My not quite right horse - need to rant and get Bowen info

[BethH]

So, I've bored you all more than a couple of times about my horse, how his feet were mullered by the farrier therefore now barefoot and feet are now fantastic. He is so much happier in himself. However, he seemed of late to have suffered from a lack of forward impulsion despite his willingness to try and I have now had bodyworker and chiro go over him with a fine toothcomb after vet didn't really think much of it and a 2week bute trial did nothing.

So we have whittled it down to the chiro thinking she has found some restricted pelvic tilt which could be some sort of arthritic change or trauma to the area, she said it would cause difficulty in his back leg being able to push through and feel like he'd lost his motor - exactly the feeling I've been getting when riding, no pain just can't power! Now have lost all faith in vets as got the senior vet down who I have always really respected thinking he might be able to help and he took one look at barefoot and an increased digital pulse and said - wait for - Yes you've got it - he can't cope without shoes he is footsore. Let's take foot x-rays and talk to my remedial farrier! This was after he came in early the day before due to the foul weather and had been in his stable for an unheard of 19hrs and had had haylage instead of hay as my hayman got stuck and couldn't deliver for a couple of days! I did warn the vet he was a little footy on the pebbles for the first time ever since barefoot last April as the weather was so wet but that he had been fine a couple of days previously. When he came in that night the podiatrist check his pulses - nothing and was was coping up to level 4 on the pressure testers without flinching - I am so convinced it's not his feet and that if it were, then bare foot is already the best course of action to fix them, vet said he didn't think it was navicular or anything like that and I do agree he isn't 100% on the front right but not because he is barefoot.

So in desperation I got an animal communicator in a couple of days ago who told me he had damaged the 'fascia'??? quite deep in his pelvis and the result would be exactly as I was feeling ridden and that the best person to help would be a Bowen therapist as they specialise in helping the body mend these types of injuries.

At the moment I am feeling slightly out of my depth but my gut tells me the vet is wrong and that although I agree my horse is sore on his front foot, I am sure it is because his pelvis isn't happy and he is taking all the weight on the front end. Any bowen stories or other advice happily received. I am more than happy to pay for foot xrays but I am worried it will take his treatment off in the wrong direction and not resolve what i think is really underlying - HELP please! Wine needed at this point! I know what I want to do but am scared that if I don't do as the vet suggests I may not help my horse but if I do go along with it, I may not help my horse either!!!!!

 

[putasocinit]

why dont you put a pair of hind boots on him and see if it makes a difference, he could very well be foot sore or just enough to stop him using his pull push ability, it doesnt mean he has to have shoes on though, anyway anything to help him would be for his benefit and yours.

Just read the rest of the post but do feel that a bit of support on his feet wouldnt hurt him to heal, good luck

 

[lizness]

I had a bowen man out to my horse, she was a little ataxic and lame. Came right somehow, vets couldn't find a problem whether it was time, the bowen man or what ever but would maybe try it again?

 

[SusieT]

Why not put boots on to rule out foot protection not being required? How is his pelvis making him lame on front right?
He won't be powering through if lame in front.
Present him to a second vet for a lameness work up when he is having a good day-if he doesn't have any then present him as is as that is the state of him.

 

[TheSaddleLady]

I can't say much about the feet issue as I don't know a lot on that subject. However the mention of 'fascia' sparked my interest. A Bowen or Equine Touch practitioner can help release the fascia and help with any lymphatic drainage but personally I wouldn't call them out until the feet situation is sorted (sorry I don't know you're background on here.)
Boots might be a help too, to cushion any tenderness.
If his pelvis is 'out' or has any issues, his front feet may take the brunt as his front end would try to compensate for the pelvis weakness and therefore create tenderness. (I hope that makes sense!)

 

[BethH]

Hi Thanks for all of your replies, saddle lady, this is exactly what I'm getting at, my main indicator has been that he has been reducing his gait in front which started to happen when he was in shoes, he had kissing spine surgery as a 7 year old (is 15 this year) so I am incredibly OTT about noticing change of gait, muscling etc etc and he has been worked very correctly for the last 8years. I changed farrier and started to notice he was moving a bit differently and over the course of the last 18 mths it got gradually worse. I realised the heels were starting to under run and he was landing toe first and then he lost all of his muscle, especially on his chest and I am certain it is because of the way he was being shod, so I took him barefoot after 10years in shoes last April.

I am going to get my foot person to put wraps on to see if that changes things and removes any discomfort although he is fine in the school, on tarmac etc he just can't push from behind and he has always been really powerful. I walked him up the road for 20mins yesterday and he was short but not lame and we have checked his pulses and pressure tested his feet daily and he seems fine so i am sure being slighty footy on pebbles is a red herring. I think exactly what you've said, that because the lack of pelvic tilt is blocking the push through from behind, the front can't move forwards freely and I do think he is compensating in front as it is bearing the weight of him not being freely forward if that makes sense. He has lost his back end engine, the body worker looked at him move and agrees with me that he is shorter on he back left to right front diagonal than on the other and it is the back left that can't seem to push hence why I think he is lame on the front right as he can't utilize it properly if that makes sense.

I guess what I need to know is whether bowen has a good chance of sorting it or whether I need to take him for investigation, I have to point out here that he has been through a great deal and I don't want him pulled around unnecessarily and I don't know whether if they xray the pelvis it would go deep enough to find the problem anyway as the area is so dense, I am sure there will still be some foot balance issues but surely the best way to resolve that is to allow him to mend barefoot? I am pretty certain the insurance won't cover it as they will relate anything wrong with him to the KS so I could get a very large bill and be no closer to finding out the problem, hence why if something like bowen would work, it might be a nicer experience for my horse?

 

[pines of rome]

Bowen has helped my barefoot boy a lot, he had three sessions close together to start with as he was pretty sore and now he has one every three months or so! I really notice the difference in him afterwards, his movement is so much better, he enjoys it as well!

 

[SusieT]

Any therapist worth their salt (and their professional accreditation..) has to take a referral from a vet before treating an animal as they can be doing more harm than good nevermind just pocketing your money..
Get him worked up by a recommended lameness vet, not just your local practice senior vet or otherwise as the specialist places are set up. It could be spinal, it's unlikely to be pelvic lameness causing the front lameness-more likely that foot is not coping well with barefoot and needs boots/wraps/shoes.
I think you will end up spending a lot on alternative therapy without really getting to the bottom of it otherwise. just my advice. Alternative therapy practitioners are very good at telling you what you 'want' to hear i.e that they can see the problem and 'maybe' this will help or 6 visits at ££ will help, but without actually knowing the long term outcome for what they're doing.

 

[BethH]

Hi appreciate your replies, Susie, I really appreciate the time you have taken to reply and do understand what you are saying, my vet practice is a large equine clinic who cover everything from flu jabs to major surgery of all types, I just feel they aren't listening to me about the fact that the issue my horse has pre-dates his footiness, it started late summer after a friend rode him and I think it unsettled an underlying problem that was there. He has been absolutely sound without shoes up to last week over every surface, is very happy to have a rider on board, but has struggled to power for the last 6mths. Vets, chiro & body worker do not believe he is in pain just that his movement is compromised and I did involve the vet from last October when it became much more noticeable. They haven't even bothered to flexion test him. I just want to know if something like bowen can resolve this. I will obviously ask my foot person to put wraps on the fronts to see if it makes a difference, vet thinks back feet aren't a problem, but to help counter the footiness my horse needs to walk on tarmac to toughen the feet up which he can't do with wraps as they don't grip well and if I shoe I think this will mask the problems and damage the hoof that I have worked so hard to grow, so I feel very caught between the devil and the deep blue!

I think it is looking as though I will either have to put him through a full investigation or retire him from ridden work, so sad that the support I thought I had from vet and all the other people who have treated him isn't really there, just feel so let down by all the people that I pay large amounts of money too regularly! Sorry feeling a bit sorry for myself!

 

[SusieT]

It's hard when you know something isn't right, I would wonder about ligament issues with the description-are you in England? If anywhere near Animal Health Trust etc. there are some very good lameness specialists.