Anyone seen a horse ‘squat’ behind?

[BBP]

Seen about 5 times now. Best I can describe is that it’s like when you do the back stretch when you run your fingers along their quarters and they hunch their back up, but at the same time as the back hunching the hocks flex and they go onto both hind toes and the hind end drops about a foot lower. The weirdest part is it seems to be triggered by rubbing the muscle along the line of the shoulder near the point of shoulder, so the brachiocephalicus I think. Once this has happened he then yawns and yawns and yawns.

It’s very odd.

On the plus side, we seem to have resolved the issues he was having getting up, by treating with high dose of vitamin E, so I think he is a genuine candidate for vitamin E deficiency myopathy. He has gone from sitting and rocking 4 or 5 times before being able to get up, to hopping straight up like any of the others.

 

[SilverLinings]

I have only seen this once, in an Arab stallion I used to clip for his owners, he was shown so clipped year-round and he did it every time I used the clippers down the back of his quarters and the back of his hind legs. It scared me first time as I thought his back end was going to give way, but the owner said that he had always done it.

He didn't react in any way to the rest of his body being clipped, and didn't seem distressed in any way when it happened. I knew him for about 5yrs and he didn't have any health problems during that time (and also competed in endurance at a so was in consistent work), but I then moved out of the area.

In his case I assume it was related to nervous system feedback from the clipper vibrations causing muscles/tendons/ligaments to react in an unnecessary way. According to his owners he didn't have any other unusual behaviours or responses to stimuli, and it didn't seem to worsen over the years I clipped him.

Has your horse started doing it since starting on the Vit. E, or is it just that you have only noticed it recently? Does he do it consistently every time you rub the same place on the shoulder, and does it happen when you do it on either side of his body? It's an interesting presentation, I'm not sure what the cause could be if it is a new behaviour/reaction, especially if there are no other symptoms.

 

[BBP]

I have only seen this once, in an Arab stallion I used to clip for his owners, he was shown so clipped year-round and he did it every time I used the clippers down the back of his quarters and the back of his hind legs. It scared me first time as I thought his back end was going to give way, but the owner said that he had always done it.

He didn't react in any way to the rest of his body being clipped, and didn't seem distressed in any way when it happened. I knew him for about 5yrs and he didn't have any health problems during that time (and also competed in endurance at a so was in consistent work), but I then moved out of the area.

In his case I assume it was related to nervous system feedback from the clipper vibrations causing muscles/tendons/ligaments to react in an unnecessary way. According to his owners he didn't have any other unusual behaviours or responses to stimuli, and it didn't seem to worsen over the years I clipped him.

Has your horse started doing it since starting on the Vit. E, or is it just that you have only noticed it recently? Does he do it consistently every time you rub the same place on the shoulder, and does it happen when you do it on either side of his body? It's an interesting presentation, I'm not sure what the cause could be if it is a new behaviour/reaction, especially if there are no other symptoms.

I first noticed it in the summer, when I started doing a bit of massage with him to see if it would help with his issues getting up, and it’s always been when pressing on that same area. But it isn’t every time when pressing on the same spot, so I can’t replicate it to video it or show the vet. I started the vitamin E in September so he has done it both before and after. When he did it on Friday of last week he then couldn’t bare to be touched for a while afterwards, loads of biting and teeth grinding for a while, then back to normal (for him, his nervous system is definitely a mess right now).

I think there is a big nerve bundle that runs behind the scapula so perhaps by pressing that muscle I caused the scapula to drop away and compress the nerve bundle? But it’s such a massive response.

 

[hock]

Do you mean like a cat stretch? So arched almost rolkur nck, rounded off back and they shorten their frame. Most of mine do this from time to time and ive always thought it to a good sogn as they cant do it if theres skeletal/muscular pain but maybe an old wives tail - or not what you men ?‍.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mimosa squats when you wash her tail and the water is too cold ? the bum to the hocks.

 

[BBP]

Do you mean like a cat stretch? So arched almost rolkur nck, rounded off back and they shorten their frame. Most of mine do this from time to time and ive always thought it to a good sogn as they cant do it if theres skeletal/muscular pain but maybe an old wives tail - or not what you men ?‍.

I know what you mean but No not quite like that. It’s hard to explain but it’s not something I’ve ever seen a horse do before. I had one that was a bit ‘cold backed’ (before I knew enough to know that should be investigated further) and he would sort of hunch up and drop a bit if you slid a rug off his back. But this is different I think, he goes right up onto his toes and all the muscles in his quarters and hind legs seem to contract really hard. I’ll have to see if I can get it on camera one day. It seems completely involuntary.

 

[BBP]

Mimosa squats when you wash her tail and the water is too cold ? the bum to the hocks.

I’m trying to think of this might be the same sort of movement as I know what you mean. It always catches me off guard when he does it but it lasts several seconds each time.

 

[smiggy]

My little Welsh does it too if tail washing and too hot or too cold, almost like a reflex.

 

[SilverLinings]

The movement sounds very much like what I saw in the horse I mentioned before, and it isn't really like any other movement, stretch or reaction I've seen in a horse so I know what you mean BBP about it being difficult to describe. The inconsistent response when you stimulate the area does make it sound like it is a nervous (as in nerves) reaction and that maybe it only affects a very specific area that you aren't always coming into contact with when you massage him.

Living beings are complicated entities with all sorts of examples of individuals who differ from the norm in their physiology/anatomy, so it may just be something unusual in the way his body works. It will be interesting to see if it stops when he's been on the vit. E for a bit longer. Is he otherwise healthy, particularly with regards to any neurological signs?

I think if it became more frequent/severe/longer-lasting, or if the horse had other signs of neurological issues then I'd want to speak to the vet, but if not then I would keep an eye on it (not suggesting you need telling BBP as it sounds as though your horses are very well looked after!).

 

[Nasicus]

Yeah, mine did it once when I had a little aiming mishap with the hose and her tail, can't say I blame her, I'd do the same! ?