Hip Problems - please help!

[alice.j]

The pony I ride has been feeling off for a few weeks now, and in the past few days it's really come to a head; he's stiff and limping in his left hind. With some help, I've managed to pinpoint the problem to his left hip, but am not sure what to do now. If he were mine, I would have already phoned a chiropractor out to see him asap, but his owner doesn't like to spend any money unless he deems it absolutely necessary (and his version of necessary is very different from most people's). If I could afford it, I would try to get the chiropractor out anyway, but unfortunately I can't, hence why I don't have my own and ride for someone else!
I'm going to give him a week off, and have been advised to feed him up so that when I bring him (slowly) back into work he's got lots of fat to turn into muscle. But I'm not sure if there's anything I can be doing that would also help - e.g. in hand work that will help strengthen his hips.
I'm also not sure if I should keep him in on box rest and do in hand exercises twice a day, or leave him out. I'm inclined to leave him out, as then he can still move around on it, but am worried that if he's damaged it he might make it worse.

I'm really struggling with this, I want to do what's best for him but that decision isn't up to me. His owner is currently in France, and when he returns next week I will try to speak to him about it (always difficult) but not sure what I can be doing in the meantime to help the pony.

Any help is greatly appreciated, as always!

 

[EQUIDAE]

Vet first - a chiropracter can only treat not diagnose, and should only work under a veterinary referral.

you need to have strong words with the owner

 

[be positive]

Vet first - a chiropracter can only treat not diagnose, and should only work under a veterinary referral.

you need to have strong words with the owner

You may think it is his hip but injuries to that area are very unusual and it may well be in any part of his leg or more likely his foot but due to the way he is moving it appears to be high up, only a vet can give a diagnosis and from the sound of things he needs looking at sooner rather than later.
Rest may be the best thing but whether it should be stable/ restricted or normal turnout depends on the injury, I certainly would not be stuffing him full of feed while he is resting, normal rations of hay but limited hard feed otherwise he may start running about and make matters worse, fat does not turn onto muscle so that info is totally wrong and whoever told you that may be giving you other incorrect advice, be careful who you listen to as doing the wrong thing can be as harmful as doing nothing.

 

[alice.j]

Vet first - a chiropracter can only treat not diagnose, and should only work under a veterinary referral.

you need to have strong words with the owner

I've tried having strong words in the past but nothing's changed; he'd rather just shoot a horse than spend a lot of money on fixing it. It's cruel but he has about 40 running in a feral herd, and a few in the yard, and would rather buy booze and fags. I don't like riding for him but at least while I'm there I know I'm making a couple of ponies a bit happier (and I've even managed to save one or two from the slaughter man).

You may think it is his hip but injuries to that area are very unusual and it may well be in any part of his leg or more likely his foot but due to the way he is moving it appears to be high up, only a vet can give a diagnosis and from the sound of things he needs looking at sooner rather than later.
Rest may be the best thing but whether it should be stable/ restricted or normal turnout depends on the injury, I certainly would not be stuffing him full of feed while he is resting, normal rations of hay but limited hard feed otherwise he may start running about and make matters worse, fat does not turn onto muscle so that info is totally wrong and whoever told you that may be giving you other incorrect advice, be careful who you listen to as doing the wrong thing can be as harmful as doing nothing.

I'll try and convince him to get a vet out as soon as I can, but he isn't back until Friday and I can't contact him before then. I'll also contact his step daughter (we're good friends and she knows how difficult he can be) and see what she says.
I didn't mean that fat turns into muscle (I should know better, I'm a biochem student! I'm just a bit frazzled at the moment!). I meant that I was advised to feed him up so that when I bring him back into work he has lots of energy that can be used to help build muscle (indirectly). The reason I'm asking here is because I don't know what the best actions are for me to be taking right now, whether it's feeding him up, putting him on box-rest, working him in hand, leaving him for longer than a week, etc. I've never had to deal with something like this and want to do the best thing I can for the pony.

 

[be positive]

The problem with giving advice on here is we cannot see the pony so really cannot say whether staying in or going out is best, if he seems ok then I would say leave out, observe how he is moving each day and don't do any exercise in hand, I really would not be surprised if it turns out to be an abscess in the foot as they often look as if it is higher up due to walking oddly, a friend had a vet to her horse and a ligament injury was "diagnosed" that proved to be an abscess and was easily resolved by the farrier the following day.

If the pony is weak then feeding him to build up the muscles will help but be careful you don't overdo it as all natives are prone to laminitis and too much good food will increase that risk especially if he is not working for a while.

 

[Goldenstar]

It's a job for a vet , apart from that it's simple don't ride a lame horse it's bad for the horse and bad for your feel.

 

[alice.j]

The problem with giving advice on here is we cannot see the pony so really cannot say whether staying in or going out is best, if he seems ok then I would say leave out, observe how he is moving each day and don't do any exercise in hand, I really would not be surprised if it turns out to be an abscess in the foot as they often look as if it is higher up due to walking oddly, a friend had a vet to her horse and a ligament injury was "diagnosed" that proved to be an abscess and was easily resolved by the farrier the following day.

If the pony is weak then feeding him to build up the muscles will help but be careful you don't overdo it as all natives are prone to laminitis and too much good food will increase that risk especially if he is not working for a while.

I'm not sure it's an abscess, he had one (in the same foot!) a few months back, and he was very definitely lame, not just 'off' as he is now. But it might be, I'll keep an eye on how he's walking and see if anything changes. He is still weak, especially in his hindquarters, but I'll make sure he isn't being overfed. He's only half New Forest (half Appy), but knowing my luck he'll have inherited the laminitis-prone half! Thank you.

It's a job for a vet , apart from that it's simple don't ride a lame horse it's bad for the horse and bad for your feel.

As I said, I'll try to get the vet out asap. I definitely won't be riding him until he's completely sound again, the 'week off' was more a suggestion, as I'll see how he's going after a week, and if I haven't managed to get the vet out and/or he's still not right, I'll let him have more rest.