chestnut cob
Well-Known Member
Have to ask this so please don't laugh.. I want to know if I'm being a total hypochondriac!
Horse was treated for hock spavins at the start of June (both hocks, medicated with steroid and had a course of Adequan). He then had, on vet's recommendation, two osteopath treatments and was/is due a physio follow up at the end of August. He is also having remedial shoeing (lateral extensions) to help with the spavins.
He is so much better now; moving better and much more freely. He now overtracks in walk and is more powerful in trot and canter, plus is jumping again which he had totally refused to do (wouldn't even walk over a pole before having his hocks done but he is a sensitive soul!). Osteo said he was sore because of compensating along his back for stiff hocks so did lots with him to release that.
Both vet and osteo recommended building back up slowly with lots and lots of hacking, which is what I have done. He now hacks more than anything else, whereas I used to only hack once a week, twice at most. Now he hacks 4 out of 6 days, long reins once and schools or jumps/poles once. I changed instructors from a BHS person earlier this year to an EE/classical instructor, though I did change before he had his hocks done, but it's a very new way of working for him.
Anyway...very long winded bit of background but over the last few days I've noticed that he feels a bit stiff again and is bucking in canter. He is rarely rude to ride so bucking usually indicates that he's sore. They also feel like (and I can tell from his face!) that they are "oww" bucks rather than "yipee" bucks, if that makes sense. Physio is booked for saturday now rather than waiting until the end of August and I've also left a message for the saddler as he has really muscled up in the last month so saddle does need checking.
Question is this: am I going mad or could he have got sore again (back) because of the new way of working, using muscles that he hasn't been used to using, and because of the remedial shoeing which is also trying to correct a certain way of going? Please tell me I'm not imagining it! If it can't be those things then I have somehow broken my horse again! He isn't lame, he isn't crippled and he is still moving really well in trot and walk. It is just the canter that he feels a bit resistant in but then that has always been the worst pace and the one that he exhibits problems in first if there are any problems. I'd like to know that I'm not being a hypochondriac in calling the physio straight out rather than "working him through it"...
Horse was treated for hock spavins at the start of June (both hocks, medicated with steroid and had a course of Adequan). He then had, on vet's recommendation, two osteopath treatments and was/is due a physio follow up at the end of August. He is also having remedial shoeing (lateral extensions) to help with the spavins.
He is so much better now; moving better and much more freely. He now overtracks in walk and is more powerful in trot and canter, plus is jumping again which he had totally refused to do (wouldn't even walk over a pole before having his hocks done but he is a sensitive soul!). Osteo said he was sore because of compensating along his back for stiff hocks so did lots with him to release that.
Both vet and osteo recommended building back up slowly with lots and lots of hacking, which is what I have done. He now hacks more than anything else, whereas I used to only hack once a week, twice at most. Now he hacks 4 out of 6 days, long reins once and schools or jumps/poles once. I changed instructors from a BHS person earlier this year to an EE/classical instructor, though I did change before he had his hocks done, but it's a very new way of working for him.
Anyway...very long winded bit of background but over the last few days I've noticed that he feels a bit stiff again and is bucking in canter. He is rarely rude to ride so bucking usually indicates that he's sore. They also feel like (and I can tell from his face!) that they are "oww" bucks rather than "yipee" bucks, if that makes sense. Physio is booked for saturday now rather than waiting until the end of August and I've also left a message for the saddler as he has really muscled up in the last month so saddle does need checking.
Question is this: am I going mad or could he have got sore again (back) because of the new way of working, using muscles that he hasn't been used to using, and because of the remedial shoeing which is also trying to correct a certain way of going? Please tell me I'm not imagining it! If it can't be those things then I have somehow broken my horse again! He isn't lame, he isn't crippled and he is still moving really well in trot and walk. It is just the canter that he feels a bit resistant in but then that has always been the worst pace and the one that he exhibits problems in first if there are any problems. I'd like to know that I'm not being a hypochondriac in calling the physio straight out rather than "working him through it"...
