Sacroiliac injuries...what has happened to your horse since?

[HeresHoping]

Sorry for being so glum, and forthright, but I can't think of how else to phrase the question.:frown3:

So, Larry Longlegs is off to Newmarket tomorrow for a three day lameness work up. I fear the worst. Unfortunately, I have enough experience to know what happens in the worst case scenario for SI injuries. My TB went to play with the unicorns in March last year because of a fractured ilial shaft and shredded ligaments all over the SI region. We (vet and me) thought this (Larry's injury) was just a muscle pull, originally, but it's quite clear by the strange bunny hopping and no tracking up in canter that it's not.

Larry and I are supposed to be eventing. We were taking things slowly because a) I lost my nerve big time with my last horse, and b) it took me 3 months to find a saddle to fit his mahoosive shoulders. Ironically, the new saddle arrived the day he sat down in the field at speed. He has BE points and was good for a BN (although I am not, yet, as a result of not having really ridden for 20 odd years - was quite a serious eventer as a junior, with a few good wins).

I know from having read the multiple posts on here that SI injuries are rife in sports horses. There's a deal on treatment, but not a lot on what happened next. If you can bear it, please tell me what happened to your horse afterwards. Did it ever come right?

 

[YasandCrystal]

I have a WB who was diagnosed with Chronic SI dysfunction. He was written off by Sue Dyson. He had had the injury for probably 3 years prior to diagnosis so his case was very bad - his hind hoof capsule's growth had even been compromised by the injury. I got LOU for him but I used a physio to resestablish his dormant nerves and also the muscles he had underused. I then sent him to Donna Blinman at Higham - she is a holistic vet who is a registered osteopath and acupuncturist. She mobilised his sacrum and he moved so much better following this. I had to turn my boy away for a year - due mainly to his chronic condition and his mental attitude (he had been abused).

I have spent the past 9 months doing ground work to straighten him with a brilliant trainer. His hind hoof capsule has grown in width etc. where he is using himself properly now. Ridden work has been postponed due to he wet ground and lack of facilities, but will start in Spring.
If I were you I would engage with Donna Blinman - she is amazing and if you are in East Anglia - very close by. I sent Tim to her for 2 weeks treatment.

 

[HeresHoping]

Thanks, YasandCrystal. I've followed your story for some time and greatly admire that you have soldiered on where most would say 'enough'. I'll keep Donna Blinman in mind, of course, but am not sure how much insurance I'll have left at the end of this. I'm gutted - I had 3 months of proper riding out of him. I suppose it's one more month than the last horse.

 

[wyrdsister]

One of mine had fairly major SI dysfunction (consequence of a whole host of other issues). We went the conventional route to start with, physio, steriod injections, rehab - then gave up and turned away for a few years with regular physio treatment. The SI problem has resolved. But she's now been written off with navicular! Hope the prospects are more positive for yours

 

[Lynsey&Smartie]

My horse was diagnosed with a sacroiliac problem in the spring, the SI joint was medicated and we did the necessary rest and bringing back into work but he was still not right, I was on the verge of sending him to a retirement livery (he's 15 now and done a fair bit in his life) but the vet though we should have one last try (he has had other lameness issues in the past with PSD which required surgery) so we medicated the joint again and he went to a rehab yard for 4 weeks hydrotherapy, I really think that it was the hydrotherapy which helped. I have had him back for 3 months with instruction to keep him in work to keep up the muscles developed and so far he appears to be sound, feels so much better than he did before. My vet did offer a referral to Newmarket but felt that sometimes the prognosis can be a bit doom and gloom from there so though we were best not to!