Can an asymmetric pelvis make horse look lame?

[atropa]

As title really..I have a mare whose pelvis is higher on the off side than the near side. She looks lame in trot on the lunge, much worse on the left rein but still noticable on the right, and is also slightly lame in trot under saddle.

I had her into my vets last month for a lameness workup (physical exam/trot up and xrays) but nothing was found bar this asymmetry in her pelvis. We have tried a bute trial and seen no change. Unfortunately at the time, my other mare was also in being investigated, was diagnosed with navicular and PSD and so was more the focus of the vet's investigation. In hindsight I wish I had pushed the vet further to look into my younger mare more thoroughly but it was a bit of a stressful day.

Has anyone had any experience of an unbalanced pelvis affecting gait, and if so, did doing lots of hillwork/hacking to build the hindquarters help to make it less obvious?

 

[ycbm]

I would say that she doesn't look lame, she is lame. The question is whether the lameness is purely mechanical, from having one leg, effectively, longer than the other, or whether there is pain involved causing the lameness.

Did they x ray her spine and rule out kissing spines? I ask because I've been told that kissing spines often doors not respond to a bute trial, and had one myself that didn't.

If kissing spines have been ruled out and a bute trial has done nothing, then for the moment it would seem that you will have to assume that it's mechanical. In which case, I would try to build up her strength and see what happens with time and a good physio.

I have only known one horse like this and she did event to Intermediate, but broke down before she was ten.

Hope that helps.

 

[be positive]

Being asymmetric will give the appearance of lameness, she is unlevel on her topline so will be unlevel in her action, it may not be painful or due to inflammation so bute will have no effect, my horse was similar and declared sound by two vets, following no improvement I gave him time off then got in a different vet to assess, he had minor damage to his SI, soft tissue only, had steroid injections and intensive physio/ rehab and has been sound ever since, he is now level in his pelvis and the muscles are fully developed.

I would get it properly looked at as it is not "normal" the longer she remains uneven the less chance of her recovering, if there is nothing found by the vets then get a good physio involved and work on building her up evenly but I would want to fully investigate first as you risk building up the good side even more while she protects the weaker side as it must be uncomfortable if not painful to be lopsided.

 

[atropa]

I would say that she doesn't look lame, she is lame. The question is whether the lameness is purely mechanical, from having one leg, effectively, longer than the other, or whether there is pain involved causing the lameness.

Did they x ray her spine and rule out kissing spines? I ask because I've been told that kissing spines often doors not respond to a bute trial, and had one myself that didn't.

If kissing spines have been ruled out and a bute trial has done nothing, then for the moment it would seem that you will have to assume that it's mechanical. In which case, I would try to build up her strength and see what happens with time and a good physio.

I have only known one horse like this and she did event to Intermediate, but broke down before she was ten.

Hope that helps.

You're right YCBM, bad turn of phrase to say she looks lame. Yep, her back was extensively xrayed as we thought this was where the problem was (presenting with girthiness that was not ulcers or ovarian pain) and no kissing spines found.

Being asymmetric will give the appearance of lameness, she is unlevel on her topline so will be unlevel in her action, it may not be painful or due to inflammation so bute will have no effect, my horse was similar and declared sound by two vets, following no improvement I gave him time off then got in a different vet to assess, he had minor damage to his SI, soft tissue only, had steroid injections and intensive physio/ rehab and has been sound ever since, he is now level in his pelvis and the muscles are fully developed.

I would get it properly looked at as it is not "normal" the longer she remains uneven the less chance of her recovering, if there is nothing found by the vets then get a good physio involved and work on building her up evenly but I would want to fully investigate first as you risk building up the good side even more while she protects the weaker side as it must be uncomfortable if not painful to be lopsided.

This was what I thought might possibly be happening bp...the vet clinic visit last month was supposed to be her being 'properly' looked at by the top lameness vet in the country but I guess there's only so much time in the day and my other mare was a more interesting and obvious case so took priority..as I say, in hindsight I wish I had pushed him more to look further. Think I will call him back out to the yard for a second look, and if he still feels there's nothing to be looked at then physio and building up will be my plan.

 

[paddi22]

I had an exracer in with a very assymetrical pelvis. he never looked lame and it was sorted out after two visits from an osteo and the correct work.

I did have another one with sciatica and si issues, and that would bring on lameness at times, of varying severity.

 

[Pilib]

My horse was lame intermittently last year, with bouts of thrush in both hinds that wouldn't clear up.the physio ( McTimmony)came to see him and his pelvis was unlevel and he was lame.
I had noticed he rested one hind more than the other, but thought little of it. He went to the vets for work up, x-rays, nerve blocks etc. Turned out the lameness was caused by sheered heels. He's now in heart bar shoes behind and totally sound. Was barefoot behind previously. Interestingly the physio came out again 9 months later and pronounced his pelivis level. He's resting both hinds evenly and back to full work.
Everyone, even the vet thought it was his pelvis causing the lameness, so much so that she almost didn't bother with foot nerve blocks!
So I would peruse this with your vets again as could be foot balance related. Good luck!

 

[spacefaer]

We have one that has a assymetric pelvis, and pronounced muscle weakness on the lower side. He was shorter striding on that side, and that leg was weaker pushing off, eg walking up hills. He has had a winter of roadwork, walking up and down hills and a brilliant osteopath has seen him about 6 times.

He also came with a history of ulcers and was very cold backed.

He is now sound, muscled, and I can get on like he's a normal horse! No longer cold backed. He still has the assymetry but the muscle is building round it and it is not so noticeable.

I suspect he had a bad fall when young (he's now 7) which was never checked out/corrected at the time.

 

[atropa]

I had an exracer in with a very assymetrical pelvis. he never looked lame and it was sorted out after two visits from an osteo and the correct work.

I did have another one with sciatica and si issues, and that would bring on lameness at times, of varying severity.

Thanks Paddi, that's my worry that it's something more deep seated that has been missed by the vet :\

My horse was lame intermittently last year, with bouts of thrush in both hinds that wouldn't clear up.the physio ( McTimmony)came to see him and his pelvis was unlevel and he was lame.
I had noticed he rested one hind more than the other, but thought little of it. He went to the vets for work up, x-rays, nerve blocks etc. Turned out the lameness was caused by sheered heels. He's now in heart bar shoes behind and totally sound. Was barefoot behind previously. Interestingly the physio came out again 9 months later and pronounced his pelivis level. He's resting both hinds evenly and back to full work.
Everyone, even the vet thought it was his pelvis causing the lameness, so much so that she almost didn't bother with foot nerve blocks!
So I would peruse this with your vets again as could be foot balance related. Good luck!

Thank you, I will definitely keep this in mind..she hasn't had any thrush-type issues but is currently barefoot behind. As they say, the majority of lameness does come from the foot.

We have one that has a assymetric pelvis, and pronounced muscle weakness on the lower side. He was shorter striding on that side, and that leg was weaker pushing off, eg walking up hills. He has had a winter of roadwork, walking up and down hills and a brilliant osteopath has seen him about 6 times.

He also came with a history of ulcers and was very cold backed.

He is now sound, muscled, and I can get on like he's a normal horse! No longer cold backed. He still has the assymetry but the muscle is building round it and it is not so noticeable.

I suspect he had a bad fall when young (he's now 7) which was never checked out/corrected at the time.

Thank you, this is quite interesting. I don't know her history before I got her but a physio mentioned she has a healed chest tear, and we believe she probably has had a foal too, so plenty of opportunity for her to have had a mishap. Wouldn't say she's cold backed but definitely she dislikes being girthed and groomed in that area (the reason I started vet investigations in the first place).