MrsMozart
Just passing through...
13.3hh, seven year old Traditional cob, never sick nor sorry in the nearly four years we've owned him. Used for hacking, jumping, generally having fun with.
He went lame around April/May. Turned out that he was tied up. No apparent cause/reason. Four weeks box rest (he was no good at field rest, there's a big hill), brought back into work nice and smoothly and to the letter of the equine vet caring for him.
Changed his feed to: Shape Up (has natural Selenium and Vit E), added salt, electrolytes, and a salt lick in his stable. He has lived out throughout, apart from the box rest.
A few weeks later he went lame again. Different symptoms. Toe dragging hind feet. Vet out. Rested for a week. All fine. Back into work. Daughter is a stick insect, and whilst tall, is no way too heavy for him. Light work to start building fitness again, then onto a two sessions that had a little bit of jumping (one jump at twelve inches, this pony can easily clear four feet). All fine again.
Jumping lesson two weeks ago. Hacked up to the school, all fine. Started the session, and there were a few of us, so not intense, and he didn't look right. Stopped and trailered him home.
Vet back out.
She has known him since we have had him, and she looks after all our horses very well, so I trust her implicitly. She can't figure out what it is
It looks as though his backend has a satelite delay/isn't working with his front end. Front end looks fine. Back end is slightly to the right of the front end. Also, his willy is often dangling down, which it didn't used to do very often.
He used to canter a bit like a constipated cow (hind legs wide apart and seeming to hit the ground at the same time), but over time D1 has got him working very nicely and his canter is now a true three beat gait, with his hind legs behaving as they should; this has carried into his action in the field, so all good. I haven't seen him canter since this episode.
We have stopped any investigation of our own as he is going to Sue Dyson this coming Wednesday. I've had a horse once before where we spent too much time not knowing what was wrong, I'm not doing it again.
He's been out in the field, and just gone back on Bute, but he is not right, in fact is a tad worse, so last night we kept him in. D1 is to report back on how he is today.
Feeling rather down about the whole thing really. This is a lovely lad and very much part of the family. It is hard to see him suffering/in pain (I don't know if he is in pain, but he can't run with the herd from what people have told me). I have a dread of what is wrong with him. D1 will be sixteen in October, so this was to be their year of competing and having some fun and getting out and about before exams and big horses (D1 has outgrown him height wise). I've had 'that phone call' once before, not sure I can take a second one.
Any thoughts/ideas on what it could be would be much appreciated.
He went lame around April/May. Turned out that he was tied up. No apparent cause/reason. Four weeks box rest (he was no good at field rest, there's a big hill), brought back into work nice and smoothly and to the letter of the equine vet caring for him.
Changed his feed to: Shape Up (has natural Selenium and Vit E), added salt, electrolytes, and a salt lick in his stable. He has lived out throughout, apart from the box rest.
A few weeks later he went lame again. Different symptoms. Toe dragging hind feet. Vet out. Rested for a week. All fine. Back into work. Daughter is a stick insect, and whilst tall, is no way too heavy for him. Light work to start building fitness again, then onto a two sessions that had a little bit of jumping (one jump at twelve inches, this pony can easily clear four feet). All fine again.
Jumping lesson two weeks ago. Hacked up to the school, all fine. Started the session, and there were a few of us, so not intense, and he didn't look right. Stopped and trailered him home.
Vet back out.
She has known him since we have had him, and she looks after all our horses very well, so I trust her implicitly. She can't figure out what it is
It looks as though his backend has a satelite delay/isn't working with his front end. Front end looks fine. Back end is slightly to the right of the front end. Also, his willy is often dangling down, which it didn't used to do very often.
He used to canter a bit like a constipated cow (hind legs wide apart and seeming to hit the ground at the same time), but over time D1 has got him working very nicely and his canter is now a true three beat gait, with his hind legs behaving as they should; this has carried into his action in the field, so all good. I haven't seen him canter since this episode.
We have stopped any investigation of our own as he is going to Sue Dyson this coming Wednesday. I've had a horse once before where we spent too much time not knowing what was wrong, I'm not doing it again.
He's been out in the field, and just gone back on Bute, but he is not right, in fact is a tad worse, so last night we kept him in. D1 is to report back on how he is today.
Feeling rather down about the whole thing really. This is a lovely lad and very much part of the family. It is hard to see him suffering/in pain (I don't know if he is in pain, but he can't run with the herd from what people have told me). I have a dread of what is wrong with him. D1 will be sixteen in October, so this was to be their year of competing and having some fun and getting out and about before exams and big horses (D1 has outgrown him height wise). I've had 'that phone call' once before, not sure I can take a second one.
Any thoughts/ideas on what it could be would be much appreciated.
Sue Dyson will find out what is wrong and even bad news is better than working in the dark and worrying all the time. Having gone through this myself with her (as you have) I know you could not do better for LC.
, anyway I have no idea either so fingers crossed for him xx