Help - am fast running out of options and ideas.............

jules9203

jules9203

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606
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Hampshire
www.pensdellequestrian.org.uk
2 years ago I bought an 8yr horse with a lot of talent but it had been allowed to get away with all sorts between the age of 4 and 8. I knew I was taking a gamble. In the first year she changed from being a totally unbalanced giraffe to a mare that had some definite good points. Her flat work improved, she would trot a sj course and be straight in between and I could hack her without her trying to bolt. She has the ablility to be very good at sj or dressage and decent breeding. Over the next year we failed to improve. More noticeably she would not collect properly in any pace. I have had all the checks done and there was no obvious lameness or reason for this. Eventually a bone scan showed her left sacro was very sore and her right sore. I had them injected on 16th February. Under vets advice she had 2 weeks off work and then has been brought back into work. Initially the change was great, I could feel a huge difference in how she used her hindquarters and she actually gave me a couple of collected canter steps that left me grinning for a week. Unfortunately this week she has started to revert to how she was before the injections. The worst issue is left canter, She will do a couple of strides and then throw all her weight onto her left shoulder, swing her hind quarters out and try and run away.

I have had her teeth done, her saddles checked, lameness tests and the SI's. I have had some very good physios look at her and they cant find anything. I have had a very sympathetic and good GP dressage rider sit on her this week and she agrees that she is running away from something.

She is out during the day and in at night. She has adlib hay when in and two feeds a day consisting of 1/2 stubbs scoop of hi fi light, a tiny bit of speedibeet and some carrots. She has masses of energy.

Has anyone had a similar situation. TBH I can't keep throwing money at the problem and anyway the vets haven't found anything other than the sacros wrong. She is such a lovely horse to handle in the stable that I really want to get to the bottom of this but don't know where to turn.

Tea, biscuits, wine and chocolates to all those that make it this far!
 
Personally I'd have her hind suspensories scanned. Hind suspensory Damage often goes hand in hand with sacro-iliac problems.
 
Sacroiliac problems are hugely difficult to manage, and are rarely, if ever, truely solved. I'd bet the mortgage her sacroiliac is sore again now that the effects of the injections have worn off. I think you need a frank discussion with your vet imo. Good luck x
 
Mine was injected in Feb last year and wasn't allowed to work in an arena at all or in canter out hacking until at least may time. The osteo guy said to me that asking too much of him (ie more than a couple of strides of engagement or on a circle) was the best way to break him. I know a lot of people get different vet advice on rehab, possibly the work you were given to do didn't give enough time for her muscles to build to support the joint? If bet she's sore again. Mine doesn't palpate sore but he has got locked in extension in his sacral area which means he can't engage properly.

I'm not sure mine is fully fixed despite my best efforts 🙁
 
jules9203 said:
. Unfortunately this week she has started to revert to how she was before the injections......
TBH I can't keep throwing money at the problem and anyway the vets haven't found anything other than the sacros wrong.
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So, re-inject the SI - if that solved the problem last time and the same problem has re-presented, why wouldn't you? Horses suffering pain need money spending on them to keep them comfortable, yet alone compete/perform athletically. Very sadly, that is a fact of life.
 
If you do have her reinjected I would then hack as much as possible with no work n a circle until things have really had time to settle down and build up correctly before any pressure applied - but I'm sure the Physio could give you better pointers on a rehab programme. I've had horses with significant problems - kissing spine/spinal ligament desmitus to name a few - and hind suspensories have always taken some of the strain in these situations. My Physio told me that, in an ideal world, once I find and buy a (hopefully) sound horse (fingers crossed!) the best thing to do is hacking, hacking and more hacking to get everything built up and working evenly - absolutely minimal lunging and keep schooling short and sweet on decent surfaces only.
 
gunnergundog said:
So, re-inject the SI - if that solved the problem last time and the same problem has re-presented, why wouldn't you? Horses suffering pain need money spending on them to keep them comfortable, yet alone compete/perform athletically. Very sadly, that is a fact of life.
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If it needed injecting every 6 weeks just to stay sound though then personally that wouldn't be a horse I would consider fit for a ridden career.

OP I actually have had something similar with mine, a long history of physical and behavioural issues and a number of health problems, but nothing that in isolation should account for the level of problems he's had. Sadly my story doesn't have a happy ending I'm afraid, but I wanted to let you know you're not alone - and I can fully understand how you're feeling.
 
Lulup said:
If you do have her reinjected I would then hack as much as possible with no work n a circle until things have really had time to settle down and build up correctly before any pressure applied - but I'm sure the Physio could give you better pointers on a rehab programme. I've had horses with significant problems - kissing spine/spinal ligament desmitus to name a few - and hind suspensories have always taken some of the strain in these situations. My Physio told me that, in an ideal world, once I find and buy a (hopefully) sound horse (fingers crossed!) the best thing to do is hacking, hacking and more hacking to get everything built up and working evenly - absolutely minimal lunging and keep schooling short and sweet on decent surfaces only.
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I agree, I had my horse injected in his SI and his rehab was intensive I certainly was not cantering or schooling within 6 weeks, I hacked every day for at least 8 weeks, absolutely no lunging or circles along with regular physio and daily exercises to build up the weak area, I think the OP has probably done too much too quickly and the benefit of the steroids has been lost as the area has become inflamed again, maybe it will settle if taken back a step or two.
 
Broodle said:
Sacroiliac problems are hugely difficult to manage, and are rarely, if ever, truely solved. I'd bet the mortgage her sacroiliac is sore again now that the effects of the injections have worn off. I think you need a frank discussion with your vet imo. Good luck x
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This.

Out tb had si injections and was fab for six weeks.....then they wore off. He was pts because of another issue but he would.have been retired anyway.
 
Thank you everyone for your replies. At least it has given me some options to consider. It is possible, from what you've said, I've worked her too much although I have followed the advice I was given. :(
If it turns out I had to have her injected every few months then she will be retired from work.
 
be positive said:
I agree, I had my horse injected in his SI and his rehab was intensive I certainly was not cantering or schooling within 6 weeks, I hacked every day for at least 8 weeks, absolutely no lunging or circles along with regular physio and daily exercises to build up the weak area, I think the OP has probably done too much too quickly and the benefit of the steroids has been lost as the area has become inflamed again, maybe it will settle if taken back a step or two.
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My thoughts too. Hope it works out.its horrid facing difficult decisions for our horses x
 
Thanks everyone. Unfortunately I was told that she needed 2 weeks off and then could be brought back into work ( no mention of not doing circles/schooling). I have taken it slowly but not as some of you have said you had been advised. I'm going to give her a few weeks quiet hacking (straight lines and hill work) but have to be honest and not holding my breath. She is so low mileage that it would be good to find out what caused it but know I never will. My Dad has always said it would be far easier emotionally and financially to play Darts !!
 
Can you get her re-injected then start very slowly this time?

You could look for a SCENAR practitioner, again it's going to cost money (roughly the same as a physio/osteo in my experience) but I've found the treatment to be fantastic.
 
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