Could it be bone spavins? Worried

exracehorse

exracehorse

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OK, TB Ex race horse. Barefoot. Owned nearly 2 years this September. Passed 5* vetting before purchase, passed all flexion tests with ease. First day out on road heard back shoes clinking on the road. Rung vet up (main equine hospital at Newmarket) and was told everything was fine at vetting. Then a few weeks later horse was serious accident so was rested for a long time. All shoes removed and went barefoot (long story) - barefoot doing really well. Schooled in sand school. Working well in outline etc. Just over past two months have begun hacking out, with hoof boots on front and now totally barefoot. He is un fit still and rather fat with a winter hay belly. Problems are thus, he is still toe dragging, not in walk but in trot and the back hooves are becoming quite square. So, I guess toe squaring rather than toe dragging as no drag marks up the hoof but, nonetheless he is not picking them up and he is made to work on the bit and not slouch along. Does it in the schooling ring if you look carefully and then you can see the sand kicking up. HOWEVER, if in field or being ridden and he gets himself really excited and his tail goes up etc, then he will pick them up nice and high. Second problem. I have posted this earlier as I was concerned that he keeps going on the wrong leg at canter. I have put it down to being unfit and probably carrying 2stone too much. I made the mistake of googling the above symptons and hock/spavin problems seem to come up a lot. This has now worried me a lot. Probably shouldn't have started to google in the first place. So, if anyone has had a pony with spavins, would their horse have been able to collect themselves and lift themselves up in trot when up on their toes? He is quite lazy at times. Also, I have felt him slide from behind at times but have again put that down to being unfit and not pushing properly. All teeth and back up to date etc. I did have a lady look at his back last summer (J. Grant) and she said nothing wrong with back or pelvis etc, just stiff. She watched him trotted up on the hard ground as I was worried about the toe dragging. But said probably due to not engaging from behind properly. He has never ever been lame on his rear legs nor any heat or swelling. It may just be a combination of him being unfit etc and having weight to lose but I do worry.
 
Personally I wouldn't work him in the school until he is much fitter. I also wouldnt work him on the bit - but rather just into the contact. That lack of restriction in front should help to get him moving behind.

The sliding behind could just be slipping. But it was an indicator for a horse I had of spavins - but only evidenced when ridden on a surface.

I guess you're only really going to know if something is wrong by getting the vet out.

But in the meantime I'd continue to hack out and do some constructive fittening work. And I'd steer well clear of the school.
 
With the sand school its regularly but, only 15 - 20 minutes max, and doing lots of walk to trot transitions etc. Only been cantering over the past 3 weeks and using trot poles. He picks up all his feet absolutely fine on the trotting poles, never hits any. I have video footage somewhere but drops them again when just trotting. I think he is better than he was with his trot actions, as he used to drag himself and hollow his back, so I feel the schooling sessions are helping and its not every day, usually 3 or 4 times a week and the other days 20 minutes of power walking on the roads with occasion bursts of trot if a car is behind etc. But, I can see the toe square when I return, if we have trotted. I try a mixture of schooling on the hack (mainly to keep his attention as otherwise he can play me up and jump around) or if he is in a relaxed mood then I give a longer rein, sometimes to the end of the buckle and just get him to power walk and swing his hips. I guess we have been schooling and hacking over a period of 3 months and never done too much.
 
You can do plenty of schooling on a hack. And far better to walk a fat horse for an hour every day than 20 mins in the school 3 or 4 times a week.
 
Also if the horse has been back in work for 3 months, and is still fat, you need to rethink your exercise regime. He should be as fit as a fiddle by now.
 
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