Jericho
Well-Known Member
Apologies for a bit of a long one but bit confused where to start...
2 months ago I bought a lovely chap 11yrs old IDxTB - lovely to ride, hack etc - everything I wanted in a horse. At the 2 stage vetting the vet said that he has bad conformation and moved quite awkwardly but not unsound and suitable for my purposes.
However he just seems not right to me. We have had a few issues with general touchiness on hind quarters (seems very sensitive to groom on hips and under belly and was a nightmare to have his hind feet trimmed by farrier). I called the vet to double check but he flexed his legs and manipulated his back a bit and trotted him in straight line and said again bad conformation and action and probably feeling a bit of arthiritis in joints, put him on joint supplement, back/physio person not really any point. Keep hacking him out / dont worry too much etc .
However I walked in from the field tonight very short in front strides but trotted up sound - now thinking he is lame in front on both to compensate in back legs. Am I looking for too much?
He certainly is very stiff on the right rein but loves being ridden // jumped (took him to a local small xc at the weekend and we came 6th out of 50!!) never bucks, stands still to be mounted etc. If horses are in pain, do they tolerate being ridden / jumped without even so much of a flinch???
If I do get the vet out what do I say is wrong - it could be hips / back / hocks and I dont really know where to start especially as one vet didnt see that worried. Do I jump straight in to scans and xrays of all limbs?? Should I get a physio out anyway (on referral from the vet)?? Argghhh help - he just doesnt seem right in his movement but happy in himself and happy to hack out and do the odd bits of xc that I want to do??
Please give me a reality check - like I should be really getting this sorted and get a 2nd opinion or just to let him be until something more obvious shows.....
2 months ago I bought a lovely chap 11yrs old IDxTB - lovely to ride, hack etc - everything I wanted in a horse. At the 2 stage vetting the vet said that he has bad conformation and moved quite awkwardly but not unsound and suitable for my purposes.
However he just seems not right to me. We have had a few issues with general touchiness on hind quarters (seems very sensitive to groom on hips and under belly and was a nightmare to have his hind feet trimmed by farrier). I called the vet to double check but he flexed his legs and manipulated his back a bit and trotted him in straight line and said again bad conformation and action and probably feeling a bit of arthiritis in joints, put him on joint supplement, back/physio person not really any point. Keep hacking him out / dont worry too much etc .
However I walked in from the field tonight very short in front strides but trotted up sound - now thinking he is lame in front on both to compensate in back legs. Am I looking for too much?
He certainly is very stiff on the right rein but loves being ridden // jumped (took him to a local small xc at the weekend and we came 6th out of 50!!) never bucks, stands still to be mounted etc. If horses are in pain, do they tolerate being ridden / jumped without even so much of a flinch???
If I do get the vet out what do I say is wrong - it could be hips / back / hocks and I dont really know where to start especially as one vet didnt see that worried. Do I jump straight in to scans and xrays of all limbs?? Should I get a physio out anyway (on referral from the vet)?? Argghhh help - he just doesnt seem right in his movement but happy in himself and happy to hack out and do the odd bits of xc that I want to do??
Please give me a reality check - like I should be really getting this sorted and get a 2nd opinion or just to let him be until something more obvious shows.....
AFter a year of not knowing what was wrong with my four year old TBxID, it turns out her suspensory ligaments (hind) are shot. So now, no matte what, if there is an issue and my vet/back person can't say for sure what it is, then it's off for a full work up at somewhere like the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. Tiggy wasn't quite right, sometimes stff to the right, sometimes so wonky hipped/lame I thought she'd never be level again. It's been a year of lame/not lame. Tracking up is fine, in fact often over tracks. Loved to jump, the little bit we did. Maybe your lad is just awkward mover, but may be it's better to know for sure. Sorry, going on again. Hope all goes well.