clairew
Well-Known Member
Big grey dope has always had something bizarre with his back end (apart from the fact it's massive
).
When we first bought him he looked a bit like he had a sticky stifle, his LH would always poke out at a jaunty angle, you can see in the picture below here how he used to stand (excuse the husband poking a carrot up his nose...)
When we got him home vet agreed that it was sticky stifle, as he could walk backwards (just) but could turn on a tight circle fine. When we moved him into the stable at the yard we are at he was never very steady on his feet in the stable, always used to shuffle around like an old man, we've since moved him to a larger stable and he seems happier he's got more space but still drags his bed around as he never picks his feet up.
A girl rode him out a couple of times and came off him once when apparently he twisted hismelf half on and half off a high bank, after which he was definately worse at moving around. Equine physio came out and his back was very sore (lumbar area) and suggested he was a shiverer and make sure he was in constant work.
He's never been the easiest to shoe or to pick his back feet out but the more work he's now doing the better, and it's a lot less of a battle, farrier can shoe without much trouble.
He does have the classic shaky moments where he seems to get stuck with his back end wobbling. Someone saw him in the field with an episode like this that went on for a couple of minutes which then just stopped, he was doing nothing odd before to cause it (hadn't just got up or been running/farting around). I got back yesterday from a 2 hour hack on him and he stood in his stable and snatched his RH up a couple of times, I've never seen him do this before. Vet has just said same as physio to make sure he is in regular work. I've read up about diet and he is on a high fibre diet. I soak his hay for 12 hours, and once I've got more weight off him (he came to us very overweight) I will try and add oil into his diet.
I was just a bit confuzzled
as the more you read a lot of the things you read say shivering can be confused with other things - like what..?! I've started to read about EPSM, which is why I'd like to try adding oil into his diet.
How much will being overweight affect him?
What would you consider 'light' but regular exercise? As in how much can he do? I don't jump him but would like to at some point (when I get over my fear of leaving the ground). Dressage wise he can look pretty when he puts his mind to it but rein back is a no-no still, as that really doesn't look pretty and he tends to have a bit of a shivering episode.
God that was long winded....
Have got some flat coke and a cold pizza slice to share if you've got this far.
).When we first bought him he looked a bit like he had a sticky stifle, his LH would always poke out at a jaunty angle, you can see in the picture below here how he used to stand (excuse the husband poking a carrot up his nose...)
When we got him home vet agreed that it was sticky stifle, as he could walk backwards (just) but could turn on a tight circle fine. When we moved him into the stable at the yard we are at he was never very steady on his feet in the stable, always used to shuffle around like an old man, we've since moved him to a larger stable and he seems happier he's got more space but still drags his bed around as he never picks his feet up.
A girl rode him out a couple of times and came off him once when apparently he twisted hismelf half on and half off a high bank, after which he was definately worse at moving around. Equine physio came out and his back was very sore (lumbar area) and suggested he was a shiverer and make sure he was in constant work.
He's never been the easiest to shoe or to pick his back feet out but the more work he's now doing the better, and it's a lot less of a battle, farrier can shoe without much trouble.
He does have the classic shaky moments where he seems to get stuck with his back end wobbling. Someone saw him in the field with an episode like this that went on for a couple of minutes which then just stopped, he was doing nothing odd before to cause it (hadn't just got up or been running/farting around). I got back yesterday from a 2 hour hack on him and he stood in his stable and snatched his RH up a couple of times, I've never seen him do this before. Vet has just said same as physio to make sure he is in regular work. I've read up about diet and he is on a high fibre diet. I soak his hay for 12 hours, and once I've got more weight off him (he came to us very overweight) I will try and add oil into his diet.
I was just a bit confuzzled
as the more you read a lot of the things you read say shivering can be confused with other things - like what..?! I've started to read about EPSM, which is why I'd like to try adding oil into his diet. How much will being overweight affect him?
What would you consider 'light' but regular exercise? As in how much can he do? I don't jump him but would like to at some point (when I get over my fear of leaving the ground
). Dressage wise he can look pretty when he puts his mind to it but rein back is a no-no still, as that really doesn't look pretty and he tends to have a bit of a shivering episode.God that was long winded....
Have got some flat coke and a cold pizza slice to share if you've got this far.