I have a lovely 4-year-old Cheval Canadien (Canadian Horse) mare. I bought her mom unhandled from an auction, just based on her looks, taking a gamble on her personality. When I signed the paperwork, I was told her name was Bambi, she was 2 years old, and she had been exposed to another Canadian stud. Bambi turned out to be the best horse I had ever owned. She foaled out around 10 months after I bought her, and I was ecstatic to find a little black filly one morning. Bambi continued to be a horse that meant the world to me. She went through breakups, moving provinces, and having a daughter. While somewhere around the 30 ride mark, she was going bridless and shocking people at events, with just how level-headed she was. However, Bambi died suddenly in a freak accident. All I was left with was her filly Lady May

Lady May would have been two, turning three when Bambi passed. The timeline worked for May to step up and take Bambi's spot in my riding string. I always try to use the motto "work with the horse in front of you, not the one you think you have", but I always had this pressure that I wanted May to be just like Bambi. I wanted a level-headed, kind, sweet mare. May showed me though, that she had a little bit of a mean strike to her. She was not afraid to let her opinions be known

Unfortunately, around the time I started her, she climbed into a bale feeder and gouged her back right leg pretty well on the cannon bone. That gave her even more time off to heal from that

Finally, this summer I decided I'm going to start her for good. However, I was met with a bucking issue in the trot. I can't pinpoint what is causing the bucking/attitude; I just know something isn't right. I now feel in this sticky spot of what direction do I go? Do I get dental work done? A new saddle and an appointment with a saddle fitter? Maybe scope for ulcers? But maybe it's not ulcers, and she needs back X-rays. Or maybe it's just her attitude. She has proven to have one; maybe she has learned that when her job gets hard, she can spook me out of pushing her. Everything is just so expensive, so I'm scared to go down the wrong path, but at the same time, I want what is best for her

My vet has a 20% off spring maintenance coming up, and scoping feels like the right route. I'm looking around for other saddles, but with the lack of (read: none) saddle fitters in the area, I'm having a hard time confirming that nothing is pinching. I want to sneak a dentel appointment in for the beginning of Feb, but I'm not totally convinced it's her teeth

Any kind of advice is appreciated. I have never dealt with such a "problem" horse. Let alone in this economy

*Prefrencing this with I am a newly certified bodywork, and I can't see any issues that jump out to me while palpating. However, she is my horse and I know we were taught we would almost always have bias towards our own animals*

Personally, if she's just being bucky at the trot with no other symptoms, I'd lean away from the idea of ulcers (same with teeth if she's not having issues eat/dropping food).

Given her history of leg injury, I'd start there to make sure she doesn't have any issues with that. Maybe look into chiropractry? Rocky was tender along his spine till we got him adjusted.

She could also just be a bratty youngster lol.

The Old Gods said:

Personally, if she's just being bucky at the trot with no other symptoms, I'd lean away from the idea of ulcers (same with teeth if she's not having issues eat/dropping food).

Given her history of leg injury, I'd start there to make sure she doesn't have any issues with that. Maybe look into chiropractry? Rocky was tender along his spine till we got him adjusted.

She could also just be a bratty youngster lol.