Horse suddenly difficult to lift hind leg - anyone experienced this?

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Nataliagj

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Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some thoughts from people who may have experienced something similar with their horses.

My horse is 9 years old, 3/4 American Quarter Horse and 1/4 Thoroughbred. I’ve owned him for 3 years and he hasn’t done a huge amount of work in his life (he was started late - only been lightly backed at 6) so he’s still quite weak behind and doesn’t have a huge amount of muscle over his quarters or topline.

Over the last week he has become quite reluctant to let me lift his right hind leg. He will lift it briefly but snatches it back or puts it down quickly.
  • When backing up he tends to drag his hind feet and has always struggled with backing.
  • Under saddle he will sometimes strike off on the wrong canter lead, though once he gets the correct lead he can maintain it fine.
  • Occasionally he leaves a hind leg slightly behind in transitions.
  • He often stands with the right hind slightly parked behind him.
  • We’ve had 4 really nasty bucking broncs over the years - which my gut always said pain related
He’s been checked for lameness previously and was sound, he’s been scoped for ulcers, he’s had back X-rays which were clear. Saddle is regularly checked and teeth are done routinely.

I had a bodyworker out recently who found some soreness around the lumbar area and last rib and some strong reflex responses around his pectorals. She thought there might be something going on in the hindquarter chain, possibly around the hip or pelvis.

Initially I thought a slip in the field, but 4 days of bute hasn’t changed anything and I feel like there has always been slight bit of discomfort in the hind end.

He is still bright, keen to work and gets quite excited about poles, so he’s definitely not acting like a horse that doesn’t want to move.

My vet has mentioned potentially medicating the Hock joint or Sacroiliac joint if things don’t improve.

I just wondered if anyone else has been through something like this and what your outcome was?

Thank you!


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Has he been scanned and/or xrayed hocks etc?
It could be anything but sounds a bit like mine, which would lead to the suspensories.
 
I think you're heading for a vet work up sadly.

I had a younger horse with stifle issues who was like this, but vet couldn't find anything untoward so it was a strength issue.

My other horse though has hocks, SI & suspensory issues alongside a pssm diagnosis. Genetics were not her friend and she was fully retired at 10
 
Mine is rising 6 and had very similar signs (also half American Saddlebred and the same colour as yours 😍), so I had a work-up at the end of Feb. He does have ulcers which was surprising but makes sense now, as he also unfortunately has arthritis with changes in his left hock and stifle (found via X-rays and nerve blocks), which we’ve treated with PRP.
 
Thanks so much for all the replies - really helpful to hear similar experiences.

Just to update, the vet came out today and we did quite a thorough work-up. He X-rayed both hind legs - multiple angles of both the Hock joint and Stifle joint on both sides to compare.

Everything came back completely clean. No signs of arthritis, fragments, or any bony changes. He also palpated the whole area and couldn’t find any heat, swelling or reaction. Looked at him from behind and said muscle looked even both sides. Trotted him up and he was sound.

Because he’s sound, we couldn’t do nerve blocks and we also couldn’t do proper flexion as he wouldn’t hold up the right hind long enough.

We’re going to try a few days of more bute and see if that changes anything. Then vet suggested we go medicate the SI area to see.

PSSM1 could be a contributing factor so I can see about a test there, but it still doesn’t explain him being reluctant to lift his right hind.

So some things slightly ruled out? Any other thoughts more than welcome, my vet wasn’t able to give me any further clues!
 
KatieDM said:
Good news but perplexing. Has he had his neck and back X-rayed at any point?

Edit: Just saw back was X-rayed!
Click to expand...
Yup correct back done, but not neck. He often is tighter through his shoulders, but I think he’s compensating a lot of places so holds tension there a lot. Will see how these next 4 days with bute goes and I’ve got another body worker session booked in. I just wish I believed in horse communicators, so easy if he could talk! I spoke to my vet about PSSM1, he said unlikely as he doesn’t display any typical symptoms but happy to check that
 
If you get no where ask for an internal scan. My horses X rays and external scans all looked ok. Then the vet said she wanted to internally scan. His spine and pelvis had problems that didnt show up from the external angles.
Obviously you can only go so far in
 
poiuytrewq said:
If you get no where ask for an internal scan. My horses X rays and external scans all looked ok. Then the vet said she wanted to internally scan. His spine and pelvis had problems that didnt show up from the external angles.
Obviously you can only go so far in
Click to expand...
What was your plan after? My vet says we can trial inject the SI to rule in or out - and my body worker suggests some building exercises which we will start regardless tomorrow. I’ll also be using Tems machine on him - which actually did enable him to drop the hip and rest the leg, which indicates to me that it’s not a load bearing issue on the left side. Just trying to piece all the clues together
 
My horse was pts. We injected everything just to see what happened, but he was bad and what he had was not fixable ot even help-able really. I wasn't really suggesting we have the same issue though, not trying to worry you. I just thought it really inteteresting at the time that internal views of the spine were possible and that they showed such a different picture to the previous images.
We suspect that as mine had such a mashed up looking SI ans vertebra that the chances were he had the same issues all the way up into his neck.
 
poiuytrewq said:
My horse was pts. We injected everything just to see what happened, but he was bad and what he had was not fixable ot even help-able really. I wasn't really suggesting we have the same issue though, not trying to worry you. I just thought it really inteteresting at the time that internal views of the spine were possible and that they showed such a different picture to the previous images.
We suspect that as mine had such a mashed up looking SI ans vertebra that the chances were he had the same issues all the way up into his neck.
Click to expand...
Oh I’m so sorry about that, poor lad. Thank you for sharing though
 
Nataliagj said:
Thanks so much for all the replies - really helpful to hear similar experiences.

Just to update, the vet came out today and we did quite a thorough work-up. He X-rayed both hind legs - multiple angles of both the Hock joint and Stifle joint on both sides to compare.

Everything came back completely clean. No signs of arthritis, fragments, or any bony changes. He also palpated the whole area and couldn’t find any heat, swelling or reaction. Looked at him from behind and said muscle looked even both sides. Trotted him up and he was sound.

Because he’s sound, we couldn’t do nerve blocks and we also couldn’t do proper flexion as he wouldn’t hold up the right hind long enough.

We’re going to try a few days of more bute and see if that changes anything. Then vet suggested we go medicate the SI area to see.

PSSM1 could be a contributing factor so I can see about a test there, but it still doesn’t explain him being reluctant to lift his right hind.

So some things slightly ruled out? Any other thoughts more than welcome, my vet wasn’t able to give me any further clues!
Click to expand...
Sure you have probably had this looked at- does he go backwards easily?

Horses with shivers have issues picking up both back legs though. They can’t go backwards very well it’s quite obvious when you try to reverse them
 
PSSM 1 is my specialist subject (I unintentionally collected horses with it) can I ask what symptoms the vet would expect to see? The ones your horse apparently isn't showing?

With my bodyworker hat on if a client told me their horse didnt want to lift right hind I'd start by checking the stifle and hindquarter area around BOTH hinds - sometimes they don't want to load the other. Your physio has already found lumbar issues so likely SI type problem. With my PSSM mare we injected her SI (there was nothing to see on ultrasound) & she was instantly happier. Farrier also happier as she was a lot easier with the hind legs.
 
3 years this July we had the same issue with my oldie, had his leg scanned and unfortunately he had damaged his suspensory, had it rescanned this Feb and amazingly it's looking great. (He is 26 and fully retired from ridden work).
 
Onemorefling said:
3 years this July we had the same issue with my oldie, had his leg scanned and unfortunately he had damaged his suspensory, had it rescanned this Feb and amazingly it's looking great. (He is 26 and fully retired from ridden work).
Click to expand...
* sorry I didn't mention, the damaged ligament was on his hind left, making him reluctant to lift his right *
 
Hi, I and still waiting for a clear investigation plan from my vet at the moment because I feel like we’re taking stabs in the dark… here is an update of all his historical symptoms:

- ⁠Difficulty picking up right canter lead under saddle (fine without me) although when he does get the right lead he can hold it
- ⁠Toe drags on circles/lateral work
- ⁠Finds backing up difficult (almost impossible over poles)
- BUT he can back up easily down a ramp no issues
- ⁠Less flexion in right hock when backing I think?
- ⁠Constant clicking above right hock/stifle
- ⁠occasional mild ever so slight puffiness on right hock
- ⁠Still reluctant to hold right hind up (my farrier says hind leg issue has happened intermittently before)
- ⁠Sensitive right glute, last right rib and under right armpit
- ⁠Leans with tail pull in walk, normal when standing
- I’ve blindfolded him and he’s been able to walk in a straight line
- ⁠Nippy/defensive when walking in hand and ground work on right side - tries to walk into me and crowds me
- ⁠History of 4 bucking/broncing episodes - all different triggers
- ⁠Possibly slipped in field recently, but I think this highlighted the underlying weakness and discomfort
- ⁠Lunges more often than not with a very low head carriage (almost touching nose to floor)
- Clean X-rays on both hocks and stifles and back
- Not lame
- Can now rest right hind and shift weight onto left leg
 
When he seems comfortable enough you could try lunging him over 3 well spaced trotting poles

And when turning out or bringing in walk him over the poles for a few days, thus helps greatly with the stifle if that is related

I have one I do this with one of the benefits is they think it's fun and start to go forwards keenly while lunging and the lifting is not too high but enough to make a huge difference to the ligaments

Although mine doesn't need to when ridden enough
 
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