After some advice for slight disunited strides after exercise

[mischamoo]

I rode my horse on Saturday in the paddock for a saddle check with my saddler and all was fine. She seemed to maybe slip about more than usual due to wet weather but nothing became apparent when I was riding her or straight afterwards.

I then hacked her out on sunday, mainly walking and trotting round the local lanes for a couple hours and on the way back I noticed she wasnt quite striding out correctly on her left front leg. I trotted her on and she seemed to come right and didnt notice any further short striding on the leg, jumped off and walked her back and she seemed fine.

Expecting to maybe pop down on monday to find any swelling or heat just in case she had maybe tweaked herself but monday came and no heat or swelling, gave her the day off and thought i'd keep an eye on her.

Popped down yard Tuesday and walked and trotted her up, seemed fine and no apparent mis-striding that I'd seen sunday on the way back from my ride. So tacked her up and again for a walk, trot hack round the local lanes (gone for about an hour), seemed absolutely fine but just as we looked set to walk the last bit down our lane, her walk became disjointed again and disunited with her left front leg, no bobbing of head at all or lameness as such just not striding out with her left leg. I jumped off and walked her back and she seemed fine and her walk went back to normal again. Again no heat or swelling today, seems happy and walks and trots fine in hand this morning.

This slight disuniting with her front left leg seems to be after shes done work and only noticeable in walk, if i push her into trot, she's as sound as a pound.

I was going to give her the rest of the week off and just assess her at the weekend in case she's maybe tweaked something.

I've not had her long but havent noticed this before and didnt want to go all hands on deck getting my vet out because at the moment she seems fine and there's nothing to see or feel except when she's been asked to do a bit of work.

She's not as fit as I first thought, hence the light hacking round the lanes and her back is being done next week, saddle was just fitted on saturday.

Has anyone experienced something similar as would like to get my vet out to allay any concerns but there's not much to see at the moment.....

Am I being overdramatic or just keep an eye on her, give her the rest of the week off and try again on sunday and see how she is then? Argh, currently going through kissing spines issues with my other horse so this really has come at a sad time my friend thought maybe she's suffering slightly from splints as this short striding on that leg only occurs after she's done some work and combined with maybe her back needing doing (which I think it does as she came to me with an incorrectly fitted saddle) and her lack of fitness, she just struggles to stride out correctly on the way home. She also ever so slightly dishes with that leg too but that's not caused us any issues yet and my farrier has said is easily correctable with some decent shoeing.

Any suggestions or advice for someone who openly admits at the moment who doesn't know what to do!!

 

[Wagtail]

Disunited usually refers to the canter when the horse leads with say the left leg in front but the right one behind and vice versa. What you are describing, by the sound of it is short striding lameness in front? Am I right? If so it could be any number of things depending on where in the leg the pain or stiffness is. Most commonly, the pain will be in the foot. Is your mare overweight? Has she been out on rich grass? Short striding can be a sign of laminitis. But it is impossible to say without seeing your mare in the flesh. If you are worried you need to call out a vet.

 

[mischamoo]

Sorry wagtail let me clarify, yes she is ever so slightly short striding on her left leg and wasn't even noticeable to my friend but i could feel she wasn't quite striding out completely on that leg. I lunged her last night then had my friend walk and trot her up on concrete and she was sound as a pound and didn't exhibit the short striding at all; she's not over weight and not on rich grass. I'm thinking there may be a connection between the saddle fitting on Saturday and the short striding as I've not see the issue before the saddle fitting. Could the short striding be caused by an incorrectly fitted saddle and not being able to stride out properly as being hindered by the saddle or a sore back could cause the problem?

 

[Wagtail]

Sorry wagtail let me clarify, yes she is ever so slightly short striding on her left leg and wasn't even noticeable to my friend but i could feel she wasn't quite striding out completely on that leg. I lunged her last night then had my friend walk and trot her up on concrete and she was sound as a pound and didn't exhibit the short striding at all; she's not over weight and not on rich grass. I'm thinking there may be a connection between the saddle fitting on Saturday and the short striding as I've not see the issue before the saddle fitting. Could the short striding be caused by an incorrectly fitted saddle and not being able to stride out properly as being hindered by the saddle or a sore back could cause the problem?

Undoubtedly.

Also, short striding in front can be caused by a problem behind too. Glad she seems better now.

 

[mischamoo]

Thank you WT - just spoken to my vet who suspects as there is no noticeable swelling, heat or lameness on her legs that it could be her back that is out and having the different saddle on her back (although I've been reasssured by my saddler it fits) is putting different pressure on her back to the previous saddle which didnt fit and could in turn make her sore after some exercise. She has suggested just walk work til her back is done (next week) with daily carrot stretch exercises and massaging each night with a rubber curry comb. Then throw her back into normal full work once back has been done and if problem persists then vet would like to see her.