Major Panic - majorly long. Opinions on movement (including vid)

[AmyMay]

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yeah....I know you're right. It's just I'm getting to a stage where I want to be able to achieve more.

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Why not get some lessons on a 'school master'? There's nothing like it for teaching you what to do, and what to feel.

Oh, and I'm going to start a ' Stop Having a Go at Patches ' campaign. Of course she can do dressage!

 

[fairhill]

Just what I was going to say AmyMay. There is no reason why Patches can't do a very good Prelim/Novice dressage test. Or even elementary with more schooling.

 

[AmyMay]

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Just what I was going to say AmyMay. There is no reason why Patches can't do a very good Prelim/Novice dressage test. Or even elementary with more schooling.

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Woman down here regularly used to get 'old cobs' and train and compete them up to GrandPrix.

The Sky's the Limit!!!!!

 

[Patches]

Steady on now!!! Did that woman regularly take eejit riders like me and train them up to Grand Prix level too?

You see, I would worry more with dressage that I'd be asked to leave the arena because of her action. On fun rides, jumping etc, I'm not overly concerned at all about her.

 

[Woody&Rockie]

I think she could do a nice test - the thing is she needs schooling consistantly and when you dont have an arena to ride in - in winter its difficult isnt it. We had just started to get her going quite well by the end of summer but then the dark nights draw in and that puts a stop to that.

I personally as long as she is going nicley for you and your happy with that - thats what matters. Looking preedy isnt everything!

 

[AmyMay]

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You see, I would worry more with dressage that I'd be asked to leave the arena because of her action.

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Unlikely tbh. She's not lame, just odd!!

 

[HBII]

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I even got shouted at by the YO after who commented on my 'terrible hands' thing is i couldn't understand it until i saw the video - as i ride in a snaffle and have a soft mouthed pony so wouldnt ever see saw intentionally. I wasnt even sitting up straight my whole body moved!
On a good note its made me notice that when i get tired i ride terribly! lol

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Hey dont we all - we are only human after all!

I had my OH video me the other day and to say it was shocking was a bit of an understatement

[and no I aint posting it

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Hb

 

[Woody&Rockie]

LOL funny isnt it as you think your riding is ok - then you see yourself and you cant believe its you and to be honest im suppised my instructor didnt say anything as I would have said something had it been the other way round!
I need an arena with mirrors!

 

[Patches]

arena with mirrors....you'd be too busy checking your hair and make up out then to worry about you riding!!!!

 

[Woody&Rockie]

Are you saying im vain??? ;-)

 

[Patches]

pmsl! No, not vain, just well groomed! But isn't everyone next to me?

 

[blaze]

Hi Patches,

OK, I admit to not having read the whole thread - sorry, had to reply while I could remember what I wanted to say - long day, lol! But as someone with a horse with hindlimb problems, I may be able to at least share symptoms with you, if nothing else!

Not a vet, nowhere near, but I would be very surprised if that action was to do with arthritic changes occurring, as the bute made no difference. My horse has quite severe DJD (at first we thought it was OCD because of her age - five at diagnosis) and bute makes a huge difference to joint pain. Patches does have a strange gait behind, but I have seen other cobs with similar actions. What to me seems strange is that she doesn't pick up her toes, as she actually looks as though she's going forwards enough for her to do so (not sure that makes sense - trying to say it doesn't look like laziness, lol!)

OCD is normally recognised pretty young as from memory it's a developmental disease.

The other option is if Patches has developed a strange action as a result of another injury, which may or may not still be a problem - my mare did this to try and compensate for her pain before we got to the bottom of it, and after we had treated her, she still took a while to realise that she could move properly again, without the bony spurs in her leg!

The snatching foot down rings bells with me too - I'm sure that's an EPSM symptom, have you investigated this at all? I know that can have huge effects on the way a horse goes.

If it's any consolation, despite being pronounced sound by the specialists, my horse still has a slightly odd action behind (stifle DJD and sus des in both suspensory ligaments). The vet at the horse-pital noted it but did say that some horses do just have slightly odd ways of going. We may investigate again in the future when she has muscled up and matured more, but for now she has been discharged as she is.

The point is that you need to know whether this odd way of going is due to a problem, or whether it's liable to create a secondary problem for Patches in the future, if she's putting too much strain anywhere else. Gait analysis is great for this.

If it was me, I think I'd be looking at getting Patches X-rayed on her stifles and hocks, and poss sacroiliac checked. I'd also be curious about those suspensories, but then again, I am paranoid after my mare's experiences!

BUT the main thing to remember is that you ARE riding her now without her showing much sign of discomfort (my horse did show discomfort), which may mean that after treatment for any problem, there is no reason why you can't return to riding her - but potentially without the toe-dragging! Please don't make yourself worry about worst-case scenarios before you know whether there's actually anything to worry about at all!

If you want to PM me, please do - I can bore you with more symptoms!

 

[annie02]

I think the answer may be in the history before you or Lucy owned her.

There was a foal at the stable I was at, when it was born its ligaments were short in the front legs. Basically what happened was instead of surgery to cut them they tried to stretch them with the use of a cast. It worked very well, however he has a very similar movement to your guy. It is almost like he "flicks" his legs instead of picking them up and placing them down. It looks similar to your video. Much easier to see in the front though. When you pick up his feet its almost a "grab" reflex that makes him bring his leg up tighter than normal.

The vet that took care of him said that as he works more you may see his gait get better, the ligaments can stilll stretch out a bit. He will never have a perfect gait but soundness isnt an issue either. With this guy you see him trip a bit more often but only because the way he moves makes the ride more difficult on bumpy ground.

The two cases seem very similar to me.

 

[1CTrenowath]

Hi Patches,

Sorry, I haven't read the entire thread as lost the will to live where people had digressed....

just wanted to say from your orig. thread - this sounds awfully like my id gelding. In particular the crab like way of tackling down hill - I have always put this down to him avoiding his stifle joints getting to a particular angle where they give way. He has problems locking them more than Upward fixation, and used to move very similarly to your mare. At vet and farrier recommendation he had heel wedges fitted to alter the angle of the stifle and this made an absolutely massive difference to his way of going, toes no longer dragging etc. With some major schooling to get him off his forehand and working through, his whole hind end has strengthened and he is now loads better than he was (and minus heel wedges after several years!!) I'm no vet and this would obviously need verifcation from one before doing anything, but thought I would share!!

 

[siennamiller]

Hi Patches
Firstly, she is so cute, I really like her. She looked pretty good to me. I just wanted to say my horse used to drop his toe like you say Patches does, he has also been diagnosed with EPSM and is improving all the time but I am only starting to see a major difference now and he has been on epsm diet since June. My vet said it can take up to a year to completely sort out. He seems very happy on his EPSM diet anyway so you could give it a go? Nothing to lose?
xx