Sore horse , stretching in trot

motherof2beasts!

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I am working with our physiotherapist currently who saw him last Friday and is due again on the 20th, sent videos to vets too.

For context he pulled a shoe off in November and went barefoot due to pulling too much foot off. He seemed to cope really well with going barefoot initially and I’m not even sure if that’s the issue, but thought I’d mention in case this is linked.

The week before last he didn’t feel right , almost a bit sticky he wasn’t lame and still isn’t lame. There is no heat or swelling to any legs, however he started reaching down especially in trot stretching to the point he wanted his nose more or less on the floor. The Physio came out and said he was sore from Poll to tail on his right hand side, she thinks he could’ve slipped in the field causing this which is likely given how slippery it is out there thanks to the no end of rain. He had the following day off and then I did very very gentle walk hacks lasting only 20 to 30 minutes.

Today is the first day that I decided to take him in the school, as we are now eight days post Physio. Today is the first day that I’ve tried to trot with him and his nose immediately came down and he seemed to want to carry his nose on the floor. He also felt very reluctant and he’s usually a very forward going happy chappy.

The plan is in hand walking , farrier next week, physio the week after. His current regime is out 6am-4pm then in overnight, we are on sand so mud could be worse but is much wetter than usual.

Has anyone else had experience of their horse wanting to stretch down like this in trot ? Part of me is wondering if it’s his front feet which are sore and the pains coming up to his shoulders /back.

He’s happy in himself , I’m just frustrated as he is SUCH a good doer I’m worried he’ll pile all the fat back on. It is also likely he slipped , we are lucky with mud usually but not this month.
 
I can’t be much help but my initial reaction is it’s unlikely he’s sore on his front feet and stretching down. Putting his nose on the floor increases the weight through the front so I’d be expecting to see the opposite and a high head to take weight off the front feet
I also thought that but am clutching at straws , he has worn them down in a funny way , too close to white line and very sharp in places. He’s also very bum high , despite being 16 , so maybe that teeny bit of extra height in front helped 🙈.
 
What breed is he? Age? My young pssm1 horse does this
My PSSM mare does it too. I generally think its tight back muscles that they are trying to loosen off. I've seen it with saddle fit issues but if the physio has found tightness then it can take a while to release.

Does your physio have PEMF, Indiba or ultrasound?
 
He is 16 and an Irish cob, I ride in a TCS and have done for years, due to continual saddle issues.

My physio doesn’t have ultrasound but I do have a chiropractor coming tomorrow morning to scan him. I have farrier on Friday too , I think there is possibly a few things going on as he is very sore on stoney ground and has worn feet unusually /sharp edges , im not sure barefoot Is for him. When I watch the videos I think he looks like he’s bracing his back and is sore in right shoulder. He’s very stoic with prodding etc so hard to get a reaction.

I feel like every day he’s not ridden he gets fatter, he is the most ridiculously good doer I’ve ever met.
 
He is 16 and an Irish cob, I ride in a TCS and have done for years, due to continual saddle issues.

My physio doesn’t have ultrasound but I do have a chiropractor coming tomorrow morning to scan him. I have farrier on Friday too , I think there is possibly a few things going on as he is very sore on stoney ground and has worn feet unusually /sharp edges , im not sure barefoot Is for him. When I watch the videos I think he looks like he’s bracing his back and is sore in right shoulder. He’s very stoic with prodding etc so hard to get a reaction.

I feel like every day he’s not ridden he gets fatter, he is the most ridiculously good doer I’ve ever met.
Barefoot does not work for every horse but the hoof wear patterns may help your chiro understand what muscles are tight.

Right shoulder can be compensation for left hind. Any odd wear on that hoof?
 
Barefoot does not work for every horse but the hoof wear patterns may help your chiro understand what muscles are tight.

Right shoulder can be compensation for left hind. Any odd wear on that hoof?
No his hinds are neat , both the fronts are sharp , and strange wear patterns , some a bit into the white line 🙈
 
Unfortunately for some horses transitioning is trickier and if they are at all footsore they can end up tense/sore all over as a result. Mine did even when booted it/its the one thing in hindsight I should have kept on top of more (shoes were off for medical reasons)
 
Sounds like he coped originally out of shoes for a few weeks but now isn't, loading the front by stretching down is all about relieving the weight behind which he's doing but it's causing the back issues and the front feet wear. I'd get him shod, carry on with the physio and if not better in a few weeks vet time to investigate the back end.
 
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Sore frogs because they're soggy (everything is soggy!) are making my little cob uncomfortable on hard surfaces. She's like it every year when the fields get wet though so I don't panic any more

Yours does sound like he's struggling without shoes so it's probably worth popping a set back on and seeing if his body soreness improves - although the chiro might spot something if the wear patterns are very odd & obvious
 
Thanks all , farrier booked for Friday shoes being put back on . Seems as days go by it’s more obviously coming from his front feet , recent videos sent to physio seem to show this more even in the school.
 
Don't rule out "saddle", I've seen horses get sore from the TCS, but it's almost certainly lumbar area and yes, he could be holding himself because of hoof discomfort etc but often it's saddle.
Yes I’ll keep an eye on it , I never really intended on being a TCS fan but after getting through several and then a made to measure , which all led to sore back , I gave it a go. I use an equitex TCS saddle pad and he’s been very happy and not sore till now, I guess it’s trial and elimination for now. I sent videos to vet who said not for them yet , see how he goes with shoes /chiro /physio and offered some advice I didn’t find particularly useful 🙈
 
One mine did the nose on the ground trot, turned out she'd hurt her neck slipping in the field. She did have PSSM, she'd had it for years and wasn't the cause.
 
One mine did the nose on the ground trot, turned out she'd hurt her neck slipping in the field. She did have PSSM, she'd had it for years and wasn't the cause.
It’s highly likely he slipped , he is a strange pony , won’t graze if it’s raining , wants hay but it too fat to have an endless supply so gallops about trying to draw your attention to him wanting more hay.
 
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