A-symmetrical lameness

[Jojo_27]

I have a big 17hh+ mare who went lame/unlevel behind about a month ago after turning herself inside out in the lunge pen. After having her back done by a chiropractor and seen by the vet I was advised to have another vet who is also a chiropractor, accupuncturist, owns and runs a rehab centre etc to look at her. She told me she was a-symmetrical and that her left side was very weak (I have always known this and we have worked on this for the past couple of years now)! When trotted up she appears 6/10s lame but I was advised to work her in walk in straight lines for a few days then gradually increase her workload and include leg yielding etc to start her using her left quarters. She is still trotting up 6/10s lame but hasn't worsened (This is after 10 days). I'm getting the vet/chiro back out to her in a couple of weeks. Just wondering if anyone has ever had anything similar? Or any advice on supplements that may help her? (It seems to be muscular weakness more than anything) Many thanks!!!!

 

[be positive]

6/10ths is a significant lameness and I certainly would not be riding a horse that lame even under veterinary advice unless they really managed to convince me they knew what the problem was, in this case they have not diagnosed the reason for the unevenness just the result which is that she is weak.
My horse was 2/10ths lame behind, considered significant by my vet, he also was a symmetrical and weak on one side, he was diagnosed and treated for damage to his sacroiliac, currently undergoing his rehab which is so far going well, you need a diagnosis in order to treat and know you are not risking further damage by continuing to ride her, I would be pushing for a proper diagnosis as that is a seriously lame horse you are riding and in my view it will not get better by just doing some exercises to try and strengthen what is probably a very sore area.

 

[Jojo_27]

I'm meaning 6/10s lame as if 9/10s would be practically sound. The reason for the unevenness is that her right tuber sacrale (PSIS) locks up and her left tuber sacrale locks down, hence why there is the unlevelness to her left-side. I would not be riding my horse if I wasn't 100% happy with the advice from my vet.

 

[julie111]

I'm sorry I'm another that would not ride a horse 6/10ths lame. My pony was 5/10ths lame on right fore and vet has advised 12 months rest. I hope you she gets sorted!

 

[StormyMoments]

On a scale of 0-10, 0 being sound, 10 not being able to bare weight, I would not be doing anything with a horse as you say 4/10s lame.

My horse is 1-2/10s lame and has been out of work for 2 months and has been on box rest/small field rest, he has just got back from scans at the vets. He was also asymmetrical, being weaker on L/H but he is actually bilaterally lame. His lameness is barely even there (even the vets struggled to see it) but he has issues with his sacroiliac joint, hocks and fetlocks. All is not always as it seems. I would take the horse out of work and get a closer look. Who knows what she could have aggravated messing about, that's how my horse's lameness showed up too.

If it were my horse, I would get a second opinion.

 

[be positive]

I'm meaning 6/10s lame as if 9/10s would be practically sound. The reason for the unevenness is that her right tuber sacrale (PSIS) locks up and her left tuber sacrale locks down, hence why there is the unlevelness to her left-side. I would not be riding my horse if I wasn't 100% happy with the advice from my vet.

Even 4/10ths is a very lame horse, twice as bad as mine was with what is probably a similar condition, chronic sacroiliac disfunction, yours has been showing problems for two years in that the left leg has been weaker and from the sound of things has failed to totally come right during that time, it has now become more acute following an incident, I cannot see how it will improve without something more than ridden exercise.
I also was following veterinary advice last year riding mine to build him up but gut instinct kept saying this was wrong, in the end I stopped riding, got a second opinion and found what was wrong, the fact it had been left untreated for nearly 12 months, other than the exercise to build it up which seemed to help but actually just compounded the problem, means the prognosis for him to return to full work is poor, if it had been treated earlier he would have had a better chance but there was more going on elsewhere and it just got overlooked.

If they are in pain they will not work properly and no amount of trying will make the weaker side build up as much as it should, the sound side will continue to develop more to compensate so they are still uneven just with more muscle everywhere.

 

[forkesy]

I'm meaning 6/10s lame as if 9/10s would be practically sound. The reason for the unevenness is that her right tuber sacrale (PSIS) locks up and her left tuber sacrale locks down, hence why there is the unlevelness to her left-side. I would not be riding my horse if I wasn't 100% happy with the advice from my vet.

What has the vet said lameness wise then? 9/10ths lame, in my experience (and possibly other people's who have commented on this thread) is extremely lame, as in not wanting to weight bare on that limb.....

My ISH was 4/10ths lame on his off hind and looked really quite lame

 

[Jojo_27]

In response to getting second opinions I've had 2 chiropractors, 1 physio, 1 vet and the vet/chiropractor examine my mare and none of them ever mentioned anything about her sacroiliac problems except for the vet/chiropractor who advised me about her workload (we have talked about further investigation into her lameness).

If she had been consistently unlevel for the past 2 years I most certainly would of looked into it further but she does improve with work and schooling, unfortunately I have broken my ribs, wrist and fractured my collar bone in the past couple of years so her work has not been consistent and this is why there is the track of thought that it is muscle related as she only becomes unlevel when work is dropped.

In my experience all vets have different measurements of lameness so I really cannot comment in regards to 10ths?