Horse drags hind legs

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JLW123

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So, I have a 15hh Connemara, when I bought him he had been vetted a year before and he had slight drag on one hind leg in the report but put down to laziness. Within about 9 months he was dragging both back hoofs. He would square his back hoofs as bare foot. He would just be hacked. I had X-rays and slight arthritis in both hocks (he was just 6), got 2nd opinion and vet said he can’t deal with anything more than a walk and advised me to retire him, original vet said we could do scans on suspensors and if this could be problem operate on them. He also would weave going down hill, pull faces at trot, going down hill one time he bolted, another time he bolted so badly I came off. I got him shod to support him - this made no difference. With hoof boots he wore the toes of the front hoofs boots within weeks. He is now 7, had months off and no different. The vet who said retire him said the arthritis shouldn’t worry him for the next 10 years. What do I do?? Anyone else had this problem?? I’d also like to add - he had 6 owners in 18 months before me which I didn’t know at the time which rings alarm bells….. thanks
 
What did you do in the end after input from both vets? Were hocks medicated and did you go for the arti-cell in the end? Did you need to do anything for the suspensories? Is he retired? It would help to have a bit more information but he doesn't sound like he should be ridden at all.

Going on your previous posts it sounds like you've had him for nearly 2 years now, and he has been passed around a fair bit from around 4 years old.
 
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He was unsound (dragging a hind) when you bought him.
He's had multiple homes in his short life. A vet has told you he won't stand up to work. If you can't afford a field ornament then you need to PTS
If you have a lot of time and money you could scan all the suspensory ligaments/ xray hocks and SI and spine and do a neuro workup and possibly MRI or xray neck etc but I'd guess multiple problems on such a young horse suggest he's not fixable and probably in pain.
Please don't ride him.
I'm guessing this isn't the answer you're looking for but he sounds in pain to me.
 
Judging by the stuff that's being posted on the forum and by another that I know in real life, there are a lot of young Connies around which are so badly broken they need to be retired or PTS at 6 or 7, or even younger. Yours has never been right in his ridden life, he should be retired.

I'm think you know that this is the right answer and have posted now just to make sure. There are people who will give you all sorts of false hope but from what you've told us that's all it will be, false.

I'm sorry you're in this situation, it's so hard when they're that young.
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It doesn't sound like he's improved since your thread in October 2023? He doesn't sound like he's save to be ridden (bolting downhill).

I think I'd be retiring if I felt he was comfortable enough for that or PTS if not.

Unfortunately it seems more and more common in connie's to have issues like this - I wonder whether this is the fall out of the demand for 'over height' ponies.
 
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