Steroid injections / Pain relief in horses back.

[NB1221]

My horse has recently had a gastroscope for ulcers and X-rays for her back to see if she has ulcers and or anything going on with her back. The gastroscope has shown she has grade 2/3 ulcers and the X-ray has come up with a vertebra with a slight hook coming off, where it is slightly rubbing her other vertebra. She is really good to hack out but she doesn't let you get on without a leg up and she doesn't seem to be happy when I change diagonals on the flat. She is only 5 after supposedly having 2 foals when she was a youngster. She moves really well and doesn't disunite or react when our vet feels down her spine. Our vet has said to inject her and then if she is still showing to have problems, to have a small op where they snip the ligament in her back.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I should do?

 

[be positive]

Do as the vet has suggested, the back will be giving her some pain, is probably the cause of the ulcers, if the steroids work it shows the back is an issue, the operation may still be the best option long term, it may be due to carrying the weight of two foals on an undeveloped frame so plenty of work to try and build her up correctly whatever route you take.

 

[Goldenstar]

I would try medicating followed by rehab under a ACPAT trained physio with an interest in this type of work.
One of mine has just had the new reshaping OP so I am very well briefed on what the most recent thinking is as the vets took me through all the current thinking and the medium term results from the ligament snip procedure are not so good .
I would be asking very searching questions about ' the snip ' which certainly would not bother with after what I was told .
However I do think with the correct and management and monitoring the jabs can work very well.
I used them on a older horse combined with physio and he did very very well.