PSD & other ligament problems

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Fragglerock

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In my trawlings of the internet I have seen a lot of posts about PSD and other similar type problems. One thing that is often mentioned is the horse doesn't appear to be lame.

Those of you who have experience of this - what were the symptoms.

Just because I am curious and wondering how many horses might have problems without anybody realising :)
 
quite often horses don't appear lame, because there is bilatteral damage. However never blocks soon highlight the problems.

My mare had PSD though, and was dog lame.
 
My horse had PSD and I just thought she was being lazy in the school as she hates flatwork and loves jumping. However on a circle she never really tracked up and apparently this is quite a common sign.

She had an op 13 weeks ago and I am keeping everything crossed it's a sucess
 
My mare never appeared lame and only had her left hind suspensory damaged... I caught it very very early though, so perhaps had I kept working her I would have seen some lameness.

The only symptoms she had was hanging on my left rein something chronic and she just didn't use her left hind leg in the same way she was her right. It was very marginal, but if you studied it carefully you could see the hock flexion was not the same, nor the hind foot placement.
 
my old boy was never obviously lame when he had PSD in his right only (not both, just his right hind) i noticed he was looking stiff when he first walked off after being tied up, but thought he was just getting old at first (he was 16) but it was getting worse so i got the vet. She said he was maybe 1/10 lame at a push but he was absolutely cripppled after a flexion test so took him for tests. Think I caught it early as he responded v well to shockwave and was back in full work in 6mths.
 
I have a feeling (but I have no evidence to back this up) that Ron's first symptoms of PSD were unwillingness to go forwards at all, plus being very heavy on the forehand/disunited in canter, which he hadn't been before. His SI joint then had massive problems, necessitating treatment and rest, and rehab. During the rehab it became apparent he was lame on RH, which, when nerve-blocked, left a 3-10ths lameness on LH. LH nerve block left 4-5/10ths lameness on RH.

After neurectomy and fasciotomy (surgery was 18 months after loss of forwardness and canter deterioration) his canter improved beyond recognition - the organiser of a dressage competition even came over to me to say what an amazing canter Ron had. Unfortunately the ligaments deteriorated further when he was back in work.

It is because of the subsequent massive improvement, that I think the canter problems beforehand were indicative of the PSD arising.
 
First chap started to bunny hop in cante occasionally.
2nd chap just seemed off behind, you had to watch his ears compared to the lines in the brick work to spot the head nodd.
 
My horse was diagnosed with PSD in his right hock, and he was not obviously unsound. He had to have full x-rays. As well as PSD, the x-rays discovered Navicular and Kissing Spine, plus arthritic changes in most of his joints. He was being investigated for poor performance and bucking. He felt lazy to ride and to lunge and just felt and looked stiff, rather than unsound. He didn't track up, unless I really pushed him and forced him to (I feel awful for making him do it now)

No wonder the poor horse was underperforming!!!

My Vet is advising shockwave for the PSD, Tildren for the Navicular, and Intra-Articular injections for the KS. I've already started corrective Shoeing and daily bute. He should also no longer be schooled, lunged or jumped, but he can do light hacking. It's so much to take in, I'm currently wondering if I should retire him, as I can't bear the thought of riding him if he's in pain and it appears that he does not make it obvious when he is, and these x-rays have unearthed so many problems. I'm shocked and devastated TBH.
 
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