maaj22
New User
Hi, I have a 16 year old quarter horse gelding I was wondering if I could get some opinions on. I apologize for the long post.
I do dressage and show jumping (up to 90cm) with him. He works 5 days per week; 3 days of which are dressage in a sand arena, 1 day is a hack (walking) in the woods with hills; 1 day is either jumping (usually in arena) or hill work (w/t/c). He is moving sound in each gait when under saddle, on the lunge, and turned out in his field.
Early last week, the farrier came out and my horse was resisting stretching his right hind backwards (which is something he usually does with both hind legs, but he was resisting more than usual with his right hind this time). When the farrier then tried to pull his right hind forward my horse struggled, pulling it out to the side and not wanting to bend the stifle/hock (almost sitting on my poor farrier). He was sound before and after the farrier worked on him. But, for a couple days after he was shod, he resisted picking up his right hind, and struggled to stretch it back or forwards (like a farrier would ask him to do). He has also been very unhappy if I go to touch his right stifle area (pins ears, swishes tail, lifts leg and threatens to kick). While he has always been a bit opinionated on being groomed in that area (in the 2 years I've had him), this reaction is more severe than he's had in the past.
I had a chiropractor look at him end of last week and said his tailbone was out of alignment and he perhaps strained the muscle over his right stifle.
This has happened once before about 6 months ago, with having issues stretching his right hind (but sound when moving). Other than that time 6 months ago, he is very rarely lame (only 1 other time in 2 years from getting beat up by a horse he was turned out with). He was on his way to slaughter when I picked him up, after spending 6 years in a pretty abusive situation. He does have some scar tissue in his right shoulder, but that is really the only issue he has (and it doesn't cause much of a problem with a monthly chiropractor adjustment and consistent work). His right hind was weaker than the left for the first year, but has since strengthened and he works very even on both sides.
I'm starting to get quite concerned about this issue. Since the issue with getting shod early last week, I have had him in light work (30 min walking hacks on small hills and flat ground in woods). I have also been stretching his hind legs (back, forward, up) before and after I take him on the hacks, as well as putting lineament (Vetrolin or Limber Up) on his hind end (especially his right stifle) after the ride. He is also on SmartPak's SmartStride Ultra (has been on it for 14 months). He also gets a chiropractor adjustment once per month for maintenance.
I will get him seen by a vet, just don't have the money right now to do so. So, I figured I'd reach out to the H&H community and see if anyone had any ideas of what may be going on, and what I could possibly do to help him.
I do dressage and show jumping (up to 90cm) with him. He works 5 days per week; 3 days of which are dressage in a sand arena, 1 day is a hack (walking) in the woods with hills; 1 day is either jumping (usually in arena) or hill work (w/t/c). He is moving sound in each gait when under saddle, on the lunge, and turned out in his field.
Early last week, the farrier came out and my horse was resisting stretching his right hind backwards (which is something he usually does with both hind legs, but he was resisting more than usual with his right hind this time). When the farrier then tried to pull his right hind forward my horse struggled, pulling it out to the side and not wanting to bend the stifle/hock (almost sitting on my poor farrier). He was sound before and after the farrier worked on him. But, for a couple days after he was shod, he resisted picking up his right hind, and struggled to stretch it back or forwards (like a farrier would ask him to do). He has also been very unhappy if I go to touch his right stifle area (pins ears, swishes tail, lifts leg and threatens to kick). While he has always been a bit opinionated on being groomed in that area (in the 2 years I've had him), this reaction is more severe than he's had in the past.
I had a chiropractor look at him end of last week and said his tailbone was out of alignment and he perhaps strained the muscle over his right stifle.
This has happened once before about 6 months ago, with having issues stretching his right hind (but sound when moving). Other than that time 6 months ago, he is very rarely lame (only 1 other time in 2 years from getting beat up by a horse he was turned out with). He was on his way to slaughter when I picked him up, after spending 6 years in a pretty abusive situation. He does have some scar tissue in his right shoulder, but that is really the only issue he has (and it doesn't cause much of a problem with a monthly chiropractor adjustment and consistent work). His right hind was weaker than the left for the first year, but has since strengthened and he works very even on both sides.
I'm starting to get quite concerned about this issue. Since the issue with getting shod early last week, I have had him in light work (30 min walking hacks on small hills and flat ground in woods). I have also been stretching his hind legs (back, forward, up) before and after I take him on the hacks, as well as putting lineament (Vetrolin or Limber Up) on his hind end (especially his right stifle) after the ride. He is also on SmartPak's SmartStride Ultra (has been on it for 14 months). He also gets a chiropractor adjustment once per month for maintenance.
I will get him seen by a vet, just don't have the money right now to do so. So, I figured I'd reach out to the H&H community and see if anyone had any ideas of what may be going on, and what I could possibly do to help him.
