Lameness - query any ideas of where else to look/consider?

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Hannah1999

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Hi, I'm Looking for some thoughts and suggestions, I have an 8 yr old Connie mare, 2 yrs ago reviewed by the vet for shuffled gate, not quite performing to her best- not lame but not using herself correctly. Work up, back x ray all clear. Bute trial triggered mild colic and found ulcers. Ulcers treated, mild improvement in movement. However on increase in workload to canter and jumping became more tense appeared lame right hind. Again reviewed, nerve blocked, X-ray hocks and stifle, looked uncoordinated under sedation, artritis found in neck, C4/5. Steroid injection into facet joint- improvement, with meticulous rehabilitation in ground work and strength. Consistent toe drag right hind, varying degrees. Again on increased of workload- just canter obvious lameness, reviewed by vet and SI tender, agreed to steroid injection in SI, alpha-2 both stifles. Slow 12 week rehabilitation as suggested, on start of canter work became heavy and blocked to left side, toe drag, improvement with physio, agreed two week low level work whilst awaiting vet review. ridden Sunday and went hopping lame, the worst I have ever felt or seen. Box rest cold hosed, no swelling or heat in any leg. Reviewed by vet today- positive to high flexion right hind, nerve blocked right hock, partial block, however X-ray clear, she said there are a couple of tiny areas on X-ray but overall really tidy. I'm flummoxed, in the last 6 months she has had two overt episodes of significant lameness appears right hind. She has regular physio, on an ulcer supplement, had her neck re injected Jan 2025. Any thoughts?
Her stifle was xray'd 18 months ago and clear. The lameness on Sunday was acute sudden onset and very severe. Similar to bout in April. Vet is also fairly stumped, she question floating cartilage somewhere or possibly looking at spine again with stronger xray machine.
Thanks in advance
 
Honestly I have no aspirations of anything major- but at the minute she isn't sound enough to do walk trot and canter and seems that everytime I try and introduce canter she becomes worse. I can't help but think there is something else going on
 
Issues with canter can be a symptom of sacroiliac problems but neck arthritis can also cause pretty widespread issues including neuro stuff, I would be wary of pushing a horse diagnosed with it so young very much at all and in all honesty would probably retire if she were mine.
 
alsxx said:
I'd be considering the stifles as root cause personally. I retired a 6year old last year with perfect stifle x rays, but upon arthroscopy it was a very different story.
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Ahh ok, thanks. Did you just push for more investigation following a clean xray? What is the process of an arthroscopy?
 
Hannah1999 said:
No, they haven't been, although my vet palpates them today. as it appears high up and they don't appeared reactive or inflammed. Can I ask why you ask whether they have been scanned ?
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I would be pushing to get them scanned, even just to rule it out. My horse toe dragged and wasnt using herself correctly and turned out to have psd.
Also you have had SI issues and they quite often go hand in hand with suspensory issues.
 
Hannah1999 said:
Ahh ok, thanks. Did you just push for more investigation following a clean xray? What is the process of an arthroscopy?
Click to expand...

So my gelding was never 'right' in my eyes, but also not classicly lame (as confirmed by I think 5 different vets that looked at him). He would wear the toe of his right hind (barefoot), was lazy in the school but forward to hack, and canter transitions were explosive at times. He was very, very reluctant jumping. In the end a swelling popped out the front of the stifle which coincided with suddenly taking wrong canter lead right.

Still classicly 'sound' to 2x regular vet but they did refer. Ortho specialist spotted the lame gait in canter only. Nothing seen on x ray or ultrasound, and no change blocking hocks down, but positive on stifle blocks.

Stifles are very difficult to get images of the entire joint so the only way to properly look is through key hole. It is a GA and mine came home the next day. It can also be a treatment as if they find something, they can tidy it up while in there. In our case, his cartilage was completely shot.
 
I'd be looking at PSD and SI. Sounds as if this horse has problems that trigger each other. Our PSD lad with SI problems never really looked lame but was reluctant to go forward and occasionally explosive.
He then went lame with collateral ligament issues in front. It was all related. He couldn't use himself correctly so the problems multiplied.
 
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