potential issues with hind end

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Hello everyone.,

I have my vet coming next week for a full ortho lameness work up on my rising 6 year old welsh pony.
She has no obvious lameness.
She started bolting and bronking in the school and when being lunged (worse on her right rein). Her back legs sometime give way when transitioning downwards.
She struggles to pick up the correct canter lead on the right rein and struggles to maintain a canter. Recently she has become worse to the point I cant even hack her out without her going crazy.
She often is always resting her back legs ( taking it in turns to rest them whenever she is standing) I have had the vet give her a feel over and they couldn't feel anything obvious but her chiropractor said shes extremely tight across her back and pelvis.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?
I am getting her investigated so only nice helpful comments please :)
 
I would make sure the vet comes equipped with an X ray machine and scanner for ultrasound.

It is surprising how many don't come to a lameness workup with them if you don't specifically request that.

I would want nerve blocks and X rays/ scan on any area that shows improvement when blocked. I would make that clear before appointment day.

If a horse is bilaterally lame, it often won't be easy to see until one side is blocked.
 
Red-1 said:
I would make sure the vet comes equipped with an X ray machine and scanner for ultrasound.

It is surprising how many don't come to a lameness workup with them if you don't specifically request that.

I would want nerve blocks and X rays/ scan on any area that shows improvement when blocked. I would make that clear before appointment day.

If a horse is bilaterally lame, it often won't be easy to see until one side is blocked.
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Thank you for your reply. They will be coming with radiography equipment. I have made my concerns clear that I feel it could be an issue with the SI joint ( which I know is normally a secondary issue to something else)
That is interesting about being bilaterally lame! I guess time will tell and we will see what the work up brings. Thank you again
 
mesm99 said:
Thank you for your reply. They will be coming with radiography equipment. I have made my concerns clear that I feel it could be an issue with the SI joint ( which I know is normally a secondary issue to something else)
That is interesting about being bilaterally lame! I guess time will tell and we will see what the work up brings. Thank you again
Click to expand...
I would also ask for the ultrasound scanner. Suspensory issues in the hind can lead to behaviour you describe but an X ray machine would not see it. If the horse blocks to an area, but the X ray is not descriptive (most can be seen instantly on computer now - no having to go away and develop a plate) you can scan there and then. Otherwise, you'll end up paying for another visit.

TBH, if I have a lingering and non definitive issue, I tend to take them to the vet hospital for the work-up. They have all the facilities such as hard and soft lunge areas, an arena, a slope etc. They have stocks and all the scanners on hand.

One of ,mine had a little suspensory issue. The hospital blocked, X rayed, scanned and gave treatment (we had PRP and shockwave), all on the same day. Saved me money and meant the treatment was done asap so healing could commence.

Another horse was blocked and examined and showed a foot issue. Diagnosis was collateral ligament. He had steroid into the joint the same day. Again, saving money and getting him healing asap.
 
mesm99 said:
Thank you for your reply. They will be coming with radiography equipment. I have made my concerns clear that I feel it could be an issue with the SI joint ( which I know is normally a secondary issue to something else)
That is interesting about being bilaterally lame! I guess time will tell and we will see what the work up brings. Thank you again
Click to expand...
The back leg would make me think S.I as it was the same issue Lari had although my vet said it can sometimes the leg being left behind (giving way) can be due to horses being weak in their hind end anyway.

It was something I spotted when I went to try him and I mentioned it to my partner at the time. However it was just the once so never thought much of it tbh. It didn't happen when I rode him.

Hope you get sorted OP.
 
Red-1 said:
I would also ask for the ultrasound scanner. Suspensory issues in the hind can lead to behaviour you describe but an X ray machine would not see it. If the horse blocks to an area, but the X ray is not descriptive (most can be seen instantly on computer now - no having to go away and develop a plate) you can scan there and then. Otherwise, you'll end up paying for another visit.

TBH, if I have a lingering and non definitive issue, I tend to take them to the vet hospital for the work-up. They have all the facilities such as hard and soft lunge areas, an arena, a slope etc. They have stocks and all the scanners on hand.

One of ,mine had a little suspensory issue. The hospital blocked, X rayed, scanned and gave treatment (we had PRP and shockwave), all on the same day. Saved me money and meant the treatment was done asap so healing could commence.

Another horse was blocked and examined and showed a foot issue. Diagnosis was collateral ligament. He had steroid into the joint the same day. Again, saving money and getting him healing asap.
Click to expand...
Amazing, I will call them and ask them to bring that too!
I would absolutely take her there however she isnt the best at travelling, we have only just got her to do a 5 minute journey without her trying to climb out, so I dont want her to associate travelling with being poked and prodded.
 
If you can, take her into a decent horsepital for a full assessment. They have the kit and it often works out quicker and cheaper than a yard visit.

The tightness across her back and pelvis could be caused by a number of things.

If she won’t travel, warn them that this a full workup and you want them to bring out everything.

Horsepital is better if you can get her there. Maybe she is a poor traveller because she is in pain.

Good luck.
 
Birker2020 said:
The back leg would make me think S.I as it was the same issue Lari had although my vet said it can sometimes the leg being left behind (giving way) can be due to horses being weak in their hind end anyway.

It was something I spotted when I went to try him and I mentioned it to my partner at the time. However it was just the once so never thought much of it tbh. It didn't happen when I rode him.

Hope you get sorted OP.
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Thats what I was thinking but I know SI issues are normally secondary to something else. Her leg doesnt give way all the time but its often enough to notice it, normally worse when being lunged and not ridden that one though!
Thank you :)
 
mesm99 said:
Thats what I was thinking but I know SI issues are normally secondary to something else. Her leg doesnt give way all the time but its often enough to notice it, normally worse when being lunged and not ridden that one though!
Thank you :)
Click to expand...
Just out of interest would you class him as a fairly lazy horse to ride?
 
Tiddlypom said:
If you can, take her into a decent horsepital for a full assessment. They have the kit and it often works out quicker and cheaper than a yard visit.

The tightness across her back and pelvis could be caused by a number of things.
Click to expand...
unfortunetly she isnt the best traveller. I have only just managed to get her on the box and to do a 5 minute journey without her having a meltdown so I dont want her to associate travelling as a bad thing by getting poked and prodded x
 
There is a saying ‘lameness leads to lameness’.

It is quite common for a horse to appear to be lame and/or stiff behind when in fact the primary issue is in the front end. The horse has appeared to lame behind because it is protecting itself from front end lameness. It may now also be lame behind because of wonky movement patterns over a period of time.

This is why a thorough examination in horsepital by a lameness specialist is well worth it if possible. They can evaluate the horse top to toe.
 
Tiddlypom said:
There is a saying ‘lameness leads to lameness’.

It is quite common for a horse to appear to be lame and/or stiff behind when in fact the primary issue is in the front end. The horse has appeared to lame behind because it is protecting itself from front end lameness. It may now also be lame behind because of wonky movement patterns over a period of time.

This is why a thorough examination in horsepital by a lameness specialist is well worth it if possible. They can evaluate the horse top to toe.
Click to expand...
She is not lame front of back.
She is going to have a proper work up next week but in the comfort of our own yard so I dont traumatize her but taking her somewhere she is unfamiliar with to be poked and prodded. She is a sensitive girl.
 
mesm99 said:
Thats what I was thinking but I know SI issues are normally secondary to something else. Her leg doesnt give way all the time but its often enough to notice it, normally worse when being lunged and not ridden that one though!
Thank you :)
Click to expand...

mesm99 said:
She is not lame front of back.
She is going to have a proper work up next week but in the comfort of our own yard so I dont traumatize her but taking her somewhere she is unfamiliar with to be poked and prodded. She is a sensitive girl.
Click to expand...

I encourage my saddle fit customers to see symptoms, from stiffness, to bucking etc to lameness, as the result of how the horse is moving, rather than secondary to another injury. Primary/secondary isn't always helpful when the original trigger to the movement pattern could be literally years ago (even possibly back to birth trauma which some people think is very common), so it's that the movement pattern triggered by possibly an unknown factor leads to more than one issue in different parts of the body. Compensatory movement pattern to lameness is a spectrum, a continuum, rather than it being clear cut when lameness starts.

When you have a chance, reading up about posture and compensatory movement patterns, and how to rehab from whatever treatment may or may not be given, will really help you move forwards, as a lot of rehab plans are either just about gradually increasing workload with no alteration in movement patterns, or may try to address movement patterns often by overloading still compromised structures eg pole and hill work, and gadgets. equitopiacenter.com has some great resources for learning in these areas.
 
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