Rugs pulling back... splint lame/not lame... oh I love winter!

[SouthWestWhippet]

Posted a few days ago that Polly was very slightly lame in front. Basically she seemed ok but was stepping slightly heavier on one foot than the other. As there was a mysterious "splint-like" lump on one leg that had not been there before, I put it down to that and gave her 3 days box rest.

Splint is cool, hard and doesn't appear to be sore so i got on her last night and although she was technically sound she felt very choppy... my mate who works with me said she looked tight through her shoulders.

It occured to me that she has been very snappy about front straps rugging and when I clipped her she FREAKED out when I tried to clip her chest area. So now I'm thinking that the choppy stride is because she might be sore through her shoulders from rugs pulling back. Does this sound likely? Can horses get sore enough through their shoulders to affect their way of going? Or could it still be the residual affects of the dam splint?

I worked her for about 40mins yesterday, doing lots of circles, rein back, leg yeild, shoulder in etc to free her up and she was better by the end. I left her with her T/O rug on rather than stable rugs as I think it is the under-rug that is pulling and T/O rug fits better. I'm also intending to put her in the T/O paddock today with no rugs at all for an hour to see if that helps.

Has anyone come across this before? My back lady has broken her arm so I can't get her out for a month but is there anything else I can do to help her would you think?
thanks

 

[piebaldsparkle]

If the rugs have never caused a problem before, it maybe that she has made her shoulder sore as has been favouring one fore leg. I only suggest this as my mare threw a split on her hind leg (caused by a kick), and although she was never noticably lame, but did get very sore in her pelvis and shoulders as was guarding her hock.

 

[fairhill]

My mare is very sensitive, and some of her stable rugs were causing her pressure across her withers and shoulders.
She wasn't too bad to ride, but she's a lazy girl at the best of times, and tight through her neck anyway (plus saddle has been iffy!).

Anyway, I switched to a different rug, gave her lots of shoulders and neck rubs and she was a lot looser in her neck and front. I've also started taking her rug off through the day if she's not in the field, and using a half-neck for her turnout to relieve the pressure.

 

[Bosworth]

yes - rugs can cause lameness. they pull into the main muscle along the neck and below the neck causing soreness through the chest cradle and through the shoulders and withers. I fitted a saddle to a horse that was absolutely fine with his saddle, but went ballistic when his girth was attached - not done up but just put on extremely loosely. He freaked. really bizzare - had never done it before was quite obviously comfortable with the saddle. Th eonly thing that had changed was he had muscled up from damage caused by previous saddle and had become too wide for his rugs. They were causing muscle and nerve pain which the girth then pushed into. Changing his rugs from Horseware to Fal - making sure he only ever has high neck rugs - not standard neck rugs has solved the problem along with several treatments from a muscle release therapist has resulted in ethproblem being eliminated.

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

Yes it could be the rug- i have been to see several horses for suspected saddle fitting issues that turned out to be rug related. Half necks do help and having a nylon lining seems to make a huge difference as they slide over the coat and self right better. The "V" style front fittings on Rambo/Rhino rugs seem to really help as well.