lazy, tired or uncomfortable

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Sarah04

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I can't figure out if my pony is lazy , tired or uncomfortable. Every time I hack with friends we are lagging behind they have to keep stopping or I have to trot to catch up. He's got arthritis in hocks which hes had a couple of years but now when I'm riding his back end keeps slipping like he's going to collapse but he gets him self right and we carry on. I only have to squeeze him and he goes and loves a good canter up a hill. It's more I'm just walk. I've Googled his symptoms and found some videos which look similar to what he does so was wondering if it's locking stifle ? I spoke to vet today he doesn't think it is he thinks he's lame somewhere or could be his hocks. He was seen begining of june for bloods and vet checked him hes not lame. He's turned out 24/7 , we do 10-15 mile a week. He's got ems, cushings, had lami 2 years ago . Recently was anaemic although not anymore and liver enzymes were slightly high but slowly improving. He's 17 years. I don't know whether to try bute if he's in discomfort or to just do light work. Vet said to bring him in for a check but he was only there a few weeks ago for a liver biopsy and what can they do anyway ? I don't want him to have a steroid injection incase it brings lami on. I just want to do the best for my pony
 
In answer to your title question, I would say definitely uncomfortable. Stop doing the things that make him lag behind or lose his backend and follow up with the vet. Sounds like he needs a full lameness work up. Just because you were at the vets for a liver biopsy and the vet said he wasn't lame when he came for his bloods does not mean he isn't lame; he'd need a proper lameness work up for that.
 
He had a full health check in Feb and all his bloods done , teeth , lameness check , x rays on front feet to check pedal bone. vets been out every month since and hasn't picked anything up. We are behind as soon as we set off!
 
10-15 miles a week is light work so I don't think reducing it will help, in fact it may be lack of fitness that is part of the problem, if he has been suffering recently from a liver problem as well as cushings, ems and arthritc hocks he has had a lot to cope with and it will have taken it's toll on him generally and may well have made the backend weaker because he has not been maintaining muscle tone as he should.

I think I would ride him out alone more and see if you can build up the fitness level very gradually, encourage him to walk out briskly and you may find he is better without the pressure of trying to be keeping up with others, if you can get him walking better alone you may find he is more relaxed and less inclined to slip, it doesn't sound like slipping stifles so much as stiffness, if the stifle was locking you would know about it as he would not be happy to move, once his liver is fully healthy then maybe reassess and consider giving him something to help the hocks in supplement form if you don't already.
 
Cushings can make them very lethargic, is he on prascend? How long have you had him? Has he always been like this or is it a change in behaviour? He doesn't sound very happy to me and I'd want to get to the cause of the problem.
 
Thank you for your reply . I've tried varies joint supplements and the one I'm on at the moment has improved his blood results as they are almost back to normal just working on the liver one and his joint seem ok. We go into the forest every week and it would be great if he had a bit more go in him . Sometimes I feel like getting off and leading him to go a bit quicker . But in trot and canter he is fine and cant wait to go. He's very nappy on his own , you'd think his legs were going to drop off so that's why I tend to go with friends. He has shoes on and flat thin soles so whether the ground doesn't help. He's got fatty pads and a huge crest so really working hard at shifting this he's 14.1 and weights 390kg. I let him stretch his neck in walk and that's when he seems to slip more at back end maybe balance?
 
I've had him 2 years in Feb . He came down with lami a month after I had him then we discovered he had cushings. He came with fat pads and crest and I'd had a 2 stage vetting done on him. He's my first pony so I had no idea about any of these things. Yes He's on prascend . He had more go about him when I tried him but he'd been stabled 24/7. I just don't know what to do
 
My EMS horse can get sub clinical laminitis at this time of year, only real symptom is him not wanting to go forwards properly and tripping more on rough ground. He also gets a palpable digital pulse, not bounding at all, but I can feel it and I usually can't.
 
When did he last have his levels checked for Cushings, it might be worth a retest if it isn't recently. Does he go better on some surfaces than others? If he does that might help track down the problem.
 
I would have the vet checks suggested by others done but would also get a good saddler to check the fit of his tack, especially if you have him on a diet and he is losing weight. My made is moving much more freely and keeping up with her companion much better in her new saddle, even though her previous saddles 'fitted'!
 
Hi, I recently lost a horse and I asked myself many times if his lack of stamina and enthusiasm was just the way he was or if he had a problem. He tested positive for Cushings and I lost him to colic. I think he had problems I wasn't aware of earlier because he'd never been the strongest or keenest horse for a 17hh 3/4 TB. Sounds like you and the vet are being very thorough and I guess you've ruled out teeth and tack problems. I can recommend hoof boots for horses with sensitive feet, all the best.
 
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