9year old suddenly butt high..?

FlyingCircus

FlyingCircus

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 January 2013
Messages
2,312
Location
Dorset
Visit site
Anyone had one that seemed done growing and then suddenly gone bum high? He's 9 this year and a light/sportshorse type full Connemara (as opposed to a traditional chunky type).
Had him 2 years in Sept and he has been level since I bought him, now suddenly he seems to have had a growth spurt from just his hind end!?
 
I would get his hocks and tendons in the hind end checked, this can be symptomatic of problems. A friend's horse with DSLD (it's not common, I'm not suggesting yours has it) went bum high as one of the first indications that his suspensory ligaments were deteriorating.

It's probably nothing but I'd get a quick vet check just in case.
 
Oh dear.
He had over xmas off pretty much up until maybe March? As he was "off". Ended up having steroid injection to his hock which made no difference but he steadily improved on his own after upping his exercise to strengthen him more.
 
Are you certain he is who he is meant to be, he wouldn't be the first to come over with the wrong passport, you wouldn't expect a 9 year old to grow, they may still muscle up as work increases and training develops but normally the front end is coming up then rather than the backend.
 
be positive said:
Are you certain he is who he is meant to be, he wouldn't be the first to come over with the wrong passport, you wouldn't expect a 9 year old to grow, they may still muscle up as work increases and training develops but normally the front end is coming up then rather than the backend.
Click to expand...

I mean, I think he is who he was sold as, but who knows!! He has been through the sales twice in Ireland. Once as a yearling and then again as a 5 year old. He then went to a producer/dealer who I got him from.
Dentist has never questioned his age from his teeth, but I suppose if it's only a year or two out then it would be difficult to tell.

He certainly hasn't muscled up at all recently, if anything he's far pudgier than usual as lack of saddle has meant he hasn't been in full work as of late, so unlikely to be extra muscles! And as you say, this is usually more obvious infront.

MrsMozart - I've known a few WBs and ISH types to carry on growing and bulking out until they were 9 or so, but never one that went bum high...not that I've noticed anyway!
 
Have you changed soil types/or turned out when he hasn't been in the past or similar?
there was a lot of interest when a number of fully grown adult TB stallions exported to New Zealand and other countries (decades ago) actually grew taller after they arrived. I remember that at least some were 10 years plus.
Just a thought.
 
wkiwi said:
Have you changed soil types/or turned out when he hasn't been in the past or similar?
there was a lot of interest when a number of fully grown adult TB stallions exported to New Zealand and other countries (decades ago) actually grew taller after they arrived. I remember that at least some were 10 years plus.
Just a thought.
Click to expand...

He has been on 3 different yards whilst I've had him, all with different soil types. He's on sandy soil now.
He also went from being in at night with old owner, to out 24/7 in summer with me and in at night in the winter.
 
Yeah echo the investigations route, my poor old boy went dippy backed which made him look bum high before the litany of problems he had brought us to send him to heaven
 
Frumpoon said:
Yeah echo the investigations route, my poor old boy went dippy backed which made him look bum high before the litany of problems he had brought us to send him to heaven
Click to expand...

He's certainly not dippy backed, so he has that going for him aha.
I'm just not sure him being abit bum high warrants a full investigation...and of what? :S He's totally sound at the minute and had nerve blocks done in ..Feb kinda time that came back inconclusive! Would he not have nerve blocked to a certain point if he did have pre-existing issues in these areas?

Hope this doesn't come across as rude, just genuinely curious what your next steps would be RE investigating if he were yours.
 
I agree with those saying possible hind leg issues, sorry. Do you have any pictures of him from the side and behind. Sometimes ligament issues around the lower joints can cause them to straighten out through the hocks and sometimes this results in going bum high. I have never known one go bum high due to having a growth spurt aged 9.
 
If it's any comfort, I seem to have grown recently. When I went to the doctor a year ago I was asked if I would be weighed and measured (with a laser thingy) as part of a national survey. It was repeated this year and I went from 5'6" to 5'7". I'm 38!
 
Will try to get some pics of him standing on some flat ground. Hoping it's just me seeing things at this point!! As I'd rather not open up more investigations as quite frankly can't really afford any more vets bills at the moment.
Will also get a measuring stick on him at highest point of rump and withers and see what that tells me!
 
FlyingCircus said:
Will try to get some pics of him standing on some flat ground. Hoping it's just me seeing things at this point!! As I'd rather not open up more investigations as quite frankly can't really afford any more vets bills at the moment.
Will also get a measuring stick on him at highest point of rump and withers and see what that tells me!
Click to expand...

No don't panic. It is so easy to 'see' things. Sometimes my mare looks bum high and I think yay, she's going to grow a bit more. Then the next time I really look at her she looks level.
 
FlyingCircus said:
He's certainly not dippy backed, so he has that going for him aha.
I'm just not sure him being abit bum high warrants a full investigation...and of what? :S He's totally sound at the minute and had nerve blocks done in ..Feb kinda time that came back inconclusive! Would he not have nerve blocked to a certain point if he did have pre-existing issues in these areas?

Hope this doesn't come across as rude, just genuinely curious what your next steps would be RE investigating if he were yours.
Click to expand...

Ok so hind suspensories can go and the horse still be sound but little things will change like a struggle with getting and maintaining a canter, going round corners are the end of the arena for example can be stiff and the horse unyielding but is in agony so just trying his best

Pics or video might help

I'm only going on what happened to my horse, yours is obviously different
 
Still not managed to get pics, my phone is forever dead :(

He didn't look as wonky today, but I'm still not convinced he's level. I think part of it may be that he is very downhill when he works on the lunge at the moment, which he has been doing a few times a week. So I've been watching him going around like this and it has made me look at him more when he's stationary!

LCH611 - Yeah he has a green pport, but I don't think I've ever actually had his microchip checked against his passport.

Frumpoon - He is generally quite eager to canter and a whizzy type who would happily canter all day if you let him! Also have not noticed a problem with corners or circles etc. He has been going as well as he has ever gone the last few weeks! Really yielding when I ask, bending when I ask, working from back to front really well. If anything, he has improved significantly these last few weeks :O
 
Probably not totally relevant, but mine is a cob and is always a tiny bit croup high due to no wither etc. If hes fine and dandy he looks balanced. If his back/shoulders/loins etc are sore and he needs physio he looks croup high. I've thought a couple of times that hes grown, which isnt outside the realms of possibility as hes only 6, but he never has. Once he has physio and is feeling better, he looks fine again.

His default reaction to being a bit sore is to hold himself strangely, which usually means his bum up and braced, belly sagging and everything else dropping away. Its never serious, just minor muscle tweaks. So if you think yours is sound and its just something a bit not right thats niggling, then it might be worth a good physio session just to see. A good physio should pick up on anything that is a more serious problem anyway.

Not sure any of that helps, but it did ring a bell with me so thought I would mention it :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top