Could this indicate pain in left hind?

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sfward

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My 5 year old Missie is lovely but has one or two schooling issues which I'm wondering whether may be due to some pain somewhere. She has lovely rhythmical paces but leans on the left rein in trot to the left and falls out through her right shoulder, and in right canter she falls in and has a tendency to try and run and/or change legs behind. The left rein thing she has done since I bought her, the canter thing is more recent (summer). Her teeth are fine and she has had sessions with a McTimoney chiropractor who said she was a little 'out' in her spine and has treated her to enable her to work more evenly and build muscle more evenly. On her last session in September the verdict was she was much improved. Both her saddles have been checked for fit.

Up to now I have assumed that the schooling glitches I'm experiencing with her are partly a hangover from this natural one-sidedness (maybe not helped by me finding it difficult to get the weight over my right leg and seatbone) and partly due to her age, the need for improved suppleness and greenness.

BUT could it be related to pain in her left hind, and her therefore not wanting to take the weight on it? Back in the spring she slipped on the road when a bird shot out of the hedge and bruised her left hock quite badly. I had the vet out twice and she had 4 weeks of gentle walking. She has been sound ever since but I wonder could there be some hangover from this which is affecting her comfort and performance...?

For some reason she has become increasingly difficult on the lunge recently, throwing her quarters out to the right on the left rein, and to the right she still occasionally changes legs in canter and will sometimes lay her ears back at me when I ask her to go forwards. She is running on her forehand rather than working properly from behind and doesn't seem happy - she wants to do everything at 100 mph and from experience this seems to be her reaction to worry. I really don't know if I'm imagining things but I felt she looked a little short and possibly uneven behind. But then maybe I'm being paranoid
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Sorry this has ended up rather long
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Just not sure whether it would be worth going to the expense of getting the vet out or whether I'm just imagining things
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Are there any small tests/things I could try at home to give me a better idea of whether she is feeling pain somewhere? Or does anyone have more experience in whether these symptoms might indicate pain in the left hind (or anywhere else for that matter)?

thanks everyone
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Could be anything- but definately sounds like she has an issue there, would def get the vet out to have a look.

A lot of these things you could say is just a typical young horse, but the most worrying thing for me is the fact that she wants to constantly change legs behind and the fact that you think she looks short behind sometimes- no you will not be imagining it !!

How are her feet- flat, or do they have good heels? How is she trotting on the lunge the hard ground? what do her hocks look like when trotting away from you- is the hock flexion equal and straight in both legs?
 
Yes, it's difficult, as you say could be any one of a number of things... The changing legs thing did worry me which is why I got the chiropractor out to her, and as described there was an issue there which according to him is much improved (as of September), so it could just be that she's doing it to get out of having to work properly. She has been better recently, she mostly seems to do it in dressage tests when she gets tense; I don't think I've managed a dressage test since August where she hasn't changed legs behind in right canter at least. At home I haven't cantered her much recently as I wanted to try and get the trot better and get her more supple so that she would find the canter easier, so that could be a lot of the reason why I feel she's doing it less!

Her feet are pretty good for a thoroughbred, not too flat and she has reasonable heels. In trot on the lunge she just about tracks up but no more. I suppose she must be similar ridden but I will get someone to watch her on the ground for me. Due to being away on weekends she hasn't been hacked out for a while so difficult to judge whether there would be a marked difference say on the roads. I'll get my friend to trot her up for me tonight (tho will have to be on gravel, no hard standing long enough) although it's so bloomin' dark on our yard not sure how much I'll be able to see!!!
 
Any chance of turning her away for a couple of mnths? At that age, they are still growing which can exasperate any natural weakness as they go unbalanced due to growth...maybe worth throwing her out for a bit and seeing how she is when she comes in?

BTW was she for sale earlier this year?
 
She had a 3 week holiday in October, then I got her back into work as I wanted to spend the winter improving her flatwork for next spring, rather than chuck her out all winter and be back to square one in January! but maybe that was the wrong decision...? She certainly looks to me like she's grown recently, more changed shape and come up a bit in front.

I bought her in February, but she was never advertised so I doubt you'd have seen her anywhere unless you know the breeder...
 
Sorry to sound negative, but I'm not a massive fan of McTimoney. Is there any way you could ring your vet and ask for a recomendation for a decent physio. It is probably more muscle related anyway. My horse swings his quarters in canter and sometimes is reluctant to move frowards and my physio finds tenderness through his rump area which means he doesn't want to bring that leg through so he swings his quarters out in avoidance. He does it messing around in the field skidding to a stop.

The vets in my area always recomend physio. (Saying that I see a chiropractor for myself (but not a McTimoney) because I have a pelvis problem, so I'm not just against chirporactor, just it does sound more muscle related).
 
No that's ok, it's a good suggestion. I think I will have a good look at her tonight on the lunge and trotted up and then maybe ring the vet for some advice.
 
My horse had similar problems and he turned out to have supsensory issues in both hinds but more specifically the left hind.

He was sound when trotted up and on the lunge but was really unhappy when being ridden. The problem got worse in canter when he wouldn't go straight, would swing his quarters in and then go disunited or change legs.

Definitley worth investigating- Good luck!
 
Thank you... I have rung the vet to talk things through and will probably get them out next week for a preliminary lameness examination, then go from there. oh dear, I feel an expensive vet bill coming on!!!!
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ETS: what was the outcome with your boy? is he sound now?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Sorry to sound negative, but I'm not a massive fan of McTimoney. Is there any way you could ring your vet and ask for a recomendation for a decent physio. It is probably more muscle related anyway. My horse swings his quarters in canter and sometimes is reluctant to move frowards and my physio finds tenderness through his rump area which means he doesn't want to bring that leg through so he swings his quarters out in avoidance. He does it messing around in the field skidding to a stop.

The vets in my area always recomend physio. (Saying that I see a chiropractor for myself (but not a McTimoney) because I have a pelvis problem, so I'm not just against chirporactor, just it does sound more muscle related).

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Now personally, I would always choose an Osteopath over a Chiropractor or a Physiotherapist. They can target both muscular and skeletal issues. Two birds with one stone philosophy.
 
My physio is very highly regarded in the south and also does a bit of manipulation as well. So she targets both too, but is a chartered physio.

I'm just very suspicious of people who can qualify by going to a night school....
 
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