AdorableAlice
Well-Known Member
There are a number of lameness/behaviour threads running at the moment, so I thought I would add another one in the hope that I can gain some thoughts from others and with a view to let others gain a little knowledge about subtle lameness and gait change.
The horse is an ordinary, rather common maxi cob. 15.2h, 8 years old mare with fairly correct conformation and far too hairy legs. ID x Clyde. Used as a pleasure hack, rarely out of an amble and lives on fresh air.
She is basically schooled but has always had a tendency to hold a slight left bend out hacking. I realised I was asking for right flexion too much and could not get her to take her shoulders left which was a problem if traffic was coming and I found I was wandering out to the middle of the road ! Left shoulder fore or leg yield was difficult. In trot she will invert very quickly and maintaining a slow rhythmical pace is extremely difficult. Her default is chuck head up, sit against me and rush. In canter she does not have a distinct leading hind at all times, the hinds appear to occasionally be working together in a rabbit like movement,
Over the last few weeks she has developed a habit of flicking me off the right diagonal. Numerous trot ups, lunging etc has been done with nothing showing up. However six weeks ago I found the mare first thing in the morning in a distressed state in her barn with her right hind stuck behind her as in locked stifle stance.
My vet, who is a personal friend and also rides this mare, was in attendance within minutes and the mare freed herself from the locked position but her gait was quite bizarre, she appeared to have the most spectacular string holt, was unable to let us pick her hinds up and very unbalanced. There was swelling over the stifle area and the both muscles that run down the back of the quarters from the base of the tail were rock solid and seized. Semitendinosus and semimembranosus was mentioned. She was not setfast and lives on adlib hay, unmollased chaff, unmollassed SB, linseed and salt.
The horse was given pain relief and muscle relaxants and box rested for 7 days. Improvement was quick and impressive. What happened or how she did it remains a mystery. Over the last month she has gone through slowly increasing levels of exercise and felt very good, even and balanced to ride, but yesterday she started putting me on the diagonal she wanted me on again. Vet had another good look and there is a slight difference in the pressure in the footfall on the right hind. Palpation of the back revealed nothing, tight circles revealed nothing. Temperament has changed slightly, she is mardy to rug and tack up and the few steps of canter she did yesterday was more of a shuffle and a buck.
So off the horsepital we are going. Needless to say I have googled and am now in the depths of despair. She is a bit of a moose, but so safe and easy for me, an aging and not so brave wimpy rider these days !
I will update the thread when she has been to horsepital. I thought she would be there for the day but my vet says it will be a week. God help the veterinary nurses, the mare is a bit of a character and has a lot to say for herself, plus tricks like taking her rug off as you throw it on. They will love her ! not!
The horse is an ordinary, rather common maxi cob. 15.2h, 8 years old mare with fairly correct conformation and far too hairy legs. ID x Clyde. Used as a pleasure hack, rarely out of an amble and lives on fresh air.
She is basically schooled but has always had a tendency to hold a slight left bend out hacking. I realised I was asking for right flexion too much and could not get her to take her shoulders left which was a problem if traffic was coming and I found I was wandering out to the middle of the road ! Left shoulder fore or leg yield was difficult. In trot she will invert very quickly and maintaining a slow rhythmical pace is extremely difficult. Her default is chuck head up, sit against me and rush. In canter she does not have a distinct leading hind at all times, the hinds appear to occasionally be working together in a rabbit like movement,
Over the last few weeks she has developed a habit of flicking me off the right diagonal. Numerous trot ups, lunging etc has been done with nothing showing up. However six weeks ago I found the mare first thing in the morning in a distressed state in her barn with her right hind stuck behind her as in locked stifle stance.
My vet, who is a personal friend and also rides this mare, was in attendance within minutes and the mare freed herself from the locked position but her gait was quite bizarre, she appeared to have the most spectacular string holt, was unable to let us pick her hinds up and very unbalanced. There was swelling over the stifle area and the both muscles that run down the back of the quarters from the base of the tail were rock solid and seized. Semitendinosus and semimembranosus was mentioned. She was not setfast and lives on adlib hay, unmollased chaff, unmollassed SB, linseed and salt.
The horse was given pain relief and muscle relaxants and box rested for 7 days. Improvement was quick and impressive. What happened or how she did it remains a mystery. Over the last month she has gone through slowly increasing levels of exercise and felt very good, even and balanced to ride, but yesterday she started putting me on the diagonal she wanted me on again. Vet had another good look and there is a slight difference in the pressure in the footfall on the right hind. Palpation of the back revealed nothing, tight circles revealed nothing. Temperament has changed slightly, she is mardy to rug and tack up and the few steps of canter she did yesterday was more of a shuffle and a buck.
So off the horsepital we are going. Needless to say I have googled and am now in the depths of despair. She is a bit of a moose, but so safe and easy for me, an aging and not so brave wimpy rider these days !
I will update the thread when she has been to horsepital. I thought she would be there for the day but my vet says it will be a week. God help the veterinary nurses, the mare is a bit of a character and has a lot to say for herself, plus tricks like taking her rug off as you throw it on. They will love her ! not!
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