hopping‐like forelimb lameness syndrome - etirement?

[Flo1982]

Hi all, have been a long time lurker but first time post.😊

I have a lovely 9yr old that I had been competing BD novice and overnight delveloped a hop in trot (as if going to go into canter) when working in a contact (fine long and low) and was diagnosed with hopping‐like forelimb lameness syndrome.

I had a full Lameness work up with poll to tail x rays and full body bone scan which found neck arthritis - c6 and c7. They think there is some nerve compression which is causing the hop.

Passed all neuro tests and no kissing spine.

Symptoms started 10 months ago and he’s had 2 lots of injections into the joint with zero improvement. I was advised that treatment is really limited to the joint injections or could try gabapentin to enable riding.

I really didn’t want to medicate just to be able to do dressage so just started to hack him and stopped all school work.

He’s been hacking in walk and trot 3 times a week for the last couple of months and this week I tried to introduce canter and it’s all gone wrong!

It’s like he’s forgotten how to canter. very unbalanced , on wrong leg and then changing legs and just can’t maintain it. Holding the buckle and letting him figure it out for himself is almost worse.

I’ve asked for a phone call from the vet to have a chat about it but wondered if anyone else had ever experienced or seen this?

At the moment it’s very much a ridden problem - When he was at vets they used a professional rider so know it’s not my riding! and in the field he moves freely.

Im concerned it’s really progressed and it would be unfair to continue with the hacking. Could there be more nerve compression than we thought or is this new back end problem now neurological?!

Although I’d be gutted to retire such a young horse, I’m fortunate that I can.

All thoughts wellcome! X

 

[ycbm]

This may be of interest, I found it recently:


https://thehorsesback.com/c6-c7-malformation/


.

 

[Goldenstar]

Just wanted to say bad luck and you just get a serving of that sometimes .
A life of retirement beckons I would embrace that without any more cost in terms of the vet bills .
You never know long term rest may help .

 

[SusieT]

sounds like he has deteriorated, might be a retirement job

 

[JJS]

I knew a horse with this (he belonged to a friend). He deteriorated pretty quickly with regards to his ridden work, and was retired at the same time as my gelding (my boy was seven and hers was eight). I know he was put to sleep within the year, although they’d moved to another stable by that point, so I’m not sure of the exact circumstances surrounding the decision.

If your boy is comfortable enough to be a field ornament, I’d opt for that option.

 

[Nudibranch]

What a shame. Talk to your vet but don't expect miracles. Slightly different but I had a big horse with c3/4/5 issues - never 100% sure if they were the main problem but he also had hock and SI pain too. I owned him from 6 months, backed and brought him on myself, and had to pts at 7. It was when he started hopping in trot and bucking in canter, and then struggling to get up in the field that called it. He started rising like a cow, back end first. Outwardly he was 17.3hh of big, strong British WB with good conformation. Galling.

 

[JanetGeorge]

Have you had a GOOD equine physio who should give you some in-hand exercises to do daily (carrot stretches is just one of several.) The problems with a traumatic injury are many - nerve damage, arthritis, or just severe weakening of the muscles around the injury. And then there are memories of pain - the horse says 'ouch' - even after it has stopped hurting - even after it HAS stopped. If he's doing something that hurt him previously, he will say 'ouch' - or refuse to do the same thing again!

I have always been more or less awareo f a horse's memory in relation to remembered pain - but have had three very good examples just in the last year to remind me. One was a mare with right hind lameness which was a symptom of the hind gut ulcers she'd suffered with her owner for more than a yera. Fixed the ulcers - but t took 4 months of careful work and encuragemen to PROVE to her that using her right hind didn't hurt.

The second was my very randy stallion who wrenched his shoulder covering a 17hh white mare. He flatly refused to show interest in her again, or her half sister (also 7hh white) but cheerfully covered 17hh chestnut mare. And the last was a young gelding being backed who had hidden wolf teeth that the bit caused his tongue to find. He smartly realised that tongue over bit avoided the pain it caused. Hidden wolf teeth found and removed. It took 4 months to get the message through it wasn't necessary - THEN he had two displaced caps and started again. Caps promptly removed and this time it's been much quicker.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Sorry to read this.. you've described my 10yr old gelding in some ways. Neck arthritis is horrible as they can't do much for it. Apologies for the lengthy post in advance.

He was diagnosed with arthritis in his neck, in C6 and C7 in December last year. His symptoms were unable to canter (when he did, it felt awful!) constantly fighting the contact, didn't want to go forwards, plus lots of other little things. Took a long time for the vet to find the issue, we ended up x-raying his entire body before we found it. The surgeon I spoke to graded it 4/5 for 5 being the worse.. so not great, his looks like a old injury causing a malformation or he was born with it.

He also had nerve compression, slightly funny on his back end and was unable to cross back legs over but the vets believe his was more pain from the inflammation-- sounds like your gelding is pain not neurological. He had steriods medicated into his neck in December (6 months ago) and I spent time bringing him back. At first he felt no different, then felt amazing, then reverted back, it seems it goes in phases. We do daily neck exercises, and they help so much. We did do camp last month as the vet ok'ed it, he was super and during cross country we jumped some novice fences - he was pulling me into them, the instructor said he could of been a FEI pony.. but it did take its toll afterwards he ached a bit. Problem is he wants to do it, but hurts after even if he hides it.

Some days hes awesome.. some days he feels terrible.

Hes on boswellia (which I think does help!) and vitamin E.. I am certain now hes deficient on Vitamin E as since adding hes a million times better and happier.
I spoke to the internal medicine specialist vet a few months ago about it, because he isn't insured. The vet basically said if they inject sooner than a year it will start wearing off quicker and quicker. He also said if its more neurological the steriods will help for longer, but if its pain they tend to not work for as long. He said with his arthritis bute won't do much for this type of pain. The vet also said correct work and keeping the muscle around his neck will help, rather than retire him (as he'd loose all suporting muscle?) but basically said they can't do much else for him.

Sometimes I get on him, he canters lovely and feels like the same old pony.. some days he can barely hold a canter. I must add, he finds a school difficult so we always ride in the field even if its a bit of schooling. I can feel his neck limits him, specially right canter he struggles to bend his neck right but hes so honest he tries his best. I was close to putting him to sleep a month or so back.
I have decided to put him on share and find someone who just wants to happy hack, as he loves that and shows no issues. I have another horse I should be able to do a bit of everything on, so Alfie can now take a back seat and just do hacking and maybe a odd short funride if hes up to it. I know he won't be that horse living into his 20s but trying to make him enjoy his life for as long as possible. If he gets worse, unable to be ridden I've said i'll retire him and then PTS in the future. As awful to say, I can't afford a expensive pet on livery.

Feel free to pm me, I know how you feel. x

OP, after my essay of which I apologize.. have you tried Boswellia? Just could be worth a try. I tried Turmeric but it made no difference. Do you just focus on hacking, does he struggle with the canter even in open spaces? Do you do daily neck stretches?

 

[YorksG]

When my previous Appy developed a "hop" in trot, we had a vet who did acupuncture and he did a couple of sessions, which "cured" it and then another a couple of years later for a second episode, might be worth a try.