Anyone in posession of a small padded room complete with punch bag?

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LankyDoodle

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I'm so so fed up with this. Sick of the sight of vets. Really don't know what I did to deserve all of this.

4 days before our holiday, a holiday where we take our horses and have done for years, several times a year, where we have made friends with the owners and they are going to lend my husband a horse to ride.... FOUR FRIKKIN DAYS! George is unrideable
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I am so upset.
 
Maybe I should expand a bit.

I have been riding and lunging him a lot more since I finished my course and losing our other horse 4 weeks ago. I've been paranoid on a lot of things and madly checking him, but today, sadly, it wasn't paranoia
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We had him vetted when we bought him 6 yrs ago and all that came up was a mild medio-lateral foot imbalance and that he was stiff on both reins, more-so on the left rein and needed reschooling. I did this, having loads of lessons and it proved to be very difficult to get him to canter at all or to sustain it if I did, in the school at home as the surface is so poor. He has always found it easier away from home, but even out on a hack he struggles unless he has a lead. He would occasionally bunny hop going into trot but that was disobedience because I always managed to work through it after about 10 minutes. He has always struggled to go into a nice outline and has been known to shake his head slightly to resist, or pull down.

Anyway, as I said, I've been riding him more and about 3 weeks ago I lunged him over some small jumps to get him excited because he does like jumping (although, thinking about it, he's been known to refuse with a rider on board in the past, but haven't they all!?). He did catch the off hind on one of the poles, with the flat part of the foot, stumbled and then landed awkwardly on the foot with it bent backwards. I walked him round but he was fine, showed no discomfort. I was careful for a few days and he was all fine.

Last week I noticed when riding him, a feeling of him almost dragging the leg under him or it collapsing slightly under him. At first I put it down to the poor school surface/boggy going on the hack, but he kept doing it, and on Thursday I noticed that he had a sore back as he was dipping when we tested it. As we couldn't get anyone to come out before Cornwall, we decided to get someone to come IN Cornwall and she is seeing him on Friday, as is the saddle fitter. I have not been riding him because of the sore back, but today I decided to lunge him lightly, firstly to see how he was going with that leg and the back, and secondly because I am trying to get weight off him and hoped that he'd lunge OK.

Anyway, to the point, I started on his left rein, which is his worst rein. I asked him to walk and he was struggling a bit which looked like messing around at first. He'd break into a couple of strides of trot, started circling in closer and closer, turning into me and pulling his head around all over the place, trying to tell me to get stuffed. Again, all this seemed like messing around (he has been known to do something similar on the lunge, to avoid work - he's been badly treated in last home so doesn't like people unless you build that bond). That was until he slowed right down, pawed at the ground and sniffed around as if he was going to roll, then his legs just went from under him and he went down, was going to stay there but I willed with the lunge line for him to get up and he did. I was going to take him in, he walked a few more steps and went down again. It WAS almost like he was rolling. He wasn't obviously lame and was very bright in himself - he usual charming self!

I panicked because he has NEVER done anything like this before. Despite the trials I have had with him, he's an honest boy, really, and would never put either of us in danger. I just burst into tears because only 4 weeks ago our 15 year old mare was PTS and I've been extra vigilant with him ever since. I called the vet immediately and their reaction was 'you need someone sooner rather than later really'. Took about half hour for the vet to come and he was fine, I put him in his box. But I started looking round his legs and noticed that the off side hock is ever ever so slightly inflamed and he really did not want me touching it. He pulled away and swished his tail violently. He then flung his hay in my face
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When he turns, he won't use that leg and leaves it turned outwards when he stands. Vet got there and started to examine him.

Right, getting there... well done for getting this far! She did a flexion test and checked his back - all OK there although she said he did still seem a little sore on his back, which the chiro is going to look at on Friday. She then looked at his legs and agreed that the hock area was VERY slightly inflamed but said that this could be natural variation from the other hock. She asked to see him lunged again, best rein first. He was OK on this rein, went nicely, no dragging really, no head shaking, no turning in, no wanting to go down, no resitance. Then she asked to see him walked and trotted on the other rein and OMG.... dragging the off hind, sliding on it, hopping every few strides, shaking his head, turning in, looking like he wanted to go down again, agressive pulling away from me. Then she asked me to trot him up in a straight line... everything absolutely fine again - no dragging or anything. Then she did a flexion test on that hock and he was, once again, fine in that respect! No heat in the hock at all, or in any of the feet. He is fine on a tight circle around me on right rein but slightly bad on the other rein, but always has been!

She told me to give him bute until Friday when the chiro comes, see what the chiro says and if inflamation has gone down and he's got better, he can be lightly hacked from next week, but she isn't sure if the back is causing leg problem or leg problem causing the back problem (I think it's the leg tbh). He's had to have his pelvis readjusted by a chiro before. She said that if he's still lame on that off-hind in our second week of holiday then we have to arrange nerve blocks and xrays
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And under no circumstances ride him. She also said that this is going to be a massive mystery that will take a long time to get to the bottom of because the only thing that's obvious is lameness in off-hind on left rein only plus a little inflamation (which she isn't even sure is inflamation!).

Her response when I asked her if this could have been a long term thing that's been always causing him enough bother to make him reluctant to canter but never enough to make him obviously lame (I have been told before by an instructor that he was slightly lame but he came sound quite soon), was 'it could be, I don't know'. Her response when I asked if he could be lame long term, was again 'I don't know, some people end up retiring their horses if they have unexplained lameness.' As she said, he has no muscle wastage so it's unlikely to be a long-term thing.

But please GOD, why is this happening to us!? I'm so fed up
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Poor, poor you. This sounds like my horse's initial indications - other than a subtle 'reduced performance' - of spavin.

After plenty of lows and time off, he was hunting fit last winter, and schools and jumps regularly. He can fly up a hill in gallop and is just a bit stiff behind and needs regular back massage.

Don't panic just yet. I am really sorry about your holiday plans and hope it's all going to be sorted soon.
 
Thank you, brighteyes
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I can't believe how much never-ending support I have received on this forum over the past 6 weeks
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It sounds great that your boy is fit and healthy now. How did they sort it out?

We are still going to go on holiday - we need it - and he'll have a lovely2 and a half weeks eating different grass hehe.

How could I have missed the signs for 6 years? I should have ignored the instructors who told me he was idle (not wanting to canter, bunny-hopping into trot), and sussed something else was up. My poor boy
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dont beat yourself up over it
you are nt the sort of person who would do there horse wrong
i have had problem after problem with mine , its sooo frustrating sometimes
pm me and we can chat
 
Oh hun, I'm really sorry to hear this. I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong. I dare say he hasn't been lame for the whole 6 years you've had him - or he would have become much worse, or developed behavioural problems.

At least you're on the road to sorting him out, and I agree with Brighteyes - don't panic yet! It might be something very simple and very treatable. See how he gets on over the next few days/weeks.

Sorry about your holiday plans though, what a nightmare!
 
Sorry mines in constant use at the moment.Keep your chin up.Sounds very similiar to my problems with spavin my boy had op in January for his.He has since had a splint been kicked in same leg argh and has injured himself twice since.Two summers completely out of the window maybe we could share the bag and padded cell.I have vet out on wed morning hope you get to the bottom of your problems good luck and vibes.
After re reading your post the bunny hopping was a sign of spavin with my horse.He had spurs (boney growths )growing on the inside of his hock but he was unsound on flexation.I was told to retire but went for operation and he is looking fab with the hock its just the other injuries that have brought him down so dont despair you can help if its spavin there are several options.
 
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Thank you everyone. Sounds very much like it could be spavin, then, and that he'll end up having to have the blocks and xrays
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I can't believe he could be out of work for up to a year! He's 17, nearly 18 and I strongly suspect, considering the circumstances in which he was bought, that this is something that may have always been underlying and we've just not noticed because it was clouded by naughtiness
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My poor boy. I was going to be getting a new horse and my husband taking G on in a while, but looks like we are both ride-less.
 
He wont be out of work for a year if you have the op.One months box rest due to procedure one month field rest restricted then walk for a month hacking only thereater trot etc.Sounds harsh but if you excercise the spavin fuses quicker .they take the cartlidge away so the bone rubs and this causes fusion
 
Just read your edit! He was sound on flexation but has always done the bunny hopping and the canter problems. The dragging his feet is new and he's never gone down when exercising! The turning in is newish and being so aggressive pulling away is newish. The swelling is new and pain on touching the hock is new, as is the back pain. But he's always done this bunny hopping and not wanted to canter, always been stiff on left rein, no matter what I do and always fell in on that rein.

Am so worried now. As usual the busy body at the stables who knows sweet FA is telling me all these things that are not true, trying to keep the limelight well and truly on her when I am trying to get advice from a KNOWLEDGEABLE person over there! I would go for the op definitely if it's an option for him. I hope it's sortable. Even if I have to retire him, he'll never leave us.
 
I wish you luck with the vet and nerve blocks.Once you have a diagnosis you will feel better.Several people on this site have opted for injections or tildren they are sometimes slower to work in regard to fusion but the horse feels better quickly if they help they might have to be tried several times but you still have choices.The op was my best option as my horse was young and I didnt want him to suffer for a longer period while the joint fused.You have to make up your mind what is best for your horse and Im sure your vet will help once you have the correct diagnosis. I had stiffness on one rein but thought it was because he was ex racer and they always do circuit on one rein he was also green.
Ignore the busy body and tell her you are seeking proffessional advice that should hit the spot lol.Let me know how you get on what day did you say you were seeing the vet.
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The sore back is because he is compensating for hock pain.Perfectly normal .My vet told me this happens on a regular basis with spavin.Once the hock has settled down and is working properly the pain will ease.When I start working again after splint problems I will have mc timoney lady out to ease back problems .One problem often causes another.When we had our diagnosis my horse was so lame all over compensating that it was difficult to make a decision on which leg was lame .The nerve blocks are the right way forward.
 
Hi
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The vet came today and we are taking him off to Cornwall on Thursday for 2.5 weeks. She didn't diagnose spavin, but it IS looking that way as she did mention it, people here have mentioned it, what knowledge I have of it... it all adds up.

But why would he have it for 6 years before I realised? OK so he had the problems with canter, bunny hopping, napping (general naughtiness) but he's never had pain in his back or in that area and not persistently lame (was once but he came sound straight away). Basically his symtoms are: sore back caused him to dip away the other day but is better now, slightly swollen hock on the off hind, dragging/sliding that leg ONLY when lunged on left rein, he is normal on the other rein and on the straight and fine after flexation, passes flexion tests, no muscle wastage, no heat anywhere, bunny hops at the start of trot, lack of willingness to do canter and no sustainability in canter, just the last few days he has started standing with it pointing outwards awkwardly especially after turning because he pivots on the other hind and leaves that one where it was when he was facing the other way.

I wish it had been my male vet as this happened with the lami in the mare - she is not happy to hedge her bets and will not explain things properly
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He is on bute for 4 days until chiro comes to see him (he's had his pelvis readjusted before) and box rest. I can let him out for a short time occasionally if he's quiet. Can't ride him unless chiro is happy for that to happy.

He passed all the flexion tests. He trotted up sound on flexation. It's this hock that's come up slightly swollen (like a bog spavin I think) and the slightly sore back. The hock is sore to touch and he's lame on that leg on one rein but not the other.

I feel sick at the thought that I have hammered him for 6 years, while this has possibly been the reason all along
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And he's missed out on his best years (12-18) because of it
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I won't get him dxd til we are back. She said if he's still lame in 2nd week then we'll arrange nerve blocks and xrays for when that week back.

I keep thinking maybe he strained it over that jump... but I'm just not wanting it to be bad
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Dont beat yourself up over it.My horse pulled a ligament in the same leg a year before I wonder now if it was because he was compensating.They can go years with this brewing its a degenarative(sp) disease and thats why it doesnt always show up.Horses wouldnt survive in the wild if they didnt mask the pain its a in built fault being prey animals. Mine really came to light when we started serious schooling .He was out of work from schooling earlier because of the ligament and then mild tendon so it wasnt until we did some serious grown up work that he broke down. Like you I felt terrible thought I was a bad owner they mask problems .Bog spavin makes sense as well its the right area although I dont have any knowledge on that subject.
We had muscle wastage so that doesnt add up with spavin nor does flexation test he would have been lame maybe its bog spavin surely thats more easily treatable.
 
No it doesn't seem to add up about the muscle wastage or the flexation test. Bog spavin I don't think caused lameness ordinarily, but I may be wrong. It's fluid build up in one of the hock joints, which does match to the kind of inflamation he has. But he did go down in the school and that, in my eyes, is quite serious and him telling me he's in a lot of pain
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He is lame on one rein but not on the other or on the straight. Thinking of him going down makes me so scared - I thought sh!t when I saw it as I wasn't sure he'd get up again!
 
He could have a bad sprain /bruise and bog spavin.The two things could make him extremely sore I think I would get a second opinion .The school is very hard to work in if he has sprained or bruised one of his joints .
 
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