Anyone have any experience with this?

ycbm said:
A horse that is getting worse, not improvng, where I can't see any reason why, I would get a vet to take a look or try a period of rest.

But I'm confident of saddle fitting. If I wasn't, I might start there instead. Basically I'd need to see the horse and rider (it could be you gone wonky?) to know what I'd do.

One of mine isn't perfect, but he's equal sided. And considering where he started from, and that he's on a continuous plane of improvement, I'm happy that he's in a good place.

But a horse which used to happily take canter in either direction and now won't, that isn't improved by rest, I'd be asking my vet if we should nerve block progressively up the back legs to the sacroiliac, and if nothing is found X ray the spine from the poll to the furthest back they can get. If that found nothing, I'd probably go for a scintigraph.

As a barefoot avocate, I'd also be questionning whether my farrier was trying to trim the horse symmetrical when it actually wants asymmetric feet to balance something going on higher up the legs.

Hope that helps, it's very difficult without seeing the horse.

.
Click to expand...

I have screenshotted this so I can have a sort of POA.

He’s had a saddle fit recently but I am more than happy to go and get it done by another fitter.

Yeah, he’s gone from being equal to his left canter just dropping off completely in the school.

Thank you. I understand it’s not easy if you don’t know the horse or rider. I’m trying my best to get him fixed and comfortable/happy but I’m a novice horse owner and my mind is just really stressing!!
 
J_sarahd said:
Yep! And he picks it up with absolutely no issue. We had some bunny hopping last time I cantered him out, but there were 5 of us so putting that down to excitement
Click to expand...

Sorry to jump on the post again, but my gelding who done his suspensory would canter on both reins hacking but could simply not canter on the left rein in a arena. Very odd, but my vet said in a arena it will highlight any ligament, suspensory issues as of the surface. On a surface if they hurt, the unevenness of the ground will make it worse than a harder surface (like a field) if you know what I mean.

YCBM plan of action is how I'd go about it too. My geldings were on 4 bute a day, no better.

When does your bute trial finish @J_sarahd and how many a day is he on?
 
ForbiddenHorse said:
Sorry to jump on the post again, but my gelding who done his suspensory would canter on both reins hacking but could simply not canter on the left rein in a arena. Very odd, but my vet said in a arena it will highlight any ligament, suspensory issues as of the surface. On a surface if they hurt, the unevenness of the ground will make it worse than a harder surface (like a field) if you know what I mean.

YCBM plan of action is how I'd go about it too. My geldings were on 4 bute a day, no better.

When does your bute trial finish @J_sarahd and how many a day is he on?
Click to expand...

That makes sense and to be honest is what I’m starting to think.

It’ll finish 21st August and he’s on two a day
 
You describe yourself as a novice owner. How long have you been riding the horse? It's possible to create what you are describing by, usually, slipping to the outside as you ask for the transition. Perhaps before spending too much on vets, just get someone to video you and check it's not you? Or a good instructor, if you can find one.

.
 
Its like asking how long is a string. There could be a body issue that a physio can sort or a new way of riding. You need to try a few things as it could be "you" making the issue without knowing.
 
equi said:
Its like asking how long is a string. There could be a body issue that a physio can sort or a new way of riding. You need to try a few things as it could be "you" making the issue without knowing.
Click to expand...

A friend rode him yesterday who is stronger on the left rein than I am. He did the same thing
 
I also noticed last night whilst my friend was riding him that he is holding his tail to the right. So I’ve messaged our physio
 
J_sarahd said:
I also noticed last night whilst my friend was riding him that he is holding his tail to the right. So I’ve messaged our physio
Click to expand...


That's often a sign of sacroiliac strain, as is bunny hopping into canter. I think you need a vet workup, not a physio. Physio should, legally, refuse to treat him until you have a diagnosis from a vet.

.
 
ycbm said:
That's often a sign of sacroiliac strain, as is bunny hopping into canter. I think you need a vet workup, not a physio. Physio should, legally, refuse to treat him until you have a diagnosis from a vet.

.
Click to expand...

He isn’t bunny hopping into canter. He bunny hopped once out of excitement on a hack. The vet has been out
 
ihatework said:
No. Felt awful to me under saddle but sound on flexion. The horse did have a stringhalt but that emerged pre-SI
Click to expand...

SI injury for mine too, wasnt 'lame' but his movement in canter on one rein was awful and he didnt feel 'right' in the other paces under saddle.

Mine had injections which worked a treat and have never needed to be repeated and he is doing 70% prelim tests with his sharer now.
 
J_sarahd said:
He isn’t bunny hopping into canter. He bunny hopped once out of excitement on a hack. The vet has been out
Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have said so is suddenly having difficulties taking canter when he's been fine before.

I think you should be calling a vet, not a physio.
 
TheHairyOne said:
SI injury for mine too, wasnt 'lame' but his movement in canter on one rein was awful and he didnt feel 'right' in the other paces under saddle.

Mine had injections which worked a treat and have never needed to be repeated and he is doing 70% prelim tests with his sharer now.
Click to expand...

I have PMed you
 
ycbm said:
Sorry, I should have said so is suddenly having difficulties taking canter when he's been fine before.

I think you should be calling a vet, not a physio.
Click to expand...

Sorry if I sounded blunt! I’m just very worried and stressed. The more I read, the more it sounds like SI. My physio hasn’t replied to me yet anyway but going to go back to the vet route again
 
Have you seen him 'sit down' at any time, or skid marks in the field? One of the commonest ways to get a SI injury is for them to sit down suddenly. One of mine did it on a road, and it showed up with a wonky tail. Everyone said he was sound but I could feel he wasn't. He actually went properly lame intermittently in front, before it started to show in increased height of one side of his tuber sacrale (the points on top of the bum). He recovered fine with rest to event but these days they do tend to treat with steroids.

.

.
 
ycbm said:
Have you seen him 'sit down' at any time, or skid marks in the field? One of the commonest ways to get a SI injury is for them to sit down suddenly. One of mine did it on a road, and it showed up with a wonky tail. Everyone said he was sound but I could feel he wasn't. He actually went properly lame intermittently in front, before it started to show in increased height of one side of his tuber sacrale (the points on top of the bum). He recovered fine with rest to event but these days they do tend to treat with steroids.

.

.
Click to expand...

There are skid marks in his field. He is very much a young horse and loves a hoolie around. So, if he does have SI, he is likely to make a good recovery? My worry, aside from of course the worst, is that he won’t jump again. I bought him for show jumping and eventing!
 
They can recover well, and mine did and went on to BE event at Novice, but it is an injury that has a reputation for recurring. Your vet wil be able to advise you.
 
Mine injured himself jumping a stream in the field and has since then been unable/unwilling to canter on the correct leg on that rein. It was the start of arthritic changes. I would recommend an x ray to check.
 
I think he will be taking a trip to Oakham soon (especially as there are a few of us at the yard who are having lameness issues).

When I take him, can anybody tell me what to ask for? Obviously nerve blocking and x rays. Or shall I just see what they say? I am really stressing about this and have genuinely cried a lot about this!

Thankfully he seems fine out hacking, so I am going to keep hacking him until we get to Oakham as the vet said to ride him as normal.

I know it’s difficult for people to say, but I keep reading that PSD and SI strains are career ending and I’m already devastated
 
There's a multitude of threads on here about 'naughty' horses or horses not being able to do something and the replies are always the same no matter what the OP's problem is - 'My horse did that too and we later found out he had [hock arthritis, KS, SI injury, hole in suspensory]'. Do you think every single horse that can't or won't do something has a life changing diagnosis? :p

You've already been given about three different diagnoses based off ONE thing your horse is doing, which shows you that it could be literally anything and that one symptom can be synonymous with a multitude of things, whether that be KS, SI problems, arthritis or something totally fixable.

Any horse with any of the above would probably struggle with picking up the right lead on a certain rein. You know what else can cause it? Inexperienced riders, green horses, bad saddle fit, the rider not sitting even, sore teeth, the horse having a bad day, and so on...
 
SpringArising said:
There's a multitude of threads on here about 'naughty' horses or horses not being able to do something and the replies are always the same no matter what the OP's problem is - 'My horse did that too and we later found out he had [hock arthritis, KS, SI injury, hole in suspensory]'. Do you think every single horse that can't or won't do something has a life changing diagnosis? :p

You've already been given about three different diagnoses based off ONE thing your horse is doing, which shows you that it could be literally anything and that one symptom can be synonymous with a multitude of things, whether that be KS, SI problems, arthritis or something totally fixable.

Any horse with any of the above would probably struggle with picking up the right lead on a certain rein. You know what else can cause it? Inexperienced riders, green horses, bad saddle fit, the rider not sitting even, sore teeth, the horse having a bad day, and so on...
Click to expand...

Thank you for sending this. I know I sound stupid but this actually really settled me! It’s the not knowing that’s the worry!!!
 
J_sarahd said:
I think he will be taking a trip to Oakham soon (especially as there are a few of us at the yard who are having lameness issues).

When I take him, can anybody tell me what to ask for? Obviously nerve blocking and x rays. Or shall I just see what they say? I am really stressing about this and have genuinely cried a lot about this!

Thankfully he seems fine out hacking, so I am going to keep hacking him until we get to Oakham as the vet said to ride him as normal.

I know it’s difficult for people to say, but I keep reading that PSD and SI strains are career ending and I’m already devastated
Click to expand...

You take him to a vet hospital you trust and you tell them that you have had the saddle checked and put a more experienced rider on him and that hasn't changed anything. But that he used to canter left with no problem at all and he no longer will/can. And then you pay for the vet to do whatever checks the vet thinks are the right ones for what you have described and what they see in front of them. You don't tell the vet what to do. In a recent case owned by a friend of mine, everyone was expecting leg X rays but the very sharp eyed and experienced vet said 'neck', x rayed that and found changes exactly where she expected.

If he was mine, I would do flexion tests on him before going to the vet, but I'm guessing you probably don't feel you have the experience to do that. The vet is likely to do them early on.

I hope they find something easy to fix which will answer all your questions about him.
.
 
Last edited:
J_sarahd said:
So pony has started refusing to canter left under saddle in the school (will canter out on a hack absolutely fine). Got the vet out today and she said he doesn’t appear to be lame. If she was being very picky, he was lame on the left hind for three steps after the flexion test - her words. We lunged him and she said there is noticeable difference in right canter and left canter.

He’s on Bute for two weeks and if it works, we are going to do some more investigative work. But does anyone have experience with this and can give me some indication as to what it may be?

Saddle has been checked recently but will get it checked again if the bute doesn’t work
Click to expand...

I would definitely also get the saddle checked, as that was the cause with our old pony who showed similar issues. She had gained muscle and the saddle had gradually lost fit on her shoulders.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top