Hormonal Filly
Well-Known Member
Sorry for the long post - thank you in advance if you read it all!
My 14.2 9yr cob gelding I've owned for 4 years has had reduced performance for a couple of weeks now. (Bought unbacked at 5, we have done some 80cm ODE's, lots of hunter trials 80/95cm and placed every time, had lots of fun specially cross country up to 1.10m as he has the jump of a stag) I first noticed a couple of weeks ago he couldnt work in an outline in canter so I had saddle and all tack checked, all fine. I then thought it was his new bit, so swapped to his old one and no difference. I rode him in the open field and he didn't feel right behind, cantering was impossible even a straight line so I got off there and then. From that moment I knew something was clearly physically uncomfortable and it wasn't him just being fruity.
I tried him on the lunge so I could see what was going on. Walk and trot he looked okay, worked onto the contact nicely but a bit choppy. The worrying part was he couldn't canter at all on the left rein and was able to canter a few strides on the right. He goes to the voice so for him to just trot faster or want to stop is very unlike him.
Trotted him up and he didn't look 'right' behind but couldn't tell which leg as not majorly obviously lame. A livery is a vet nurse and tried some flexion tests. First on hocks, no lameness. Flexion test on his right fetlock, no lameness.. flexion test on left fetlock, lame. When feeling the right fetlock joint its rather puffy and doesn't like palpation of it.
I said I'd give him some time off for a couple of weeks and see if it improves. My old mare after 6 months of ownership at only 8 was put to sleep after she had £6,000 spent on her with no luck, arthritis in every nearly joint, kissing spine, ulcers which were secondary issues to the kissing spine. The first vet told me she was just mareish and it took 3 vets before she was diagnosed as I had a feeling she had some serious issues, it has made me overly paranoid since owning her.
To add, in 2016 my gelding had gradually stopped wanting to box and had a hard bony lump on his left hind leg (on his hock) which he had since the day of ownership which seemed like had grown. Got the vet, she decided to x-ray the area to see what it was, she also done flexion tests and the x-rays showed it was just a hard bony lump and he had excellent hocks and no lameness. The vet also x-rayed his entire back and fetlock up (not his fetlock) to keep my mind at rest, all was fine. She came back 6 months later and redone same x-rays which showed no issues. During this time he has had physio treatments, he gets a tight back which is apparently normal for a horse in work, but thats it.
I no longer insure him for vet fees. I claimed for the hard lump on his leg and because there is no 'name' for the lump the insurers paid out part of the money, I had to pay £400 and they excluded it after. Therefore moneys tight and I'd need to save some money before going down the x-ray/injection route as it isn't cheap but I WILL get the vet out if it doesn't improve.
He has always had poles with his hind legs and struggled to maintain an outline in a canter but I've always been told oh hes just green and doesn't respect show jumps as much. When I bought him as a unbacked 5yr old and started leading out, he started wearing his hinds hoofs down but diagonally and my farrier had to shoe his hinds a certain way, this has now corrected itself after 4 years but he does have a funny confirmation and puts majority of the weight on the inside of his hoofs if not shod. He has also always stood funny and rested his fetlock in a funny position (specially that right fetlock) but vet has always said not to worry, it's just comfortable for him and he has over extending joints (apparently) so it is no bother to him.
Does anyone have any experience of fetlock lameness/soreness around that area?
Hes that bargain one in a million pony that would do anything and not show he hurts. I hope its just a field injury but just have that 'feeling' I had before when my last mare was diagnosed. After reading online supensory ligament branch desmitis sounds very similar to his symptoms.
My 14.2 9yr cob gelding I've owned for 4 years has had reduced performance for a couple of weeks now. (Bought unbacked at 5, we have done some 80cm ODE's, lots of hunter trials 80/95cm and placed every time, had lots of fun specially cross country up to 1.10m as he has the jump of a stag) I first noticed a couple of weeks ago he couldnt work in an outline in canter so I had saddle and all tack checked, all fine. I then thought it was his new bit, so swapped to his old one and no difference. I rode him in the open field and he didn't feel right behind, cantering was impossible even a straight line so I got off there and then. From that moment I knew something was clearly physically uncomfortable and it wasn't him just being fruity.
I tried him on the lunge so I could see what was going on. Walk and trot he looked okay, worked onto the contact nicely but a bit choppy. The worrying part was he couldn't canter at all on the left rein and was able to canter a few strides on the right. He goes to the voice so for him to just trot faster or want to stop is very unlike him.
Trotted him up and he didn't look 'right' behind but couldn't tell which leg as not majorly obviously lame. A livery is a vet nurse and tried some flexion tests. First on hocks, no lameness. Flexion test on his right fetlock, no lameness.. flexion test on left fetlock, lame. When feeling the right fetlock joint its rather puffy and doesn't like palpation of it.
I said I'd give him some time off for a couple of weeks and see if it improves. My old mare after 6 months of ownership at only 8 was put to sleep after she had £6,000 spent on her with no luck, arthritis in every nearly joint, kissing spine, ulcers which were secondary issues to the kissing spine. The first vet told me she was just mareish and it took 3 vets before she was diagnosed as I had a feeling she had some serious issues, it has made me overly paranoid since owning her.
To add, in 2016 my gelding had gradually stopped wanting to box and had a hard bony lump on his left hind leg (on his hock) which he had since the day of ownership which seemed like had grown. Got the vet, she decided to x-ray the area to see what it was, she also done flexion tests and the x-rays showed it was just a hard bony lump and he had excellent hocks and no lameness. The vet also x-rayed his entire back and fetlock up (not his fetlock) to keep my mind at rest, all was fine. She came back 6 months later and redone same x-rays which showed no issues. During this time he has had physio treatments, he gets a tight back which is apparently normal for a horse in work, but thats it.
I no longer insure him for vet fees. I claimed for the hard lump on his leg and because there is no 'name' for the lump the insurers paid out part of the money, I had to pay £400 and they excluded it after. Therefore moneys tight and I'd need to save some money before going down the x-ray/injection route as it isn't cheap but I WILL get the vet out if it doesn't improve.
He has always had poles with his hind legs and struggled to maintain an outline in a canter but I've always been told oh hes just green and doesn't respect show jumps as much. When I bought him as a unbacked 5yr old and started leading out, he started wearing his hinds hoofs down but diagonally and my farrier had to shoe his hinds a certain way, this has now corrected itself after 4 years but he does have a funny confirmation and puts majority of the weight on the inside of his hoofs if not shod. He has also always stood funny and rested his fetlock in a funny position (specially that right fetlock) but vet has always said not to worry, it's just comfortable for him and he has over extending joints (apparently) so it is no bother to him.
Does anyone have any experience of fetlock lameness/soreness around that area?
Hes that bargain one in a million pony that would do anything and not show he hurts. I hope its just a field injury but just have that 'feeling' I had before when my last mare was diagnosed. After reading online supensory ligament branch desmitis sounds very similar to his symptoms.
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