Shoulder muscle wastage help?

[mil1212]

Brought my boy in today after a 4 week break. Popped his saddle on and noticed a gap between wither/shoulder and saddle on the off side. I took the saddle back off and could see that there is a hollow on his off side but the near side is nice and rounded. Then I could see on the near side of his spine some white hairs, so I assume his shoulder has been like this for some time causing his saddle to tilt and cause uneven pressure

Now I feel like a really bad mummy for not noticing, and I have kept meaning to get the saddler out to check the saddle, but one of those things I haven't got round to.
What may cause one shoulder muscle to start wasting and how would be best to build it up again?
I've had him 8 years and not noticed this before, but his right rein has always been his worst. He's had his back checked throughout the summer and this hasn't been noticed.
Next port of call is to get the saddler and the back person to check it out I guess (I was planning on a new saddle anyway

)?

ETA: Mince Pies for those who got this far

 

[Ezme]

Oooo one side muscle wastage could be hard to build up. I'd suggest lots of long lineing, in the school, out on hacks, whatever. Its great for human fitness too! lol. Anything you can do undersaddle you can do on the long lines. Our old part bred clydie had bad shoulders (eventually retired due to it unfortunatly) and we did alot of work over poles on longlines, improved him no end.

 

[mil1212]

Thanks for that ezme, maybe I could try lungeing then also, as after our hack today long lining may be 'interesting'! I'm not sure if I want to know, but do you know what caused the problems for you part bred clydie?

 

[Ezme]

You'd be surprised how calm they can be on long lines and you can keep him on a circle to start with if you prefer its just with two line you will be able to keep him more balenced. I long line wiht a driving pad/surcingle so the reins are over the back which in my experience the horses react better to and is easier for the "driver"

Anywho, copperfield, the part bred clydie, was the sweetest horse in the world but also had the worst conformation I've seen outside of Fugly Horse of the Day! lol Anyway that combined with some kind of abuse prior to coming to us then use as a driving horse finished him off! We think he was probs broken too young and definatly beaten at some point. But he had the worst protruding chest I have ever seen, stuck out a good few inches and he had no neck. His full collar was interesting in itself, as copper was so bony he had massive amounts of padding but the hole was so small! Pain in the bum really because its meant we can't adjust it to fit any of the new horses!

Weirdly he was quite photogenic as he has a sweet face (even it it was twice the size of his body!) but heres the best pic to show his conformation in all his glory!

He's now in retired at dartmoor horse rescue with a load of police horses! So it all ended well for him

 

[Zaffy]

It's unlikely but there is a condition called 'sweeney' which causes muscle wastage around the shoulder blade due to a problem with the nerve to the area. There's plenty of info if you google. May be worth getting the vet to take a look.

Good Luck,

Z

 

[lozzles]

definately get your vet to come out and scan the shoulder as the bursal sac around the shoulder could have been damaged and this wont necessarily show up as lameness

 

[mil1212]

Copperfield looks like a happy sort - even if his neck looks too short for his body! Luckily, this isn't Milo's problem, he's quite well put together!

sporthorsegal - this sounds a bit worrying as he had intermitent lameness in the summer that the vet couldn't diagnose, maybe this is it....

 

[YorksG]

My mare had uneven muscle on her shoulders when her neck was very stiff, once this was sorted out her shoulders became equal again.

 

[lozzles]

my horse was in full work but started napping and falling out through his shoulder, nothing really major but he then went mildly lame so we got the vet out. eventually they scanned his shoulder and showed that the bursal sac had burst and so the fluid that protects the muscle from the bone was no longer working, when we had the physio out she showed us a large amount of muscle wasting, the other shoulder was much bigger to compensate.

if the scan does show a problem then intense physio was fab for us, he went on two weeks box rest and then had ultra sound and h waves twice weekly on his shoulder, with slowly bringing him back into work it took a long time to build up the muscle but he did come back good as new with no further problems on it.

its usually caused by trauma such as hooneying around and running into a fence post

 

[Ezme]

Copper was a lovely horse. Real fairy tale story, he's even on Johnathen walterer's website when he was being broken to drive http://www.heavy-horses.net/training-horses.htm

Something happened to him as a baby/youngster, then johnothen found him, started him and put him in the heavy horse sales where he ended up coming to arlington as a very nervous weak little boy. I can vividly remember spending 45mins trying to get him in once and him being doped to the eyeballs and twitched to clip but our head coachwoman worked wonders with him and he really became hers. In the end you didn't even have to tie him up to clip and he would follow you around like a puppy. He started to get sore/go lame and rosie tried her heart out to fix him but eventually he was retired to dartmoor horse rescue where is living out his days with some big police horses and nice and is plump!

 

[annret]

[ QUOTE ]
It's unlikely but there is a condition called 'sweeney' which causes muscle wastage around the shoulder blade due to a problem with the nerve to the area. There's plenty of info if you google. May be worth getting the vet to take a look.

Good Luck,

Z

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you know if this is related to other neurological disorders?

This really sounds like my horse, and she already has a funny action in canter in her hind due to a nerve, which entirely went away with an oil-based diet and fittening work.

She's just coming back into work after 6 months off for her shoulder and it'd be brilliant if we could prevent her going lame again...

 

[mil1212]

vet it is then, sounds very similar to my boy, but I haven't slept very well worrying, he first went lame back in May, and has been ridden the rest of the year, so I now feel v bad (but then the vet came out about 3 times and I think he thought we were being neurotic). Not only that but I am going on holiday and can't do anything for another week

Thanks for all your advice

 

[Littlestabling92]

I have a horse with a serious 'sweeny' shoulder. It is nearly a year now and he is making slow progress in recovering, however this is because he has also done something to his back and has a leaning tail.

His sweeny was caused (I think) by him running into a telegraph pole in the field. The impact on to the shoulder causes nerve damage and after two weeks I noticed (almost over night) that the muscle in his shoulder had gone, leaving a rather alarming hollow shoulder blade. He still is lame and walks in an odd gait. He isn't in any pain as he gallops around the field. With sweeny you want to build up the muscle asap by muscle stimulation machines (human ones work), you can even ride the horse (but make sure with your vet that it isn't in any pain) the longer you leave it the harder it is to rebuild the muscle; the blood stops going to the muscle and leaves the leg dead, and the leg will then begin to shrink and become v weak as the horse is not using it! The absolute worse thing to do in the case of a sweeny is to put the horse on box rest - keep it moving as much as possible!

To begin with I went to a man named Mr R Stack in Forest Green nr Cranleigh, South East Engand, who has a unique powerful muscle stimulation machine (at an expense!). My horse made major progress in a short period, however once Mr Stack saw that his tail was leaning to one side he thought it best to turn him out for 6 months. I would advise (if your horse does have sweeny) to try and contact him as he is probably more experienced dealing with a sweeny shoulder than any other vet as it is a very rare condition.
Hope this helps!