Mystery lameness / health issue thoughts?.

L

Laci123

New User
Joined
30 May 2015
Messages
3
Visit site
I bought a mare the end of her 5 year old year. We had a couple months of success, then had a minor trailer accident. She went down in the trailer. She was tied, so her head was up. Her front legs ended up under the horse in the front slant. Her back end kind of splayed out under the front slant horse. We pulled over and got her up and she was sound. Sore, but sound. Bute / banamine and some rest and I went back to running her. Then she stopped working a couple months later. Tried to dive bomb and hit barrels and wouldn't run across the pen. She is a barrel racing horse. Since then, I have been to 8 vets.

Her symptoms include the following.

-Intermittent and shifting lameness to all four lower limbs
-Stiffness and tight muscles. Sometimes the appear to be balled up almost.
-Irritability.
-Really touchy through her shoulders and girth area.
-Left ear extreme sensitivity. Appears and little swollen behind left ear.
-Front end short strided and almost stabbing like she can't extend.

So far, I have had to following diagnoses and associated treatments.

-Hock pain, stifle pain, coffin joint pain - all injected multiple times and different occasions
-Navicular bursa pain and injections.
-Bicepetal bursas and injections.
-Minor sesamoid fracture in hind fetlock -PRP and Tildren, 5 months theraplate and stall rest.
-Back / neck X-rays were all clean. Injected back.

After almost three years, she is still not better. Never more than a 1 lameness, but nobody thus far can pinpoint it. Any thoughts?
 
Sounds as though she was hurt in the trailer accident and her body went into a spasm to protect the injured site. I know you have had a lot of veterinary treatment, but has she been seen by a physio? Have you tried the Masterton Method?

Whereabouts are you? I knew a horse that had been home-bred, but developed a buck that made him unpredictable and unsafe to ride. Eventually - after years of different treatments, organic feed, etc. etc. it was treated by an oestopath under anthestic and according to its owner "is a normal horse" Turned out that as a 4 year old it had been tied up and for some reason was frightened and pulled back really suddenly and went down. Got up, no apparent harm done. BUT that fall had damaged something in the neck area and at certain times it must have given it a lot of pain. The treatment took a few sessions at the vet's. The owner had seen an article in a magazine about rare conditions and it rang a bell so she asked her vet to refer the horse. Her vet thought she was wasting her money, but it turned to cure it in the end.

Vets were inthe Midlands, so pm if you want their name.
 
I'm in Oklahoma. I'm not familiar with the Masterson method, but will look into it. I would love the vets name. Thank you!
 
Across the Pond! Have your heard of Dr. Dave? I am not sure where he comes from, but I know he comes over to the UK
to do clinics here, and he also teaches in the USA at veterinary colleges, so he is obviously very well qualified, he is a chiropractor.

The skin sensitivity rings a bell with the horse I knew of- above. The reins would rub the hair off the horse's neck, and also where the rider's heels were on its side.

http://davidsiemens.com/site/home_1.asp
 
It's a bit of a long shot but have you considered gastric ulcers? These can cause lameness - generally only 1 out of ten and can be a hind leg or a diagonal pair.
 
Barrel racing puts tremendous strain on horses' legs. Take a look at some still photographs and you will see what I mean. I would have had a physio give her some treatment the day after the accident rather than just rest her. My own mare fell over in the indoor arena while just messing about and the next day when I rode her she couldn't turn left and nearly put us both through the arena fence. She had to have two physio visits and two weeks off for a relatively minor tumble on a soft surface.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top