Fetlock clicking loudly

kellybee

kellybee

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Last weekend i tacked up my little shetland for the children. Pony kept swinging her bum away from me and swishing tail. Asked my sis in law to trot her up and she was lame.

Upon inspecting that leg i found nothing til i picked up her hoof and fetlock joint made and almighty crunching cracking sound (it sounds just like when my boyfriend cracks his knucles but much louder). Pony grunted and all signs of lameness vanished.

She has her feet picked out most days and although i recall this happenning once or twice in the past it was never loud or concerning. Yesterday i picked up all her feet and same sound again. Its horrific but she seems to feel better for it. Shes a 16yr standard shetland, fed a small handful of dengie hifi unmolassed/lite which contains natural oils. I give her a teaspoon of mag ox 85% and teaspoon agnus castus with it every morning because shes lammy prone.

Is there anything else that will help her with this joint? I feed micronised linseed to my standie to put weight on him but its also done wonders for his clicky legs. Not sure if small amounts of the linseed are safe for a shetland (no lammy in almost a year now, since changing her supplements). Any help would be much appreciated :)
 
Mine (lightweight riding pony with good conformation) clicks every stride and if stood still for long periods it will pop like a gunshot when I pick it out. It always sounds horrendous. Both vet and physio have said its nothing to worry about, just bubbles of air releasing from joint, no treatment available, it just is the way it is. My back pops loudly sometimes if I correct my posture and its always a relief, so possibly its the same sort of thing.
 
Thanks. So before it pops loudly does your pony walk soundly on it? I didnt notice when i brought her in yesterday but she had been snoozing come to think of it, and the time she was lame with it shed been in all day.
 
Hi, yes, he is always sound on it, but he is only 8 so it may be that with yours being older the joint feels a little more restricted until it pops. It is a horribly loud pop though, worst in wonter when he has been stood in overnight, it doesn't pop so much in summer or winter evenings when he has been turned out all day. I have asked every vet and physio that i have had out to him for various things because the noise always worries me and they have all said that he is well muscled, moves well and that the pop is not something that would concern them at all.
 
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