Kissing spine/wobblers/neurological/back or neck problems experiences and advice

[a kind of magic]

I will try to give a brief run down of the situation with my mare.

She's 6. We've known her for a couple of years but owned her since March, only got her home in April though. She was ridden occasionally in her old home but predominately wasn't ridden although she was broken in as a 3 year old. She was always a bit of a hot head but nothing I couldn't handle. She is QH but negative for HYPP and PSSM.

I had an operation not long after we got her home but we were working her on the lunge (wasn't allowed to ride) and I was having someone in to ride and school her. The more she was being lunged or ridden the more uncomfortable she seemed, on a couple of occasions on the lunge (on a large circle) she threw up her head and fell over, or reared a little and fell on her side as if her co-ordination was off. Teeth and saddle fit were checked so we phoned the vet re: back. In the meantime a friend came to tidy up her mane (her little nephew ate some of it!) and the same thing happened with the falling over, she objected very suddenly to having her mane pulled, reared a little and fell over onto her side.

The vet came for her primary visit and investigations are ongoing, but I just wondered what other people's experiences were. We are all very worried (including the vet) with the falling over episodes as on every occasion she has had no interference from her handler, so it's not like she was pulled off balance. We are waiting for our vet to come back off holiday and then x-rays and whatever else is needed to diagnose correctly. The only other thing worth perhaps mentioning is that she has three bony lumps on her wither that we noticed, as if she had wither trauma that has healed badly. Obviously we will know more when we get the x-rays done.

I've spoken to her previous owner (a friend of ours) but she's not knowingly seen her fall over before but then some days she can be perfectly fine and others she has no co-ordination.

We are all very worried about her but I wanted to hear if anyone had any similar experiences?

 

[a kind of magic]

Just thought to add in case it's relevant she is fed on a natural diet, grass/hay and a chopped grass/grass nut mix with vits and mins so there is no added molasses or cereal starch in her diet.

 

[Bustalot]

Not sure if helpful or not

my horse has kissing spines / neurological issues (showing wobblers symptoms a handful of times) / arthritis in his neck

He has not shown any instances of actually falling over (he may loose a hind leg underneath himself of a occasion) nor objected to his mane being pulled.

No... not really helpful was I Sorry.

 

[a kind of magic]

Lol it is helpful, obviously we are just waiting for the vet but it's a major worry. When I said she objected to the mane pulling, I think she would have done that either way to be honest but it's just the fact that she lost her balance again. All the occasions when she's lost her balance have been on flat, dry grassy surface.

How does your horse cope, and how old is he?

 

[Bustalot]

He is still relatively young at 15 years

Kissing spines was about 5 years ago now. He used to go bucking bronco if asked to canter and then on the lunge he looked really 'odd' not lame just not right, he never wanted to work over his back either spending lots of time quite hollow when ridden His back was injected with the cortizone (sp?) injections. Then worked in the pessoa for a month after to build the muscle back up to help protect the joints. He only needed them done once and with regular physio he has been fine.

His Arthritis was about two years ago now. When we had really bad snow in the winter, he started to graze really awkward (think of a foal that has its back end growing faster than its front) He also couldn't stretch his head and neck round to the side of his body. X-rays showed arthritis in C6/C7 in his neck. He had his neck injected. (twice, as it didn't work the 1st time!) He came back into work after that again fine, but he would sometimes have a 'wobble' with his hind end. Vet said due to the arthritis constricting the spinal cord.

He is now a happy hack / retired as furthur medical problems of bone spavin / old ligament injury have not helped matters both of which were secondary to the kissing spines.

Looking back over the years he did occasionally have the odd 'wobble' prior to the diagnosis of the arthritis but as they were so infrequent (talking once every 8 months) didn't really think much of it.

But here we are now and he is more than happy in him self and copes fine spending time in the field. He would still be in work if i felt it was worth it, but he can no longer do what i want to do and so having the physio out to him every couple of months and paying out for it seems a bit pointless when he can live his days out in his field with out me pushing him for more.

This is just my boys story. I wouldn't try and second guess the vets prior to any results as that can only scare you, i know it did me esp. when you google the issues, the most worst cases seem to turn up in front of your eyes!

Good luck with your mare and hope you get to the bottom of the issues and get them solved to bring the out come to what you want, also it is not unusual for horses to loose their balance when they rear, esp if she is going up to some height. x

 

[minimex2]

MY horse had wobblers and didnt have any signs your horse has (which I hope for you means a more positive outcome) He'd trip a lot and overreach and stand odd, like his feet had an argument and would sometime walk like he was drunk.

Wishing you a positive outcome xx

 

[a kind of magic]

We've had a bit of an issue with her over-reaching too and as she is western trained when we started to teach her to spin she couldn't cope. When she is rearing and falling over it is literally only about a foot off the floor, not a large rear.

It's so frustrating as normally it would all happen a bit quicker but I would rather wait for our vet to come back off holiday than have another vet out, it just means an agonising wait!

Thank you for your kind words I have everything crossed that it is a positive outcome. x

 

[fatpiggy]

Hmmm, I would ask your vet to do a complete neurological workup. One of the tests for seizure disorders is to push the head up and walk the horse back which is effectively what a rear does.

 

[TarrSteps]

Before you do anything else, I'd work up and x-ray, as you have planned. I've seen a surprising number of horses with improperly healed fractures, even being ridden (unsuccessfully, usually) so you really want to know what you're dealing with before you try too much manipulation. One horse was a jumper being seen by a chiropractor who suggested himself the horse have more extensive xrays done - turns out his spinal processes at the withers were literally smashed and he had loose chips!

The falling over could be neurological, it could be a seizure (I've known three with seizure disorders, although in only one case were they severe enough to make the horse fall over), it could also be outright sudden onset pain.

I'd be curious to know - could you keep us posted?

 

[a kind of magic]

The chiro we had out to my hubby's mare who foaled this year had a quick look at her when I was waiting for the vet to come out the first time and said the same, x-ray and work up she commented she was showing some funny reactions to being palpated.

Unfortunately because of timing (we were due to move to the winter field but I didn't want to box her if it painful to her) the only day the vet could come was when I was on my own and the mare can be a bit highly strung and on that particular day she didn't want to play ball. Because I am pregnant I didn't really want to put myself in danger and have an argument with her so we did some basic tests, when the vet returns my husband will be there to handle my mare. We did move her in the trailer on bute and very carefully, something else that just occurred to me is that she fell over in the trailer despite driving very slowly and carefully.

Thinking if it is all related as she used to travel fine but when we tried to load her to come home she did NOT want to get on the trailer or lorry and it took several attempts over several days to load her. Despite smooth journeys her legs were shaking. Is it possible something like that can get worse with age?

I will keep you all posted with the results, it is entirely possible she has damaged her back as one of the things we picked up were three bony lumps on her wither, the vet mentioned that it could be a badly healed break or fracture, will know more when we get the x-rays done. The wait is agonising!