Back problems of some sort?? Suggestions please??

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scotsmare

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We've had issues with backing my 4yr old girly for the last couple of months and it looks like it's been money down the drain
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She has had irregular seasons and constantly seems tight across where her ovaries sit, so we thought it was a hormonal problem. She had an Oestroban injection to see if that helped but it didn't.

Today, I had vet out to scan her ovaries to see if there was a problem there and the upshot is that there isn't. They were perfectly normal for a mid cycle mare. However, just in case there was something hormonal going on then we've done a full set of bloods.....

Vet is now thinking that there is pain in her back of some sort - with a possibility of it being kissing spines. He has started her on pain relief today to see if that makes a difference to her, if it does then she needs to go for further investigation (she'll need to go either way I think). Vet hospital with right equipment is 150 miles away so it's a big decision!

Obviously, we've stopped all work til we get an explanation - no point paying for a test pilot when all we're doing is hurting ponio!

I should also say that she's never been lame at all.....

Any other suggestions as to what might be causing it? Am at end of tether and don't quite know which way to turn ATM.
 
Here is something I've found by googling : What is a "season" and how long does it last?
This is simply a period where the mare is fertile and becomes sexually receptive. Mares usually come into season every 3 to 4 weeks from between April to August, but there are many variations, we've had early and late foals from off Dartmoor. Feeding of course plays a big part in this, no animal will come into season if it is starved or it will have irregular seasons if it is poorly fed or otherwise stressed. Climate changes may also affect oestrous and we do see some of these changes in the UK. Also where mares need to be bred early, heated stables and warm clothing can bring mares into season during the Winter. How long the season lasts, well, from a few days onwards really, if you have a stallion in the yard where you keep her, then the chances are her season will last longer. Again it is variable from mare to mare. If you want to breed, then the fitter the mare the better, she needs to be in the best of health, overweight mares are also less likely to conceive. Seasons are sometimes known as "being in heat".

Apparently Scotsmare, horses can also develope endrometris which can give them irregular seasons.

During backing her and following this has she been reluctant to girth up? Girthiness is a classic symptom of KS. Also not going forward under saddle (although this is common in young horses anyway) and bucking, constantly going disunited in canter. I know that most of these things all young horses will exhibit when broken in as the norm anyway so I guess it would be difficult to pinpoint without xrays which would show the spinous processes touching if she does have KS.
 
I think you would be best to at least xray. It could be the saddle too. I had ones which fitted perfectly according to the saddler but still caused a problem with my mare (she has SI which gave similar symptoms to KS). I bought a Korrector pad and then a Wow (as the Korrector worked) and it helped. The trouble is it is so hard to know with a young mare! It is hard to know if it is physical, hormonal or just behavioural! But you have sent her to a pro so if they cant ride her then there is possibly another reason.

I have to say I havent heard of horses with KS that werent girthy (but not saying they dont exist) so that may be a positive sign. Sorry not much help really as it could be a number of things and i think you just have to wait and see unfortunately.
 
Just to throw something in to the mix for you..

Has she had a full lameness work up done??? My horse is prone to getting tight across his back, and has always been 'touchy' behind the saddle.

His recent lameness issues now addressed - his sore back has instantly rectified.
 
Have decided to get a different vet to do a full lameness workup next week and scan legs where necessary.

The only clue I can possibly think of is that she has uneven wear on the inside of her off hind so not sure if this is indicative of something.

Otherwise she is absolutely fine, not girthy anything, no uneven sweating, foot dragging.

Am stumped
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I would get her back xrayed (they have portable ones now) in that way you can rule out KS (look at me being positive!) and then spend loads on legs etc....
 
As you've arranged I would get a full work up done and then if needed get a referal for scans if required.

"sore" backs are often secondary to lameness. Sometimes if they are evenly lame (if that makes sense) it can be hard to pick up.

I hope you get some conclusive results from the work up so that you can go forward. I seen her pic and she's a lovely looking mare, you both deserve some luck.
 
My horse had serious behavioural problems and was diagnosed and operated on for KS successfully, he was a great 4yr old who gradually deteriorated over a 2 year period when being asked to work a little more, it took ages to get him correctly diagnosed.

The only symptom he didn't suffer from was being sensitive to being saddled up, he did however have other symptoms that were telling, he couldn't arch his back upwards, was not obviously bi-laterally lame making his diagnosis difficult but was short and stiff in his back end stride and he would go from being a poppet to massive out of the blue flare ups when being ridden, especially down short, sharp hills.

Don't know if that helps but may help you discount KS, I would have thought you would have sensed something wrong in the way she moves if it was KS but if she is seriously objecting to being backed something is clearly wrong. Ryan was nerve blocked and scanned and had anaesthetic injected in to his back, within minutes he was sound and floating beautifully around the vets paddock making it clear that was the problem, not an easy thing to deal with but my gorgeous horse has been in regular work at least 4 or 5 days a week since his op 3 yrs ago and is still improving and going from strength to strength.
 
Sounds very similar to Jesper as a 4yr old. He was never considered lame but I got the vets out as his behaviour was awful. Nerve blocks and scans confirmed PSD, although it did involve extensive investigation as all symptoms pointed to back pain. The good news was after three months box rest and three months in the field he came back in to work a different horse. Good luck.
 
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