Slight click when leg held out straight in front?

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icklemadame

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One of those times when you really wish you'd paid more attention!! Help I'm panicking!! We had our 'back' guy out today as I've been worried in the last couple of weeks that my mare wasn't quite right, she wasn't unsound but i just kept feeling something every once in a while so I thought it best to check. She impaled herself on the top of a hurdle when she was little, right in her armpit, and her shoulder has therefore always had the potential to cause trouble, and I was worrying it was that. What I can gather from what he said (I was struggling to understand and now wish I had asked more) is that her old injury had created a lot of scar tissue and therefore there was limited movement, but nothing major, in that leg and shoulder. However the opposite side, although it had a great amount of movement (basically you can circle her foot when bent at the knee all the way round to in front of her opposite knee - so she looks like a ballerina) when you pull that leg out in front completely straight there is a slight click from her knee area. This can be stopped by holding/putting pressure under the knee. I think that the thinking is that possibly in compensating for her limited movement in the other leg she has put undue pressure over the years on this one. He also mentioned a tight or shorten tendon (this is where I wish I'd paid more attention). I am to do exercises with her to keep her supple, basically to exercise and stretch that tendon, similar to those he was doing. Otherwise he said she was fine to be ridden, give her a day or two's rest due to her being sore after him stretching her, but fine. Now I"m panicking because he mentioned tendons and I wish I'd asked more questions and I don't want to damage her, he didn't seem worried that she is hunted etc. but I now am!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated, sorry it all sounds so vague, I just wasn't expecting to be panicked by him, more likely to be told that I was imagining something wrong!!

Thank you for any help!!

Emily xx
 
To be honest with you,if you are that concerned i would probably get a complete check done by your vet!!Back guys are good at what they do and come recommended by a vet if they know a good one!!However i would not take a back persons comment about tendons etc as gospel!You are obviously concerned about your horse and i certainly wouldnt want to take mine hunting if i had any doubt!Well worth abit of money spent with the vet for some further investigation i would say!!Put ya mind at rest anyway!!!
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Firstly I wouldn't take what he says as gospel... he is not a vet! Secondly, how old is the horse?

I'd see how she is after a few days rest and then start eliminating things..... After all, no doubt, your joints click at times? I know mine do! But it doesn't mean that my tendons are about to snap or something horrific has happened.

I'd try a good joint supplement to see if that eases things, and then go for further investgations if thats not helped.... As long as the horse is not in pain, go down the elimination route first.... Obviously if she is lame or continues to be a little off, call the vet!
 
She's approx. 13, possibly older, she's a gypsy pony and they are always a little vague about their ages!! He did say she had a huge amount of movement in her joints for a pony of her age, and was very strong through her back end. As I say she's not lame and she's not appearing to be bothered by her clicking joint, she stood there quietly when he was clicking it, and by the time he'd done it a couple of times and some other exercises the click was barely noticeable - I just panicked, she's hunting fit and thats her job really, I'd taken her out of work for 2 weeks as I was worried and thought she needed a break, but she's now bored out of her mind and wants to get back into work, and suddenly I had this prospect that there was something wrong with a tendon, and that that was that!!
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This is also a new back guy, and he did things very very differently from our last one - this one did stretching exercises basically, whereas the last one was a real irish gypsy type who massaged and hit the tight muscles, and made up all sorts of weird and wonderful potions to put on problems!! I wish I could seek his opinion as well, but unfortunately thats not possible!!
 
My TB mare's hocks clicked from the day I bought her (rising 5yo) to the present day (rising 19yo) but she's always been sound on them.
You could try feeding a couple of tablespoons of corn oil each feed to see if that helps...but clicking doesn't mean much so if I were you I wouldn't worry.
Now stretching tendons - hmmmm...sounds very strange to me...as tendons have only about 3% elasticity if I recall correctly (which is why they are prone to breakdown as they don't stretch to absorb excess strain). The muscles joining to the tendons could be worked upon to stretch and supple them...but not, IMHO, the tendon.
If your horse has a problem, you'll know because she'll be unsound...at which point you can get the vet...
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Hope you don't mind me asking but I've got a similar problem. My mare who I've only had a few months and who I bought having been told she has issues and with a vague but essentially dodgy history, has a scar on the inside of both armpits like she has been stuck on a fence or something. She is panicy about being mounted and bolts if you mount in a school. The vets have given her a clean bill of health and the behavioural problems are improving however the mare is still quite resistant about turning, particularly left where she has stretch her right shoulder round. She can get quite upset about being asked to come round on a circle and I was just wondering if this sounds anything like your horse - does the armpit injury affect it similarly at all? Also is there any particular type of physio/treatment you use and would recommend? I know I may be clutching at straws but I'm just doing my best to make work more pleasant for this lovely mare.
 
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From er age, espec as ou suspect that she is older,the clickiness sounds like age, a bit of arthritis.
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Have you got biscuit crumbs on your keyboard by any chance? Or have you inadvertently lopped off one of your typing fingers (a blood trail may be a clue)?
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The optimist in me says its her age, she was cold and hasn't been worked in 2 weeks so possibly a little stiff, and that as long as I do her exercises that I was shown she'll be fine. The pessimist panics!!
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But she's a typical cobby mare who tends to be as brave as a bear and as strong as an ox, nothing much bothers her and she isn't one for hobbling around being pathetic
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Shilsadair - its prob me not quite understanding, esp as you say if tendons can't stretch!! I just know I have to get that whole area suppled up with various exercises, I don't really know what it is I'm stretching, but I guess its like us with yoga or pilates, the more we do the more flexible we become!!

KVS - she does have slightly limited movement where that scar tissue is and struggles doing...left... turns I think!! Her shoulder is less able to cross over and stretch round (does that make sense?!?) but as she is really just a hunting pony, who's never been lame or given us cause to worry, and her flatwork is appalling for many reasons, we've never done much about it
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I have to always keep an eye on the scar, I notice it more in summer when she has less coat if she gets really sweaty under her armpits it looks pink, so I put vaseline or e45 on it to keep it supple and stop any rubbing
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Another question if any one can answer it - if her tendon is a worry, should she have boots on to support this? If so what kind? And should I steal OH's magnetic stable boots to see if they help? (I'll be able to wrap them round her twice, they are for his 17.3hh boy!!)
 
If the area you are talking about is below the knee then there's nothing there except bone, tendon and ligament...no muscles. And tendons/ligaments/bones aren't terribly responsive to stretching (not in a good way) or suppling, IME.
Above the knee you have lots of muscles and it would be worth suppling and stretching them...maybe some ridden exercises like neck flexion, stretching downwards (with rider in light seat) leg yield, and particularly shoulder-in would help.
Don't put tendon boots on her for normal work...or they have the effect of weakening the tendons rather than strengthening them....but do put them on if you are worried when jumping or hunting or anything especially strenuous.
Magnetic boots - up to you, no evidence that they work.
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The exercises consist of picking up her foot like you would to pick it out, and then gently rotating it all the way to the left, and all the way to the right, and then stretching the leg out in front of her until her 'toes' are pointed and its straight ??? Also neck flexions...

I save up my few pennies and go out and buy her some tendon boots for when we hunt then - esp as we do tend to jump some fairly big things and I'd worry about her landing from those heights without support I think now...
 
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The exercises consist of picking up her foot like you would to pick it out, and then gently rotating it all the way to the left, and all the way to the right, and then stretching the leg out in front of her until her 'toes' are pointed and its straight ??? Also neck flexions...

I save up my few pennies and go out and buy her some tendon boots for when we hunt then - esp as we do tend to jump some fairly big things and I'd worry about her landing from those heights without support I think now...

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The exercise will work her shoulder muscles, upper leg muscles and pectorals, rather than the lower leg then. Neck flexions sound good.

To explain the boots thing, if your horse wears them all the time, her legs get weaker as they will rely to some extent on the boot support. So it's so much better to work her normally without them...and then get the extra benefit when you really need them.
Hope she continues to be sound and happy (and that you don't worry yourself into an early grave!)
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