SI Disease/Injury - what signs did your horse show?

[atropa]

As title really - one of my mares is going in for another lameness investigation tomorrow as after almost a year of investigations, diagnosis and rehabs she is still not quite right, and I have a sneaking suspicion something might going on in her SI region.

Symptoms include a 'stiff' looking and stuffy walk, a head nodding trot especially on the right rein, and noticeably landing heavier in trot on the left front and hind than the right, a bunny hopping canter with the hind legs landing almost together most of the time, reluctance to engage her core muscles to the point where she will kick out at me when I try to encourage her to do unmounted stretches, stiffness and slight unbalance when shoeing the hinds, and serious temper tantrums when asked to trot on the lunge on the right rein - approximately 80% of the time she will either squeal, turn to face me, turn and trot on the other rein, or break to canter instead.

Some days are better than others, sometimes it feels like I can work her through the stiffness to a better trot, if I start our ridden session with a hack it also seems to seriously help, but it's never quite gone altogether and I often feel like we are back at the start at every session.

From what I've been reading, SI problems can be hard to pinpoint so I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. Just wanted to hear others experiences? If you have/had a horse with SI issues do these symptoms ring a bell?

 

[claracanter]

It's such a worry, isn't it. My horse had SI issues. He was not lame, just not quite right, reluctant to go into canter and bucking, stuffy in trot. Slightly short in the right hind and always had a shuffling trot if I think about it. Always tight behind the saddle on right hand side. He did a DDFT and was turned away for that but when he came back into work, I still felt there was something wrong. A lameness work up which showed nothing specific.We xrayed his hocks as he had had issues there before..nothing showed up. We then nerve blocked the hind suspensorys....made no difference. Vet then suggested we go straight for the SI medication as he was reluctant to stick a large needle in for the nerve block and then again if they need medicating. So that's what we did and I haven't looked back since. As soon as I got back on I could tell he was better. I think he must have had SI issues for ages and we kept treating other bits but not the root cause. He is so different to ride now, goes in an outline without a discussion and is so light in front. Last weekend, Dressage judge said he had' fantastic paces.' Hope you find out what's causing his issues and that it can be fixed relatively easily.

 

[milliepops]

Last one I knew had some of those symptoms, in particular the bunny hopping canter and some general stuffiness in walk and trot, cranky kicking out and awkward to shoe behind. Sadly the SI problems came hand in hand with PSD and spavins, as is common. Judging by what was happening to one of the front legs & its hoof I would have said there was some referred pain as diagonal to the worse hock. Have both the hindlegs been investigated?

 

[atropa]

It's such a worry, isn't it. My horse had SI issues. He was not lame, just not quite right, reluctant to go into canter and bucking, stuffy in trot. Slightly short in the right hind and always had a shuffling trot if I think about it. Always tight behind the saddle on right hand side. He did a DDFT and was turned away for that but when he came back into work, I still felt there was something wrong. A lameness work up which showed nothing specific.We xrayed his hocks as he had had issues there before..nothing showed up. We then nerve blocked the hind suspensorys....made no difference. Vet then suggested we go straight for the SI medication as he was reluctant to stick a large needle in for the nerve block and then again if they need medicating. So that's what we did and I haven't looked back since. As soon as I got back on I could tell he was better. I think he must have had SI issues for ages and we kept treating other bits but not the root cause. He is so different to ride now, goes in an outline without a discussion and is so light in front. Last weekend, Dressage judge said he had' fantastic paces.' Hope you find out what's causing his issues and that it can be fixed relatively easily.

Thank you, this gives me hope as what I've read suggested prognosis is not always the best for a return to work. She does suffer from muscle tightness in her right hindquarter according to the physio, so I always pay special attention to massaging and stretching that area but have never found the root cause.

Last one I knew had some of those symptoms, in particular the bunny hopping canter and some general stuffiness in walk and trot, cranky kicking out and awkward to shoe behind. Sadly the SI problems came hand in hand with PSD and spavins, as is common. Judging by what was happening to one of the front legs & its hoof I would have said there was some referred pain as diagonal to the worse hock. Have both the hindlegs been investigated?

MP, she has had her right hind xrayed last June as we thought the issue was arthritis of the hock, this xrayed clear at the time. Following that she had nerve blocks performed and was diagnosed with subclinical laminitis as the cause of the lameness, so had 4 months of box rest, 6 months of supportive shoeing and was reintroduced to grazing/turnout according as if she was laminitis prone. I switched vet during this period too. She had come sound during the boxrest, but started to look not quite right again about a month after being reintroduced to turnout, had the vet out again as I convinced myself the laminitis had flared up but he told me that she didn't look like a horse with laminitis to him, and he believed the lameness I was seeing was just normal from her coming back into work and building her muscles back up, so to persevere. I have now been persevering for 3 months since then with no improvement sadly.

 

[milliepops]

you must be despairing Hope you get some answers tomorrow.

 

[atropa]

you must be despairing Hope you get some answers tomorrow.

I am, unfortunately mare #2 is also coming with us for a similar workup as she's had her own issues for the past 6 months - interestingly PSD is on my list of suspects for her. So yes, slightly stressed and it's almost a case of last chance saloon for both of them to be honest

 

[ycbm]

Unlevel tuber sacrale - the bumps at the top of the bum. Unlevel hip bones, tail carried to one side. Intermittent FRONT leg lameness, go figure! The hips and tail came right and after that he evented up to BE Novice and then his hocks went age nine. But he was a very bad shape for an eventer, far too long in the back. He just adored it, but his body couldn't cope.

The SI strain was from when he sat down in the road one day. He's the one in my avatar, two years after the SI strain.

 

[atropa]

Unlevel tuber sacrale - the bumps at the top of the bum. Unlevel hip bones, tail carried to one side. Intermittent FRONT leg lameness, go figure! The hips and tail came right and after that he evented up to BE Novice and then his hocks went age nine. But he was a very bad shape for an eventer, far too long in the back. He just adored it, but his body couldn't cope.

The SI strain was from when he sat down in the road one day. He's the one in my avatar, two years after the SI strain.

Thanks ycbm, I haven't noticed any unlevelness in her hips etc but I'm the first to admit I'm not great on confo, a few times I have thought her whole hindend is a bit pointier than it used to be. Front lameness also present. The whole lameness issue started after I brought her in from the field colicking last May, so I wonder if she has possibly went down in the field to roll and accidently went over a rock on the SI area or something. ETA: glad yours went on to have a more than useful career afterwards, out of interest what was your rehab routine?

 

[ycbm]

Honestly, I went mad trying to diagnose it !! Get some white paper circles and stick them to her hip bones, then get someone to walk and trot her away from you. You'll see easily if she's dipping a hip by watching the white dots.

You can also try some dots higher up and put her on the lunge. With mine, it was much easier to see the dot on the far side when he was on one rein rather than the other.

The tuber sacrale being more pointed does suggest possible SI strain, only equal on both sides. Mine was one sided and the raised bump was obvious after a period of box rest which brought him sound.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Yes primarily bunny hopping canter, stuffiness and used to catch a right toe in canter in the school surface which often resulted in taking off at full pelt for a trip around the arena. If lunging very one sided and right hind tracks more inwards plus loses balance and careers around bucking if allowed.

I had a referrral to Sue Dyson at the AHT as my vets were useless. After treatment - steroids/ physio/ strengthening exercises/ shoeing / shock-wave therapy and steroids also on close but not kissing spinal processes I've ridden him for a further 11 years but at levels lower than I'd originally hoped. He still has issues which I just manage so he is comfortable and he's also had an annular ligament op on both his hinds at 19years. We've done ok overall successfully doing a bit of everything. 22 years now and still hacking up to two hours 3-4 times a week.

 

[atropa]

Yes primarily bunny hopping canter, stuffiness and used to catch a right toe in canter in the school surface which often resulted in taking off at full pelt for a trip around the arena. If lunging very one sided and right hind tracks more inwards plus loses balance and careers around bucking if allowed.

I had a referrral to Sue Dyson at the AHT as my vets were useless. After treatment - steroids/ physio/ strengthening exercises/ shoeing / shock-wave therapy and steroids also on close but not kissing spinal processes I've ridden him for a further 11 years but at levels lower than I'd originally hoped. He still has issues which I just manage so he is comfortable and he's also had an annular ligament op on both his hinds at 19years. We've done ok overall successfully doing a bit of everything. 22 years now and still hacking up to two hours 3-4 times a week.

This reminds me, she does catch her right hind toe very occasionally, which was picked up at her vetting when she was out of work but the vet felt that this was as a a result of a previous fence injury giving her a slight mechanical restriction in her right hind, now I'm wondering is she has had an SI issue all along :\

The vet she is seeing tomorrow is extremely well respected in lameness issues, I'm hoping that he will have a reasonable idea of what's going on. Fingers crossed they find something and I'm able to rehab her back into a decent level of work - I had hoped to take her eventing up to BE100 level but I'll be happy if I can do some RC stuff on her nowadays.

 

[ycbm]

Oooh. Catching a hind toe was the first clear sign my horse had that he was a wobbler. If the vet. finds nothing more obvious, you might ask for some neck x rays.

 

[atropa]

Oooh. Catching a hind toe was the first clear sign my horse had that he was a wobbler. If the vet. finds nothing more obvious, you might ask for some neck x rays.

Oh dear Thanks, I will add that to my list

 

[BBP]

Explosiveness was first sign unnoticed. Started with an electric shock feeling behind the saddle which then (on the same ride) built to explosions, rearing and losing the plot (he was also stressed by some deer and has RER so tends to lose it when stressed, so freaking out at the deer I think made the twinge worse). Also he has always had a weak poor canter, he will trot or bomb about but never wanted to just canter. Thermal images showed hot spots over SI. I had him injected and he was great for a bit but then suffered severe hayfever and ulcers and went downhill and back to looking lame behind. So I had him injected again once ulcers were treated, and had Rob Jackson and a good Physio out to tackle the underlying physiological issues. Changed saddle and bridle which made a massive improvement in his ability to work. A year later he is the best he has ever been, his canter is so much stronger and he is much more relaxed in himself. I'm hoping we can start jumping a bit this year but I'm still a bit nervous I will break him!

Other signs were that he couldn't pick his hind feet up as high and that he would catch his tale between his hind legs when moving, rather than carrying it behind him.

 

[atropa]

Hi guys..an update..thank you for all your help and experiences yesterday. We have just returned from the vet and my poor mare has actually been diagnosed with navicular and a secondary suspensory injury from it. I am absolutely devastated.

 

[ycbm]

Don't panic. Read this:

Rockleyfarm.blogspot.com. And buy the book from Amazon for three quid. Loads of us have done rehabs on horses with navicular.

 

[claracanter]

Sorry to hear this but at least you now know what it is. have heard great things about Rockley too