Spartu
Well-Known Member
Hey everyone. My 9 year old dressage horse has been not quite right for a year and a half. After many months of false diagnosis, rest, training changes and stuff, we are about to reach the end of it. When he got lame, it was always right hind leg, but when the vet nerve blocked the leg, horse was still lame, only to go sound after blocks were done to the left hind. So vet said, according to the nerve blocks, that it is something from his hoof to his hock. He will be out soon to finish diagnosis, as he couldn't continue with blocks because horse was sound during his last visit. Before vet arrives, I just want to ease things a bit for me, to hear some words of support and help. I'm like 100% sure it is either his hock or his suspensory. And I fear hearing anything that has to do with hind leg suspensory. And his symptoms fit into both categories. So, I will tell you about his symptoms now. 
He has bad attitude when ridden sometimes, bucking, pinning ears, unwilling to go, no impulsion from time to time, stopping and not moving, not going off leg properly. He has tons of impulsion when ridden on trails, or anything straight, but decreased performance in the arena. But not always, sometimes he goes amazing, other days not so. He improves with warming up. He struggles with right lead, so it would be left hock that is troubling him? On the lunge, he struggles with right canter, but not always. The more I work him, the better he gets, but as he works, he develops loin and a bit of croup pain and eventually gets short strided on the right hind sometimes, after periods of work. He improved noticeably after Adequan loading dose. He doesn't struggle with canter once my trainer rides him, but she is firm and he respects and maybe fears her a bit. He is spoiled a lot, I admit it. And he has been out of work a bit, and kinda a fat pig, so he probably does some of it because he is not in shape. And his left hock makes a big click sometimes, right one doesn't. When his right hind leg was blocked from hoof to hock, he was a lot lame. When left one was blocked too, he was sound like I said above. Vet also said he does lack fluid in his hocks a bit. And after blocks, vet came back after 3 days to block left leg part by part, but couldn't, because horse was sound. I rode my boy for the vet, and vet couldn't find much. He said he is 0.5 lame, on a scale from 0 to 5, and was thinking deeply about it. So, after all I said, what would you think? Hock or suspensory? Ignorance and waiting is killing me. I think I will be nearly dead when vet brings out his ultra sound. I'm so upset, frustrated and sad, because this has been going on for a long time. Whatever it is, it is a year and a half old, and I hate it how hard it can be when it comes to minor hind leg lameness.
Please help me and thanks a ton!! <3
He has bad attitude when ridden sometimes, bucking, pinning ears, unwilling to go, no impulsion from time to time, stopping and not moving, not going off leg properly. He has tons of impulsion when ridden on trails, or anything straight, but decreased performance in the arena. But not always, sometimes he goes amazing, other days not so. He improves with warming up. He struggles with right lead, so it would be left hock that is troubling him? On the lunge, he struggles with right canter, but not always. The more I work him, the better he gets, but as he works, he develops loin and a bit of croup pain and eventually gets short strided on the right hind sometimes, after periods of work. He improved noticeably after Adequan loading dose. He doesn't struggle with canter once my trainer rides him, but she is firm and he respects and maybe fears her a bit. He is spoiled a lot, I admit it. And he has been out of work a bit, and kinda a fat pig, so he probably does some of it because he is not in shape. And his left hock makes a big click sometimes, right one doesn't. When his right hind leg was blocked from hoof to hock, he was a lot lame. When left one was blocked too, he was sound like I said above. Vet also said he does lack fluid in his hocks a bit. And after blocks, vet came back after 3 days to block left leg part by part, but couldn't, because horse was sound. I rode my boy for the vet, and vet couldn't find much. He said he is 0.5 lame, on a scale from 0 to 5, and was thinking deeply about it. So, after all I said, what would you think? Hock or suspensory? Ignorance and waiting is killing me. I think I will be nearly dead when vet brings out his ultra sound. I'm so upset, frustrated and sad, because this has been going on for a long time. Whatever it is, it is a year and a half old, and I hate it how hard it can be when it comes to minor hind leg lameness.
Please help me and thanks a ton!! <3