Potentially a wobbler?

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Riverboy

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Had the physio out to Luca yesterday on vets recommendation as he's got a very sore back (hence ditching the saddler and I!).

She said I need to keep an eye on him as she and the vet think he might be a wobbler. I was wondering what sort of things I should keep an eye out for? ATM his back is VERY weak and you can pretty much push him over, however is back is also very sore. He is a bit 'gangly' with his legs - however is his an immature 5yr old physically due to his poor weight/condition state when I got him - he is getting better.

Just before the back issue - we was doing walk, trot & canter comfortably in the school and seemed to be really building up strength & weight...

So suggestions guys? Is it time to start getting worried or is he just very weak through the back because he's sore? Don't know if this influences it, but he's quite short backed but very long legged (he's all leg!) and his strides are huge - even out grazing its like his legs can be too long for the length of him...

Thanks - know you guys will give me good advice before i start panicing!!!

A nice Friday cake for all...
 
Has the vet talked to you about thinking he's a wobbler?

I'm sorry, I know little of the condition, but have gooled and if you look on the second page (is a pdf so I can't copy and paste here), it gives some layman speak:
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/pubs/asc133.pdf

There's also this site:
http://www.equinewobblers.com/

I don't know either site nor, as I've said above, do I know much about the Syndrome, but hopefully there'll be something in there that could help guide you. Definately speak to your vet though!

Hugs.
 
I wasn't sure from your post if your vet had told you he might be a wobbler or if you had just heard it second hand form the physio? I find it strange if the vet has told the physio but not you of this potential condition. Has your vet performed any sort of neurological exam on him to enable him to diagnose wobblers?

My boy was tested for neurological problems yesterday, which included crossing the front legs, turning tight circles, and neck movements. When I saw my vet crossing Ronan's front feet I literally stopped breathing because I knew that if he didn't uncross them that is a typical sign of wobblers. Luckily he did, but he does have some kind of neurological disorder, most likely kissing spine- he is being x rayed next week. If your boy hasn;t had any of these tests performed then I would be amazed that your vet can diagnose wobblers.

Good luck and hugs from me, I am also in limboland at the moment x
 
MrsM thanks - will check those out at lunch!!

I was a little shocked as well - my vet is normally very good at telling me everything but physio said Nicky (vet) had mentioned it to her that she thought it might be the case. I think Nicky had perhaps meant her to have a look and see what she thought before worrying me?!

She made him turn in a tight circle when examining him - but didn't cross his legs or anything like that? Hoping that they are just being cautious - as after River I'd be devestated to have serious problems with Luca too
frown.gif


xx
 
An immature mare of ours was tested for being a wobbler. She was presented for a grading and the grading panel thought she was and wouldn't grade her!

After numerous tests it was found that it was her stifles locking due to, like yours, being gangly and had grown up rather than out, lacking in muscle tone & flexibility. She was reluctant to cross her back legs in particular and had an awful habit of stepping back with a real jolt.

I thought it was the end for her at her grading but fortunately for us, the vet came up trumps and with excercise and patience, she is coming good and almost there.
 
I am tempted to think that it is just physical immaturity - he was SO skinny and underdeveloped when we got him that I think its affected his growth...

His feet were terrible and twisted out, they are coming straight now but it affected how he walked for a while...

Oh - everything crossed - send him vibes guys - he's an exceptionally sweet man... the horse I've always dreamed of owning!!!
 
Just a word of warning, my boy has just turned 7 and we put his weakness and gangliness down to immaturity, but while he's improved after 2 years (when his precious owner got him and my sharer started to ride him), and has really started to build up muscle across his back since I've had him, he's still not quite right and shows the odd uneveness in trot and has an unbalanced canter (although that has also improved a great deal). But with the collapses last week I decided to get him checked out and my vet thinks it is a neurological problem. But he's hopeful it can be treated.

I hope it is immaturity in you boy, and am sending vibes out, but if you have any degree of doubt then get your vet to do a neuro exam. The earlier these things are caught the better the prognosis- looking back Ronan's been showing signs for years but was never checked out. Like your boy though, he's also exceptionally sweet and so genuine, and has so much potential. My dream horse in other words!
 

I have left a post regarding some excellent information regarding a neuro test that can be done to determine whether your horse is suffering from wobblers/neuro conditions. Please access the following link:

http://meadowherbs.com/Lame_neuro.doc

I lost my lovely horse five years ago last week to wobblers syndrome at the age of ten, following a fall in a field. You cannot mistake a horse with wobblers and the information is all contained in that link. Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have. I am shocked and really suprised about the ignorance of physios and chiropractors (well the ones I had to my horse anway) as they were totally naive when it came to wobblers. Even when my horse was in the late stages of late onset wobblers and was practically falling over if pushed the chiro didn't seem to think there was anything to worry about. Your horse may not have wobblers but there is a good chance he could have some impingement to his spinal cord through many other reasons, equally there is a good chance he may just be 'gangly' and unsure of his foot placement. You really need to do the tests in the link first to determine fully before getting the vet out to discuss in greater detail. Do PM me though and I can talk you through things if you are worried. x
 
RiverBoy; I had sadly to have my horse PTS earlier this year follwing him being daignosed with a 'cervical malfunction', which is more commenly known as wobblers.

If you or your vet have any concerns, he needs to be referred to a equine hospital for xrays, etc of his spine. Only this can truly show if he is a wobbler. With my horse, it turned out that the spine was literally millimeters too narrow in places, which meant that the spinal cords/nerves could not pass through it cleanly and the spinal colum was pressing down on them.

This meant that he could not feel parts of his legs, hoofs, etc which results in the wobbling - its like having a dead leg!

As you can imagine, riding a horse who feels like he has a dead leg is very, very, dangerous.

Please get it properly checked and I actually think it was very unfair of your physio to say something like that without giving you a full and proper explanantion.

Fingers crossed he is just weak and gangley!
 
Think is it all seems so sudden. Until 3 weeks ago he was coming along wonderfully having just been broken... on the Sunday night rode him in the school and as always he was a total dream - surpringly balanced for a big baby.

Then the Wednesday we had the saddle fitter out and he exploded, we tried again a week later and he did the same - it was so unlike him I called the vet. She found he had a very sore back, but said a course of physio and check him again in a month... then physio comes and says 'he looks like a wobblers...' I may be ignorant but it seems such a short space of time for so much to change? We still can't work out what he did to his back in the two days. He had the chiro on the Monday morning and she found some tightness but nothing wrong with his back at all. She didn't even comment that he was that weak...

Ho hum, going to ring my vet beginning of next week (she's on holiday today) and find out whats going on before I get too panicked!!!

Thanks for all your advice guys its really helped - I'm just at a loss!

xx
 
Had my girl diagnosed with wobblers a few weeks ago, vet mentioned it in passing - she was dragging her hind toes and we all thought is was ocd in stifle or hock.
She was diagnosed using the tests described above, then a neck x ray.
I would recommend the neck x ray as i wasted a lot of time(not too mention money) on physio, osteo, chiro, hock x rays etc trying to find the problem so if you think it might be wobblers, get it x rayed, then you know for sure.
 
Riverboy, apart from the sublte things like being unbalanced and slight gangliness, which my boy has had for a while, it was the sudden collapse when doign the girth up that got me worried. It happened twice in a week so I called the vet out. The explosiveness under saddle that you boy has sounds to me like he's in pain and this is a symptom of kissing spine, which would also fit in with some of the symptoms that you are describing. If it is KS or another type of neurological problem then there is a much greater chance of a positive outcome than for wobblers.

Out of interest, what is your boy like being groomed? Does he get irritated by it or is he OK with it? Mine is really oversensitive and my vet said its because he has a hypersensitive nerve, which is a symptom of eg kissing spine. Reading your posts now though the symptoms of both our boys are similar and I'm wondering if my vet is not telling me something and its wobblers. But then he did uncross his front legs..... This waiting is hell so you have my deepest sympathies
 
He LOVES to be groomed and really pushes into the brush...

He'd been fine to back and was being worked (for short periods) every day for three months and never resisted or lifted his hind end. Always easy to saddle, handle and ride - this all came out of nowhere it was a real shock!!

He is in pain - there is a very definate pain reaction in his back (just before his pelvis), when I mentioned kissing spines to the vet she said she didn't think it was anything serious - that he'd probably just tweaked himself, and the Chiro who saw him before the 'explosive ride' said that there was nothing wrong with his back - a little tight on one side but thats to be expected from a horse thats just been broken in...

I really hope its nothing serious - two horses I can't ride is making it seem like an expensive way to spend my spare time!!!

Vet did not do the neurological tests and didn't want to see him for another month - surely if she strongly suspected wobblers she would want to perform tests sooner rahter than later? I've had her as a vet for years and she's always been VERY good...

ribena73 - you have mine too... they do sound quite similar don't they?

xx
 
I would have thought if the vet seriously suspected wobblers she would have done some tests. lets hope its just a tweak- I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you xx
 
There is no comprehensive nurological test that can be done for wobblers aside from xrays.

With my boy, 1 very good vet saw him trot up 3 weeks before and flexion tested him - stated nothing wrong and that 'I just needed to get on and push him through it'.

Sent him off to a pro for a few weeks who rang me up after a week and said 'there is either something seriously wrong with this horse or its a nutter'! He got his vet out who literally watched the horse walk out the box, looked at how he was stood and said he thought it was a wobbler but could not be sure untill seen xrays.

Turned out that sadly he was right. I do not think any less of the original vet as it is very hard to spot.
 
Thank you for the fingers and toes... I'll keep mine crossed for you too...

The vet said to me she thought it was a tweak and was sure he'd be right as rain soon enough!! All very confusing!
 
FrecklesMum - I shall speak to my vet then about if she thinks we should x ray him - just to see what's going on...

Its all rather confusing but he was looking very happy and like he was feeling the benefits of the physio treatment this morning as he was doing some lovely flying changes round the field chasing River!!! (its his favourite trick - he even does it under saddle if he gets the wrong canter lead)...
 
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