i rode her today...

ShowJumperBeckii

ShowJumperBeckii

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so any of you read my last post you will know whats up
so kill me if you think im a idiot for doing so but the only way to be sure was to get on and feel her moving? so did that walked for 15/20 mins keeping her busy went into trot and felt strange
ask the lady schooling another horse she said she doesnt look lame BUT her souilder looks stiff and she watched us go round twice and said she honestly doesnt look lame but its your horse and if you feel somethings up then you know best, so after a good bit of troting it seem to go :confused: and then canter, that wasnt right? it just felt awful no rytham or anything, she couldt keep it for a circle :(
maybe she just really stiff, gave her bute and put her to bed. maybe its worth talking to a vet after all, but im sure there tell me its winter its going to get worse its cold and every horse in the winter with it, its going to get stiffer anyway opinions? not on riding but on if you think its still just stiffness?
thanks
 
Every horse in winter does not get stiffer. Get the vet out and if they can't find anything the physio (not chiro/back man etc.-a properly trained a qualified physio)
 
My view, for what it is worth...

if you know exactly what is wrong with your horse, in that your vet/chiro/physio has seen the horse in the current state of lameness, knows the cause and advises you to keep up with gentle exercise to loosen the horse off..then carry on but take it gently.

if, however, this is a new or different development then I would not ride or exercise the horse until it has been seen and the cause of unlevelness identified...you can make things so much worse by continuing to ride...in the meantime I would not give bute - it may mask symptoms and make diagnosis difficult.
 
If it feels "not right" its not sound.

The vet may or may not be able to fix it.

Why not give it a few weeks off and see if the problem passes. Riding is almost certainly not going to help.
 
No not every horse everyone horse with arthitis!
yes this is a new problem but then again thinking about it it has got colder so her joints are stiffer? and i was told she didt look lame, but something didt feel right?
if you can understand me?
like im not being stupid am i? i opinion is shes just got stiffer as its got colder
i dont want this to turn nasty i just want to know if you agree with me? or your opinions on this
thansk
 
Hello, If she was stiff in her hocks i would have put it down to the weather (cos of her athritus) but as its in her shoulder and you dont usualy have problems with that it could possibly be something else. If that was my horse i would give a day or 2 off in the field with no bute as you dont wont to hide anything more sinister, if theres no improvement then get there vet.

It could be something as simple as she knoocked herself in the stable in which case it will be fine in a day or 2 but as shes had bute and shes not crippled she will prob seem fine tommorow so you really need to give it a day or 2 before reassesing.

What you dont wont is to be masking it with painkillers carry on working her and it be something more serious and damaging it more with work.
 
well im not sure if it was her shoulder this is what the lady thinks it looks like to her
but i dont know. plus she didt go out today
im just really confused to i need a vet or not
 
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You're not being stupid, you know your horse best and if something feels wrong then get someone qualified out to tell you exactly what it is. As others have said, a physio should be able to help, and I second zoelouisem - don't feed her bute for a few days if you can get away without it, so if something really is wrong it may become more obvious.
 
Ahh ok,
she had physo out 2 weeks ago....
also i dont know if this means anything or shes just in season? but shes starting biting! even when im not doing up girth just walk past and she tries to nip you.just thought id add that in
 
I have an 20 year old TB gelding with arthritis in both hocks and knees. He only gets stiff if he is kept in his box, so I make sure he goes out all day every day and only comes in at night and wears stable wraps on all legs. He still competes regularly at dressage and is never commented on for stiffness. To be honest, if she is on bute and is still showing symptoms, I don't think it is just stiffness. It's possibly a pulled muscle which she could have got from having a run in the field, or rolling in her stable or the field. If she were mine, I would turn her out as much as possible, make sure she is nice and warm in her rug and if no improvement in a couple of days, consider getting a vet.
 
BSJAShowjumper123 said:
well im not sure if it was her shoulder this is what the lady thinks it looks like to her
but i dont know. plus she didt go out today
im just really confused to i need a vet or not
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I would give her 2 days out in the field, dont feed her bute, if shes better start riding her again gently, if shes not id get the vet. Thats what i would do if it was my horses. Although if you get there tommrow and shes really lame get the vet tommrow. I really wouldnt give her any more bute untill you know what your treating.:)
 
I had a stiff horse.... I put him on a joint supplement and it sorted him out. If it didn't I'd get the vet and get them to give me something that DID make the horse comfortable. If you know it's her hocks maybe she could have steroid injection?

What is her routine? Is she out everyday? The more she is out and moving around the better. Standing in for hours would be the worst thing.

tbh I wouldn't have buted her tonight. If she wasn't right I would be getting the vet out tomorrow and talking through all the options. Now you've buted her you're going to mask the problem the vet needs to see.
 
Well have your vet back out and have a serious chat about it....

You need to make her comfortable first of all.... The consider her ridden life after that.
 
Can you not run her up in hand with someone experienced looking? Or get them to run her up for you to see? This is what the vet will ask for initially.
 
Oh dear :( so she's still not right :( I really think you need to get the vet out you are obviously worried and unsure this could be why she is acting differently as she is sensing you are tense and up tight. When was she last shod? Sometimes they can shorten their stride and appear to be stiff in the shoulder if they are slightly foot sore.... by shortening the stride they can put the toe down first rather than the heel.
 
i dont want this to turn nasty i just want to know if you agree with me?
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No - I don't.

If the horse is not right and hasn't been assessed by the vet - stop riding her, buteing her and lunging her and make an appointment for the vet.

It may well be just a little stiffness. However, it's more likely to be something more significant than that. And as the Watcher says, until you know you run the risk of causing further if not permanent damage.
 
The fact that you say she has problems with her hocks should not make her stiff anywhere else, unless every one of her joints have arthritis. Your mare seems to have problem after problem and I really don't feel that we as a forum can judge sufficiently to give you advice.

You say you had the back person out, what type of back person and what did they do? I remember you had a cracking fall a while back and there could be an underlying problem from that which has been missed.

I certainly would not be exercising her by lunging, free schooling and certainly not riding her. I would not give her any more bute, give her regular turn out over the weekend and then get the vet on Monday. They can then see her progress with her hocks and they can do a lameness exam to try and pick up any problems in front.

You should also tell them exactly what you want to do with her, schooling, jumping competing to x height and they will tell you if she can do that. If they can't then find a better vet.

At your age, (gosh I feel old!!) you should be given lots of advice and support from the vets, with her being your first horse and not a lot of outside support. I really do think that at this stage the vet needs to be brought in as you would be devastated if you damaged her further with exercising her when she should be rested.
 
I very much doubt it is her feet. I am also a little confused as you post daily with another problem, you get a lot of helpful advice and experienced people telling you that yes you should get the vet but you don't ever listen.

I really don't understand why you wouldn't want to get the vet out? The vet will tell you if it is anything to do with her feet.
 
Get the vet out - this forum is not going to be able to diagnose correctly what is wrong with your horse and from reading previous threads, she has not been right for sometime. An experienced lady is not a vet, it is just an opinion and not an expert opinion at that. Its better to hit the nail on the head early before this could turn into something potentially much worse.
 
If in doubt, which you obviously are, get the vet. In your shoes I wouldn't exercise her at all, give her as much turnout as possible, stop giving her bute, ask the vet to come out Monday, and see how she is then.

Only a vet will be able to tell you if she's ok or not, especially if you're inexperienced and in doubt. Listen to your instincts - if she's not right to you, then she's probably not right.

I hope she is ok, anyway :)
 
lochpearl said:
I very much doubt it is her feet.
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Horses which appear stiff through the shoulders are very often shortening their stride due to bilateral foot pain. Also recurrent back problems are usually a secondary symptom of front feet and hock problems.

OP, the first thing I would do is get yourself a reliable. highly regarded farrier to get your mare's feet sorted out if she is overdue and avoid her going overdue again.
 
BSJAShowjumper123 said:
Her feet are due, and the farrier wont pick up the phone!!
but this lady was experianced and she said she didt look lame, just tight and tense in her shoulider x
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My vet always says 'its either lame or its sound, its binary'

I think you should get the vet although appreciate that they are not always the best at diagnosing minor lameness. At least it would put your mind at rest. Shoulder problems are often indicative of something lower down in the foot.
 
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