Lifting leg in carrot stretches

OrangeAndLemon

OrangeAndLemon

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After a mild back strain I noticed E started lifting his right hind when I stretched him to that side. He doesn't do the same the other way.

The background:
The injury was a mild strain on his back. He was treated by physio who was happy there was nothing serious but I gave him a couple of weeks off anyway. He has also seen his regular SMS saddler (she is very good) and she has no concern with saddle fit. The saddle is not related to the injury.

This leg he is lifting had cellulitis and pastern dermatitis, resolved about two months before the back strain. He is otherwise a happy and healthy 9 year old, but does get a little stiff with current winter turnout restrictions. He gets lots of warm up before any work. We focus on working from behind. We haven't jumped since the strain which was end of Oct. He gets physio or theraplate monthly.

This is the first time I tried a sideways carrot stretch since the back strain. There is no heat, swelling or tenderness on the back.

Any thoughts? Is this an early sign of something serious?
 
Mine does that also to the right. She does have SI issues and can get very locked up in that area. No problem to the left but bend to the right and she lifts the right hind to balance.

If she does it I'll often put the massage rug on or give her a really good groom to loosen things up a bit. I've brought in a lady who used a machine before (ETT) which did a great job of loosening the muscles on her left hand side which were restricted - can get much deeper than manual therapies
 
BBP does this on both sides, he also has a history of SI injury and I think his muscles have tightened around the injury (as mine have over years following a disc prolapse) I think he does it to evade the stretch as certain muscle groups are too tight. One tip i had from my osteopath is to ensure that hind leg is stepped back rather than forwards prior to starting to ask for the stretch. Then I take into account that he is doing it to avoid the intensity of the stretch so I ask for a little less, to the point where I don’t see him starting to shift off the leg. I now do those stretches at the end of a session and don’t try to do them cold.
 
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Giving time off after physio may have been counter productive especially if turnout is restricted, I tend to keep them going if somewhat reduced in intensity and the stretches are usually increased following treatment to get the full benefit of the work done by the physio to stop the muscles going back into the spasm or tightness they were in to cause the pain in the first place. It is some time since the sprain has he seen the physio since?
 
I think it’s a bit like cheating and bending your knee when you are meant to be stretching your hamstrings, it’s just easier than pushing through the stretch!
 
yup,
interestingly the physio always used to say he was particularly bendy generally (as in his 20s by that point), and that she'd known a few welshies be similar.
I'm trying to remember if he did it with both legs, I want to say more to the left but I could easily be inventing that.
 
be positive said:
Giving time off after physio may have been counter productive especially if turnout is restricted, I tend to keep them going if somewhat reduced in intensity and the stretches are usually increased following treatment to get the full benefit of the work done by the physio to stop the muscles going back into the spasm or tightness they were in to cause the pain in the first place. It is some time since the sprain has he seen the physio since?
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He was getting turnout when he had his time off. Its only recently the turnout has been restricted and I've started seeing stiffness.

Thanks everyone. I'm glad it doesn't sound like anything serious. I'll keep going with the massage and not ask for too much stretch right now on that side.
 
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