Intermittent hind limb lamness?

[CBFan]

Ok... Just a bit of back history...

Horse hasn't been right since around Christmas. No noticeable lameness but reluctant to work, argumentative (bucking and rearing when pushed) which is totally out of character. Consulted vet who suggested a bute trial, discovered nothing from this (no change in behaviour) so went in for gait analysis and asked for a gastroscopy too to check for Stomach ulcers.

Gait analysis showed VERY mild lameness (1/10th) on the near hind which was more evident with the affected limb on the outside of a circle and when pushing off from the ground. (gait analysis is amazing!) went on to have gastroscopy which showed nothing of concern - phew. Vet mentioned concern about the lameness, advised that he wouldn't be able to do anything to investigate it that day as horse had been sedated so to take him home, turnout as usual but no other exercise and bring him back the following week for nerve blocks, scans and Xrays. Duly obliged, returned the following week and after half an hour of lunging on hard and soft surfaces vet declared horse was sound and that they couldn't for the life of them make him lame and therefore couldn't isolate where the lameness we'd seen the previous week had originated from. Discussed my options with vet and decided to give horse a few more weeks off (as a week seemed to have done him some good) so roll on 5 weeks and I Started to bring him back into gentle work 2 weeks ago - just 20 minute walk and trot sessions under saddle in the arena, bit of loose schooling, one short hack a week.

Today I took him into the Arena for some loose schooling / lunging and he was a good 4 or 5 10ths lame on his left hind. Encouraged him on as I figured if the vet is going to come and see anything I might as well make sure he has a reason to be lame and after 5 - 10 minutes he'd worked it off and was completely sound.

What to do and where to go from here? To scan / xray the whole limb would cost a bomb - it's already cost me £600 so far and we've achieved nothing... Vet originally suggested suspensory ligament injury, someone else suggested Sacroiliac. There is no heat or swelling or muscular asymmetry and horse can move quite happily when he wants to (Thundered round the arena at a good gallop this morning). Horse is 6 years old, 17.2hh and suffers from mild shivers, which I believe may be a contributing factor to this hind limb issue - he came out of the box cold this morning so could have been stiff and achey as a result. Any Suggestions?

I'm thinking of seeing how he goes over the next week and then calling the vet again as I could pull him out of his box tomorrow and him be sound.

 

[HeresHoping]

Sorry to read about your horse. It is expensive (is he insured?) but I'm afraid I'd be investigating suspected suspensory injuries. Can your vet do this at your yard? Nerve blocks and scanners. The portable scanner is not great, but it will spot a tear.

My 7 yo 17 hh ISH has torn his left hind suspensory up by the hock. There was no visible lameness in straight lines and on the lunge in walk and trot. No heat. No swelling. However, his canter was horrible to watch - four time and bunny hopping. He also has an SI injury - he has crumpled the lumbosacral joint. The implications of this were paddling up hills (such as we have here) and an inability to move around a corner. Also a reluctance to trot under saddle. He's a bit of a gentleman but I'm pretty sure that had I pressed him he would have had no qualms about going bronco. Instead I had much tail swishing, grinding teeth, head shaking and grinding to a halt.

He was fully diagnosed at the AHT. If it were one or the other injury, the treatment options available for his suspensory were shockwave - Sue Dyson offered a 40-50% chance of returning to eventing at BE100; and operating, a 75% success rate.

As he is pretty much written off as a result of both injuries, I'm going down the very long rest, Arcequine and fingers crossed route.

 

[CBFan]

Thank you HeresHoping. Your horse's behaviours sound very similar to mine. if not identical. I believe he can scan at the yard so will push him for this as I can't be faffed with dragging him there again if I really don't have to!! How did you discover the SI Injury? Scanner at yard?

He is insured but I haven't claimed yet as we've not found anything...

 

[CBFan]

p.s. HGow long is 'very long rest'? and is this field rest or box rest?

 

[HeresHoping]

Hi again,

The SI injury was via MRI at the AHT. A scanner won't pick this up - it's too deep seated to see anything so they have to use an anal probe. I already knew it was a likely SI injury - he sat down in the field when confronted by a bolting horse trailing three fields' worth of electric fencing. I watched him do it. We initially thought he had pulled a glute and he had a course of acupuncture to help the spasms in the muscles along his rump and 6 weeks rest with no improvement. The suspensory was a bit of a shock and showed up on lunging on the hard at the AHT followed by scans.

He's on field rest - although currently stabled at night - for 6 months at least. This with the nod from my vet. AHT wouldn't prescribe treatment due to his severe SI injury. He's a happy horse, though, and only 8 this year, and I lost one last year due to a fractured ilial shaft and torn SI ligaments, so I thought I'd try. I doubt he'll event again but he might get well enough to hack quietly.

 

[CBFan]

Thanks. Think I might as well send him in the RVC for full investigation. He did a similar thing to your horse a few years ago now (must've been about 4 years ago now) - Galloped down the field, skidded to a halt and fell on his bum. I got him checked out soon after by my chiro and he's had regular check ups since. Always has tightness behind where the saddle sits but other than that, no problems detected - Saddle, teeth etc all regularly done. He's never been particularly athletically minded but has improved since his fitness improved but then the last few months has gone totally down hill and really isn't happy in his work...They do know how to worry us don't they?! I want the best for him totally but these things always happen when you least need them - grrrrrrr!!