Halfpast
Well-Known Member
Just wondered if anyone who has experience of this injury turned therir horse away to try and help repair? I do understand that he general thoughts are to try and keep the horse in work.
Sacroiliac injury
- Thread starter Halfpast
- Start date
AmyMay
Situation normal
Depends on what the nature of the injury or problem is.
A friends horse was off for around 6 months, and it was a year before he was back in full work.
What are your vets advising you?
YasandCrystal
Well-Known Member
My horse was diagnosed with chronic sacro illiac dysfunction in June 2011 at Newmarket (Sue Dyson's clinic). It was suggested that he had likely had the injury since he was 2 yrs old and he was then 6 yrs old. I was told the prognosis was bad and I got LOU for him.
He had an injection to the SI region which did nothing and I had a physio out to him around 7 or 8 times. She used a Tens machine to firstly stimulate his nerves over his SI that had gone into retirement. She measured his muscles on both sides and used Tens to then stimulate the muscles. We long reined him in a pessoa for several weeks in long reins and over a pole. He gained 4cm of gluteus muscle on the injured side in very few weeks.
I could see he was still in pain (he had been extremely aggressive and he mellowed but got grumpy again), so I sent him on my normal vet's advice to a holistic vet in Higham - Donna Blinman. She is an osteopath and vet and also practices acupunture. He was there for 2 weeks and Donna mobilised his SI (something conventional vets think impossible) and worked on him. He came back and she said to turn him away for at least 8 months, just letting him self exercise. I turned him out 24/7 unrugged for the winter and have just now in the last month started gentle round pen and ridden work. He is moving really well and I am so very happy. Baby steps at the mo as the horse was badly abused, but I am hopeful he will be just fine and self sustaining as predicted by Donna. I was keen that he didn't need to be kept in work to maintain soundness and it seems not, but I am sure the physio work and osteo mobilisation have made that possible.
I will find and post iup a video of him in the round pen.
He had an injection to the SI region which did nothing and I had a physio out to him around 7 or 8 times. She used a Tens machine to firstly stimulate his nerves over his SI that had gone into retirement. She measured his muscles on both sides and used Tens to then stimulate the muscles. We long reined him in a pessoa for several weeks in long reins and over a pole. He gained 4cm of gluteus muscle on the injured side in very few weeks.
I could see he was still in pain (he had been extremely aggressive and he mellowed but got grumpy again), so I sent him on my normal vet's advice to a holistic vet in Higham - Donna Blinman. She is an osteopath and vet and also practices acupunture. He was there for 2 weeks and Donna mobilised his SI (something conventional vets think impossible) and worked on him. He came back and she said to turn him away for at least 8 months, just letting him self exercise. I turned him out 24/7 unrugged for the winter and have just now in the last month started gentle round pen and ridden work. He is moving really well and I am so very happy. Baby steps at the mo as the horse was badly abused, but I am hopeful he will be just fine and self sustaining as predicted by Donna. I was keen that he didn't need to be kept in work to maintain soundness and it seems not, but I am sure the physio work and osteo mobilisation have made that possible.
I will find and post iup a video of him in the round pen.
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cobwithattitude
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My horse is currently receiving treatment for a SJI; 7yr old, not sure how she did it. has had 2 injections in SJ area, and recommended 48hr box rest after, 5 days walk and then back to work, trotting, with canter every other day in 3rd wk after inject. Physio working with her too - raised pole work and hill work. After this injection she is not sore over area but is still dragging toe, or may be i am paranoid by now. Farrier has also put built up heels on. Vet coming out next week - 4 weeks after 2nd injection. this is to look at her again and if necessary, discuss next move. Horse is out 24;7 at mo. Lovely to read of a positive story tho' re SJI. Will keep you informed.
Halfpast
Well-Known Member
Thank you for your replies,
The vtreatong vet doesn't know what the problem is, we have gone from it possibly being sacroiliac to suspensories, I am waiting for a referral.
He has always been a lovely horse to ride, but he fell approx 18 months ago, I had a lameness work up done, nothing was found, I asked for this to be done as I felt that he used to roll his right hind when cantering, but he was always forward and willing.
Moving on to present he became time in his back and wouldn't take the contact forward, he had the physio and his back changed shape he was no longer dipped but had a lovely straight back and moved lovely. Slowly weeks went by and we started to loose right rein canter, he tried but found it very difficult even the transition into the canter and couldn't maintain a 20 m circle, hs trot also felt stuffy, he seemed to be not wanting to use his back end at all.
Back into the vets, X-rays to stifle, hock back all clear, they didn't nerve block as they thought he was fine ridden, albeit lame on the lunge, when ridden head to be pushed and pressured with the schooling whip this wasn't how my horse is, but he would try for you.
He never toe dragged, but finds crossing his hinds over on a small circle very difficult, still reluctant to canter on the right . Whilst I am waiting for the referral to come through I have been walking him out slowly introducing trot up and down the hills on our farm ride, he is coping well with this, but still isn't correct in the canter.
I am just wondering if a rest will do him any harm, he is ridden 5 times a week albeit in walk, just to keep him going , but this to date hasn't "fixed" the " problem", so just looking at all avenues.
The vtreatong vet doesn't know what the problem is, we have gone from it possibly being sacroiliac to suspensories, I am waiting for a referral.
He has always been a lovely horse to ride, but he fell approx 18 months ago, I had a lameness work up done, nothing was found, I asked for this to be done as I felt that he used to roll his right hind when cantering, but he was always forward and willing.
Moving on to present he became time in his back and wouldn't take the contact forward, he had the physio and his back changed shape he was no longer dipped but had a lovely straight back and moved lovely. Slowly weeks went by and we started to loose right rein canter, he tried but found it very difficult even the transition into the canter and couldn't maintain a 20 m circle, hs trot also felt stuffy, he seemed to be not wanting to use his back end at all.
Back into the vets, X-rays to stifle, hock back all clear, they didn't nerve block as they thought he was fine ridden, albeit lame on the lunge, when ridden head to be pushed and pressured with the schooling whip this wasn't how my horse is, but he would try for you.
He never toe dragged, but finds crossing his hinds over on a small circle very difficult, still reluctant to canter on the right . Whilst I am waiting for the referral to come through I have been walking him out slowly introducing trot up and down the hills on our farm ride, he is coping well with this, but still isn't correct in the canter.
I am just wondering if a rest will do him any harm, he is ridden 5 times a week albeit in walk, just to keep him going , but this to date hasn't "fixed" the " problem", so just looking at all avenues.
YasandCrystal
Well-Known Member
This is a video of my lad in the roundpen recently. IT's not a great video. He finds canter ok - it's trot that is the hard pace for him with an SI dysfunction and circles. My boy used to plait behind - that and his stuffy paces and highly aggressive temperament were the only signs something was wrong.Luckily my land is on an incline so there is alot of hill work for him just in his day to day living, which I believe has helped tremendously.
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Halfpast
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the video, I can see similarities in the canter , however I rode him tonight, and like you our farm ride is very hilly, and on the downwards section to the start, he felt awkward behind, but after a few minutes he seemed to improve, had a nice trot and then asked for a little canter on the flat towards the end, must say he felt ok.
Rightly or wrongly popped him in the school, trotted round felt amazing. Forward and through, asked for right canter, and it wasn't really offered did a stride it two then we were back into trot. Left canter fine, then asked for right canter, a little better.
My referral letter received today suggesting I send him for a scan, so fingers crossed the insurance company are ok with this nd hopefully I will have some form of diagnosis.
Rightly or wrongly popped him in the school, trotted round felt amazing. Forward and through, asked for right canter, and it wasn't really offered did a stride it two then we were back into trot. Left canter fine, then asked for right canter, a little better.
My referral letter received today suggesting I send him for a scan, so fingers crossed the insurance company are ok with this nd hopefully I will have some form of diagnosis.
YasandCrystal
Well-Known Member
Good luck. My boy's problem being chronic and therefore an old injury showed no hotspots on the bone scan. It was via nerve blocks that Sue Dyson diagnosed him. The good thing with a scan is that it will show any problem areas eg hocks etc as they will no doubt scan the whole back end.
Halfpast
Well-Known Member
He went in for nerve blocks, but the vet said his lameness was too intermittent for it to be effective, so sent me home.
He also said worryingly he would be happy to pass him for a vetting
He also said worryingly he would be happy to pass him for a vetting
cobwithattitude
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Yasandcrystal - thanks for the video posting. Your horse is looking good - my horse has a 'stutter' in the downwards transition form canter to trot and drags her toe occasionally. She was nerve blocked this pin pointed prob to SJ. Much better after this second injection tho' so fingers crossed!
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YasandCrystal
Well-Known Member
He went in for nerve blocks, but the vet said his lameness was too intermittent for it to be effective, so sent me home.
He also said worryingly he would be happy to pass him for a vetting
Sorry to say my WB passed a 5 stage vetting with flying colours and the vet said that he was one of the finest horses he had seen in a long time with superb conformation!!!
SI injuries are very hard to diagnose - it took Sue Dyson a week at her clinic. She had to have him ridden in the end and he had to be sedated to be ridden he was so aprehensive and unpredictable due to the pain. There is no doubt in my mind that my horse was doped with either pain meds or herbal calmers when I tried him. He was (now tellingly) not ridden for his vetting !
Thanks cobwithattitude - good luck with your horse. I dosed my WB up with human grade MSM whilst he was turned away; I don't know if that helped. He is also on a sugar and cereal free diet as I was advised he was intolerant.
YasandCrystal
Well-Known Member
This is my boy PRE rehab and how he reacted whenyou first mounted in the end
In this 2nd pic you can see his tail swishing and odd hind leg stance presumably due to the chronic pain
In this 2nd pic you can see his tail swishing and odd hind leg stance presumably due to the chronic pain