Mechanical lameness and its effect on performance

[bey_sirocco]

Hello,

My arab gelding has a mechanical lameness in a hind leg, not associated with pain.
I am curious as to how this might affect his performance in the future as it was my intention to compete at low level endurance.
His training has been going well so far and there has been no obvious change to his gait. I am however, concerned about pushing him too hard as I don't know whether this limb can take the stress this sport requires.
This abnormality means that he finds it very awkward to be ridden in the menage but he loves his work and is loving the long rides.

Does anyone know if this sort of gait abnormality is almost a cosmetic issue? Should I treat him as any other horse?

Or should I retire him to occasional hacking?

Also, does anyone recommend any dietry supplements that could help?



Vet notes -
This issue was investigated in Cambridge where he passed all flexion tests and nerve blocks. A scintigraph was carried out and an increase in RU was reported over the distal tarsal bones and hind distal femur. They recommended he continue his normal workload unless there was a change.

 

[Patches]

I've had a full lameness work up done on my horse as she has a strange hind gait movement. She will jerk and tap her back feet down during walk/trot strides. She doesn't do it much in walk, but it's quite constant in trot.

Like your horse she has passed flexion tests. The vet can't make it worse upon flexion and neither can he improve her action under nerve blocking. X-rays of the hocks showed very minor arthritic changes, the sort you'd probably see in any (then) 9 year old cob you x-rayed. They weren't related to her movement, but worth treating all the same.

The outcome was that I spent all that money and still had no answers! However, Patches schools, jumps, hacks and does farm rides. I can't feel the jerk/toe tapping drag under saddle, although I can obviously hear it when I'm on the roads with her. She wears her toes out on her back shoes too.

Strangely enough, she has a lovely balanced trot when you get her going nicely forwards. I just can't bring myself to enter any low level dressage tests though as I'm always worried that other people will assume she's actually lame, even though my vet assures me she isn't. Her movement appears to be "just her".

Infact, there is debate as to whether it's a habit! She can soon stop doing it if she's "on her toes" or sees something of interest in the distance!

 

[Equetouch]

Mechanical lameness like this can also sometimes be caused by the horses back being tight whilst ridden.

Ask your trainer to specifically spend time with you on softening the horses back before doing anything else. As part of your warm up you can perform some shoulder in whilst at a collected walk on a small circle to help the horse step under. This makes the horse free up muscles through the loins.

You can also perform several transitions from all paces whilst keeping the horses head & neck stretched out & slightly down. This helps the horse stretch it's supraspinous ligament along the back, which will help soften the back muscles.

You can also perform a few rein backs (at least 10-12 steps), but not forced. This stretches the loins & gluteals.

After just 10-15 minutes of this type of exercise the horse should feel more supple with a better rhythm to the gait.

Hope this helps.

 

[hussar]

I don't feel able to comment on the lameness per se but if you do ahead with your plans to do low-level endurance, it might be worth carrying a letter from your vet explaining the lameness and that it is not thought to be the result of pain. Otherwise every vet at every ride is going to be all over you like a rash!

It would also help to try and see the same vet at the finish as you saw at the start, so he/she is familiar with the degree of lameness and will be able to spot a deterioration.

Good luck!