This is all very new to me ,but I have been around horses for many years. Maybe some of my experiences can help a few people out in the horse industry. Years ago we had a horse named Rocky. There was and never will be a perfect horse , but he came very close to perfect. Everyone who ever learned to ride a horse at our barn rode Rocky. He taught children and adults how to ride. This was one of those horses that dreams are made of.

About two years down the road Rocky started to buck while being mounted to ride. Okay we all thought maybe he is injuryed ,so we let him rest. We brought the vet out to check him. He was given a clean bill of health. The next week he continued his behavior. We decided maybe it was attitude from doing too many lessons. We cut the lesson load back. This did not improve things at all. Things progressively worsened. He began to bite, cowkick,and buck. Our most experienced riders could not stay on him.

Finally,we decided he was too dangerous for the children to be around. We let him out in a pasture by himself. I was the only one who could go around him safely. No one would even go near him. I would go in and feed him,groom him,and blanket him. He never attempted to hurt me. We were still unable to saddle him at all. To make a long story a little bit shorter, always remember horses are not normally mean. They are smart animals. Rocky was letting us know he was in pain somewhere. We just did not listen to the way he was telling us. In the Spring of 2008 we had to put Rocky down. His kidneys had shut down. He had a massive tumor that even the vet did not find on his left kidney. He was in severe pain for a long time.

If your horse suddenly displays any behavior different from what you are used too then keep a very close eye on them.We all have to listen to what they are telling us in their own way. They tell us through their behavior. We just have to be as smart as they are ,so we can figure out what they already have.