they changed to an elastic gurt and tie
    it VERY slowly -best: hole by hole.
    
    now i think this was caused the the back problem she has.
    
    also i know of another mare with a back problem that lies down as soon
    as we start to tie the saddle.
    
    isn't it frustrating?!
    
    ciao,
    petra

    Thanks for the in put....
    
    she dose the girth up slowly one hole at a time from side to side
    
    she uses a leather girth
    
    she stretches the front legs when the girth is up to stop any 
    possible pinching.
    
    she has checked his back for soreness...but seems o.k.
    
    maybe she should get one of the back massage (sp) specialist to come
    and see.
    
    Do we have any names and numbers of folks who work on the aches and
    pains of the horse.
    
    terry

    before you get a vet out or a massage specialist out to check a back
    to see if its sore... there are two bumps on the back (just like your
    spine) and run your fingers dwon them, avoid poking around in the 
    middle of the spine... apply pressure and run your thumb and index 
    from the withers all the way down to the tail dock... if the horse
    stinks away for the pressure, get a vet to check it out... if not
    i would say the horse is a little cold backed and doesnt like his/her
    cinch so tight (there are some horses like that) and over time they
    will stop... unless its just their nature.. (dodubtful) 
    my mare used to grab/chomp at the bit in disagreement and try to bite.
    she got a knee in the tummy a couple of times, after that just slapped
    and then about a year later she stopped .....
    
    	
    
    
    			wendy o'
    
    

    our "back problem specialist" also hates if i put pressure on each
    side of the widow at the same time. 
    
    ciao,
    petra        

    
    	Another noter...
    
    	I have seen this on alot of babies 2,3,4,... Only happens when
    	a person is wants to get going in a hurry.. and once they
    	start they keep it in there head.
    
    	In training and even with older horses I stretch them out
        frist pulling the  right leg and then the left.  I put the
    	blanket on... Then go get my saddle.. (which takes me a few
    	minutes)... then I come back re adjust the blanket and put the
        saddle on.  I then cinch up just enough to keep the saddle
    	on.  Then I put the bridle on.  Undo them from the cross
    	ties and cinch up right before I get on.  I never cinch
    	up tight on the cross ties.  The walk from the cross ties to
    	the ring usally is relaxing and then they are ready for a warm up.
    
    	I have broken a horse with this habit .. by riding him bare 
    	back.. for some reason he had in this head that the cross
    	ties meant pain (someone did a number on him on the cross ties).
    
    	Then I put the saddle on in couple of weeks, but wouldn't ride
    	with it.. Just go down the ring with it and then take it off 
    	and when we were done I would have him carry it back up to the
    	barn.
    
    	It took about a month... I agree with some of the noters.. 
    	some horses have sore backs and it should be checked.
    
    	Work slowly.... Nothing comes from rushing...  They have
    	to learn to trust you ...
    
    	Best of Luck..
    
    

I have seen this on one horse here in California.  He would drop and/or sit 
when cinched up, no matter how slowly.  The trainer had the vet check hime and 
the diagnosis was narcolepsy (sp?).  Thats right, the horse would fall asleep 
while being cinched.  The vet determined this by monitoring the heartbeat 
rate while cinching.  I hope this is not your problem, but you never can
tell. 

Chip

    We have a 31 year old with narcolepsy...he will drop at anytime.  He'll
    live his life out on the farm in retirement.
    He will be standing in the field and suddenly drop...you would think
    that he had been shot.
    Our only concern about him is that he might break something when he
    falls.
    
    Good luck...I do hope your horse doesn't have this problem.
    
    Kathie
    

      I've seen a horse with stringhalt sit down like that. Especially
      after a long trailering. Could it be a combination? The cinching
      causing the little rear, and stringhalt causing the sit?