Could being stiff in the back effect the front?

ShowJumperBeckii

ShowJumperBeckii

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Hello just a quick question
lunging horse yesterday and she looked like she want moving right on her right front leg, friend said she looked fine, but to me she didt? i was just wondered could her being stiff from her back legs maybe effect the way she moves on the front? as its got colder shes maybe getting stiffer,
i didt ride today as i didt have time, and theres no heat or swelling so maybe thought it could be this? or im day dreaming:rolleyes:

Sorry if im being stupid :rolleyes:
thanks :) xx
 
not stupid at all - if you think it looks like there's something wrong with your mare, you are probably right!!

stiffness in the back/hind legs can absolutely affect the front legs, especially if there's a compensating effect.

For example - mine has had a bit of an issue with his left hind for a while now and, as a result of compensation, his right shoulder is tangibly more muscled than the left.

Maybe she needs more time to warm up? IIRC, one of your earlier posts said that she had spavin or something, so yeah, maybe she needs to warm up longer?
 
Was she straight out of the stable when you lunged her? Mine's quite often stiff when he's just out his box. Like Maletto said, she might just need a longer warm up to get the stiffness out before she starts working.

If she comes up sound when she's warmed up you should be ok to ride :)
 
If she's not sound, then no, you don't ride. Try a longer warm up on the lunge, but it could be there's an underlying reason for the stiffness/soreness and you might need to get a vet to have a look over her.
 
shes has arthitis in the hocks, so everyone has said this can cause a sort of lameness in the front from stiffness so i know the main probem, im just wondered will i cause damage to the front if i rode? or as soon as she loosons off the lameness will go? or this this a phone to the vets....
 
Lunge?
but all winter shes going to be stiff this this mean shes going to be unsound and unrideable? more importantly will she be in pain from the front lameness?
sorry if im being silly, im never heard of somerthing like this before
 
It could be that she is just stiff, which means when the stiffness goes she'll stop compensating with her front end and the lameness will go. My friend's mare has a similar thing, she's arthritic in one hock, so she gets a sore back from twisting to compensate for her sore hock.

Is yours stabled at night or out 24/7?
 
If your that worried call the vets, phone advice is free.

Is she lame in a straight line or just in a circle?
I don't mean this to upset you but have you thought that all the problems you have encoutered may be linked to her arthiritis? And maybe she isn't quite up to what you want to do anymore as you obvioulsy love jumping but is it harming her?

I know how you feel my old pony had arthiritis in his hocks and would jump what I wanted to but I didn't think it was fair asking him to so I sold him to a home where he is so happy. I know you say she wouldn't jump if she was in pain but if she enjoys it that much she still would, Koko loved jumping and jumped even though he had a bad back.

Its just a thought and I know you must adore her but you really need to have a long and hard think about whats best for you both.
 
all the time just in the right :/
ahh poo i feel bad im nearly crying Haa deary me :/
i was just thinking before you post, shes going to gett stiffer and unsound and i dont even want to know what next :/
 
BSJAShowjumper123 said:
oooh :/ but if shes stiff all winter? shes going to be unsound and so ill have a unsound horse all winter?
Stabled at night and out all day :/
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Can you bandage her legs at night to keep them warm? That might ease the stiffness a bit. Only thing is, if she's stiff when coming straight out of the field it does sound like it's more likely to be her arthritis.

I'd take Kokopelli's suggestion, and phone the vet for an opinion if she's still stiff tomorrow.
 
BSJAShowjumper123 said:
all the time just in the right :/
ahh poo i feel bad im nearly crying Haa deary me :/
i was just thinking before you post, shes going to gett stiffer and unsound and i dont even want to know what next :/
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Its tough but its just one of them things, maybe its worth getting an assesment done by a trusted vet just to find out whats going on how the spavin is if shes getting it in any other places.

When was the last time she had the vet out to check over all this?

And don't worry too much cause even if the vet says cut down jumping it doesn't mean you have to sell her, if your prepared to stop competing for her it depends what you want to do. PM me if you want but don't get too worried it could be absolutly nothing
 
hmm in febuary said it would need injections once a year and can carry on with jumping and what we normaly do
but im worried that the only way to keep her sound is bute.... is it fair to do this every winter? or am i just paranoed?
 
BSJAShowjumper123 said:
hmm in febuary said it would need injections once a year and can carry on with jumping and what we normaly do
but im worried that the only way to keep her sound is bute.... is it fair to do this every winter? or am i just paranoed?
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If he's giving her injections will she need the bute.

There are a lot of different opinions regarding bute. Imagine you had a sore knee so you take some nurofen you are not in pain, but is the nurofen masking the pain or is the pain gone?
It depends on how you see it, its your horse and I don't feel like I could give you that sort of answer, its something you need to be speaking to your vet about who has seen the horse in the flesh.
 
i guess :/
i know i know iv seen it thats why i wasnt sure keeping a horse sound on bute is fair? shes 12 so bute all her life is going to knacker her kidneys [it is kidneys isint it]
sorry im being stupid im getting upset now
many people will blame me? i jumped her when i know she had it in her hocks and i am to blame even tho i was told i could, but all winter and if shes on bute to keep her sound is it fair to ride too? x
 
BSJAShowjumper123 said:
i guess :/
i know i know iv seen it thats why i wasnt sure keeping a horse sound on bute is fair? shes 12 so bute all her life is going to knacker her kidneys [it is kidneys isint it]
sorry im being stupid im getting upset now
many people will blame me? i jumped her when i know she had it in her hocks and i am to blame even tho i was told i could, but all winter and if shes on bute to keep her sound is it fair to ride too? x
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Before you get too upset, get on the phone to your vet tomorrow express your concerns to him ask him about keeping her on bute.

And people won't be annoyed at you if it is worse as your vet said jumping would be fine, people would only be annoyed if you jumped against your vets better judgement.

But really ring your vet tomorrow, its free to get advice he know ebony he can tell you what he thinks about her and may want to come out to see her. Chin up, could be worse :)
 
Look, dear, she has been a bit stiff for one day - it's hardly a case of bute for life!
Calm down a bit, see if she feels/moves better tomorrow, if not, call the vet for a chat or give her a stronger joint supplement, maybe a few days on bute or some Devil's Claw.
As to the nurofen/bute pain relief versus healing - the drug is an anti-inflammatory with analgesic action, which means it helps to HEAL (remove inflammation) as well as reduce pain.
 
I would speak to your vet and see what his advice is. don't go upsetting yourself, it might not be as bad as you think. Perhaps you just need to spend abit longer warming her up
 
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