Horse tripping and just not quite right? Hocks? Neck?

[ramsaybailey]

Hello 😊

Just after some advice for a friend having some issues with her horse.
Ex racehorse 9yr old has been retrained this year. Hasn't done much in the school but a very nice person.

Issues started with him tripping and just not feeling quite right. Made the trip to the vets for x Ray's etc, has bone spavin in both hocks and some inflammation in his neck believed to be from holding himself different due to pain in his hocks. He was sent home on some form of pain relief tablets (not bute) and see how he goes.

However a couple of weeks later friend is still not happy. Horse stlll doesnt feel quite right, not moving as nicely, quite flat and is most worried by the tripping. Feet were xrayed and were good.

Has anyone got experience of issues in horses neck? Related to tripping / loss of performance? We've had experience with hock issues but dont think the tripping is coming from here and feels like there is something causing a problem from the front end. The vet seems reluctant to go down steroid injection (in neck or hocks) route however this does seem like the most effective treatment and the priority is to get the horse out of pain, would anyone be more insistent with the vet to try this?

Hope this makes some sense - its difficult to describe a horse that symptom is 'not feeling quite right', we just really want him comfortable and back to his usual self. Thanks 😊

 

[ycbm]

This might help, I'd get neck x-rays if my ex racer was tripping like this and flexions/x-rays/nerve blocks were clear.

Has it been nerve blocked?


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

 

[dixie]

My horse had neck problems. His vertebrae were impinging in his spinal cord -c6/c7 I think.
He was retired.
Before this was diagnosed I can’t remember him tripping in front but he used to dip behind the saddle frequently as if something was catching. I spent months thinking it was his saddle.
He also would not stand square and frequently rested his back legs. In quite an extreme way, not like normal horses.
His canter was quite rigid, more up and down rather than fluid.
He was x-rayed with a mobile unit to diagnose which was relatively straight forward.

 

[Teajack]

Mine had neck arthritis, can't remember which joints but near the base. Her spinal cord was impinged. No tripping, she resented being asked to trot circles or go down a slope. Another horse I rode tripped badly in front and had arthritic hocks.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

Mine has arthritis in C6, C7/T1 vetebraes which have previously been medicated. She went in to the vet for what I hoped would be neck injections again earlier this year. She was part of a 'seminar' type day where there were 12 vets and 12 veterinary physio's attending with a specialist vet (Dickie Hepburn) and two equine cases one of which was mine. However the specialist vet felt that she was comfortable in herself as he spent a great deal of time just watching her in the stable and how she moved and held her neck and head. He said that the level of bute she was on (one sachet a day) was sufficient and that upon xraying the neck it was found that she had a large abnormal congenital C6/C7 malformation with a significant vertebrae enlargement at the C7/T1 junction. This compared with earlier x-rays showed a progressive deterioration with the arthritis. She never used to trip but has spavin and has had both hocks medicated.

She was fully assessed with various neuro tests and upon holding her nose in the air to tilt her head and walk down a slope she was very ataxic. However under saddle she is fine and doesn't display this at all, other than struggles occasionally to go down a steep hill which I try my best to avoid on hacks. She is perfectly safe to ride but when she gets to the point where she is not she will just be retired and reassessed at that point.

I only hack and do the very occasional fun ride and he felt that as she was comfortable and pain free in his opinion I could continue. He said that there was too much arthritic involvement with the vetebraes to warrant giving neck injections as they wouldn't have the desired affect and she would be a huge laminitis risk even if she was kept of grass. There was also the chance that injections could make the arthritis worse. So it wasn't in her interests to proceed with steroid injections. I was upset at the time but fully understand the implications of what he said and couldn't agree more.

Scroll down on Sharon May-Davies article. https://thehorsesback.com/tag/sharon-may-davis/
Not saying this is what your horse has, but its awfully common and not many people know their horses have this.

I would get a ACPAT registered physio out to assess your horse and prescribe some stretching exercises as I do carrot stretches daily with mine which help keep her mobile.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Dickie Hepburn

Dickie is amazing.

My gelding has severe arthritis of the neck in C6/C7 diagnosed at only 9. Hes now retired but his main symptom was loss of performance. People on the ground said he looked fine, but he felt awful to ride. His canter felt shocking almost 4/5 beat. Its hard to explain, but he just didn't feel right and I'd owned him 5 years so knew something was wrong. We also looked at hocks, slight arthritis. Injected those, super strong bute trial made no difference.

First vet told me he was taking the piss and being a rude arrogant cob but within 2 weeks I got another vet out who specialized in lameness. Second vet spent hours watching him move, lunge.. went away not sure what to advise. He then thought 'neck!' and we x-rayed his entire body to find the arthritis. He then visited Dicky but unfortunately the steriods only worked for 4 months.
I'd ask for x-rays of the neck and back if it were my horse.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

Dickie is amazing.

His canter felt shocking almost 4/5 beat. Its hard to explain, but he just didn't feel right and I'd owned him 5 years so knew something was wrong.

Did he feel like he was throwing you up out of the saddle rather than side to side like an unbalanced disunited canter by any chance? My friends wobblers horse felt like this in canter, it was horrible. It's because they bunny hop with their back legs.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Did he feel like he was throwing you up out of the saddle rather than side to side like an unbalanced disunited canter by any chance? My friends wobblers horse felt like this in canter, it was horrible. It's because they bunny hop with their back legs.

I suppose you could say that, yes. It felt like he was moving funny behind, but sometimes like he was running behind and cantering in front. He also could not turn right at all or bend his neck in the canter.

A friend said oh he looks fine, so I asked her to get on him.. she had a open mouth after a short canter. "Wow, how weird does this feel?" Yet it looked 'normal' from the ground.

 

[Nudibranch]

I had one who had a range of minor niggles, never quite right, tripping a lot. A bizarre canter at times which I can only describe as cantering in front and intermittent trot strides behind. I'm sure there's a more technical description but that's how it felt. Hocks showed changes and so did c6/7. Tried a few things but was pts aged 7 as the niggles had been ongoing from about 18 months old and we knew he would never be right. He started getting dangerous with the farrier, and either not lying down or getting up cow style. We never had a firm diagnosis but he seemed to be one of the very unlucky, rare multi issue horses with neck, hock and SI at least. Possibly more. I am sure he would have developed into a full blown wobbler.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

A bizarre canter at times which I can only describe as cantering in front and intermittent trot strides behind.

Sounds just like my gelding. He was diagnosed 10 months ago now as of the same symptoms. Retired 5 months ago as steriods didn't work. He gets up ok but now has a noticeable chunk in his front shoulders now which is muscle atrophy related to the compressed nerves in his neck. Hes had the sun on his back all summer and will have to say goodbye before winter. Heartbreaking but cruel to let him go on.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

Heartbreaking but cruel to let him go on.

I agree, sadly if they can't be maintained on bute or steroid injections don't work you have no other options. I'm lucky with mine as the vet and physio who she sees regular have confirmed she is pain free at present. She has slight atrophy in her neck but nothing as dramatic as yours by the sounds of it. So sorry.

I'm dreading the winter. The mud pulling on the legs and shoulders, and the cold weather. I'm going to invest in a nice stable rug and a turnout with a neck as most of hers are neckless (if that's such a word). But I think that will help ensure she is more comfortable with her neck as it helps arthritis to keep warm.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

maintained on bute

He was given bute a few weeks back for a period to help, it did help and he perked up but I believe if he has to be on bute to be pain free as a companion forever, something isn't right

 

[hopscotch bandit]

He was given bute a few weeks back for a period to help, it did help and he perked up but I believe if he has to be on bute to be pain free as a companion forever, something isn't right

I suppose everyone is different and it depends how long you have had the horse for and whether you consider retirement to be a suitable option for it. I would be reluctant to raise the sachet of bute for mine from one to two despite the fact I'm on a huge amount of painkillers myself.

But the latest thinking from vets is that bute long term in low dose isn't that much of a problem to horses as they once thought so might be worth speaking to the vet.

You can get a prescription which bring the price down considerably. Please don't think I am trying to make you change your mind, I just thought you might want to know there are options out there and a discussion with your vet might put your mind at ease.

 

[ramsaybailey]

Thanks so much for all the replies I did read them all very helpful.

Sad news after a really up and down month he's now been diagnosed with wobblers stage 1 caused by arthritis in the neck. Will need a steroid injection and 6 months rest but that's still only 50% chance of working. very sad.

 

[ycbm]

Sorry it wasn't better news. Neck arthritis is being found in an awful lot of horses. I hope the treatment works for you both.
.

 

[ramsaybailey]

Sorry it wasn't better news. Neck arthritis is being found in an awful lot of horses. I hope the treatment works for you both.
.

Thank you. The owners really gutted, hasnt had him much time at all. He's only 9 and a lovely boy really hope something can be done.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Sorry to hear @ramsaybailey, at least you have a diagnosis.

Will need a steroid injection and 6 months rest but that's still only 50% chance of working. very sad.

I am surprised to read they recommended 6 months rest, our vet said the steroid is at its best a couple of months after medication and to increase work after 2 weeks off. Really hope he comes right. Neck arthritis is more common than we think.

 

[SEL]

Thanks so much for all the replies I did read them all very helpful.

Sad news after a really up and down month he's now been diagnosed with wobblers stage 1 caused by arthritis in the neck. Will need a steroid injection and 6 months rest but that's still only 50% chance of working. very sad.

That's really sad. There is an equine physio I follow on FB whose own horse has been diagnosed with wobblers and is trying to get her sound enough to ride with various exercises "TFT physiotherapy and rehabilitation". I don't know them but started following them after an article was shared so might be worth a look to see what they've found helpful / unhelpful etc.

 

[ramsaybailey]

Sorry to hear @ramsaybailey, at least you have a diagnosis.


I am surprised to read they recommended 6 months rest, our vet said the steroid is at its best a couple of months after medication and to increase work after 2 weeks off. Really hope he comes right. Neck arthritis is more common than we think.

Thanks.
The rest is more to do with the wobblers I think - I'm not totally sure how the rest will make a difference, we'll be speaking to the vet about that - but yes for 'straightforward arthritis' treatment thats been my experience too 2 weeks off.

 

[ramsaybailey]

That's really sad. There is an equine physio I follow on FB whose own horse has been diagnosed with wobblers and is trying to get her sound enough to ride with various exercises "TFT physiotherapy and rehabilitation". I don't know them but started following them after an article was shared so might be worth a look to see what they've found helpful / unhelpful etc.

Thanks, ill have a look!

 

[sbloom]

I would definitely say don't discount a proper rehabilitation, I work with Dan Wain Equestrian who does amazing work and there are others. I would say that, like so many issues, it will have arisen, in part, from not lifting the thoracic sling. I would also be reading around to just check that good feet xrays always preclude heel pain, as heel pain is a common cause of tripping. If the heels/frog look contracted, or underslung in any way I'd be looking at feet too, even with good xrays.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

So sorry it wasn't better news for you x

 

[sbloom]

I think there was a time overlap there with my post yesterday, wobblers is quite different I'm sure (not something I have experience of), good luck with whatever you decide.