Strange hind leg action downhill

Saxon_Jasmine

Saxon_Jasmine

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Hiya,

my friend and I were hacking the other day and we noticed that her horse looks really strange going downhill.

Instead of bringing her legs under in one movement and walking she seemed to be flicking her hoof up, then bringing her leg under. She was doing this in both hind legs. She doesn't do it on the flat or going up hill. We tried walking her down a hill with no rider and she walked normally.

The horse is a 15.3hh TB mare and 6/7yrs old.

Any suggestions as to what it could be?

Thank you :)
 
I know I always suggest this but could the horse have some kind of neurological deficit? Do a sway test. One of you walk the horse in a straight line and the other walk by the back of the horse holding the tail at a right angle from the horses body. If you pull the tail towards you the horse should not deviate from his course. If he does to any great extent consult your vet. Try it with another horse first to see how it compares with your own. Do this on a soft surface and both wear hats for your own protection just in case.
 
It could be a 101 reasons to be honest! Some more obvious than others. But having had a horse with neuro problems (wobblers as it turned out) I know that this is a classic neuro symptom. That's not to say all neuro problems are wobblers of course so DONT PANIC!!! x
 
Thank you, I'll tell her this.

Is there anything else to look for or that are classic symptoms? Or any tests we can do our selves?

Thank you :)
 
If a horse has wobblers then trying to do tests yourself can be very dangerous, I would get the vet to do a proper work up if you have any concerns that this might be the case.
 
I'm pretty certain that the horse doesn't have wobblers. I've researched it on the internet and she doesn't seem to have any of the symptoms. She has been to a competition (ODE), a pc rally and has been seem by a physio/shiatzu person all recently, wouldn't they pick up something like Wobblers? It seems to have obvious symptoms.

These are her symptoms:

When she walks down hill she appears to be stiff in the joint where the bone meets the hoof in her back limbs. She seems to seperate it into two movements: lift hoof in a jerky movement, then perform normal walk gait.

She is slightly unbalenced on one rein in canter but I'm pretty sure that's due to racing.

Any ideas or things to look for?

Thank you :)
 
My horse was out competing at discovery level BSJA whilst he had wobblers. The chiropractor came out twice and didn't pick up on any problems even in the latter stage of wobblers. There are many neuro conditions other than wobblers, I was just highlighting this problem with mine. Another test is to back the horse, if it bunny hops back it has a neuro deficit. Also turn on a tight circle. If it swings its outside leg out in a large swing to the side this is another classic symptom. Compare with another horse and you will see the difference immediately.

The neuro tests are not dangerous unless your horse is so ataxic that it is barely standing up and able to walk straight in which case the vet would have been called long ago but the sway test can pull your horse towards you alarmingly which is why I advised wearing a hat and doing it on a soft surface as a precauation for than a dead certainty of anything untoward happening. My horse has three ataxic episode during his wobblers (which was bought on at the age of about 8 1/2 or 9 from a fall on his neck after rearing and going over backwards in the field whist being led in by staff at the yard where I used to keep him. Ataxia is loss of co-ordination between limbs and brain due to calcifcation in the neck bones pinching on nerves leading from the spine or in very severe conditions impingement on the actual spinal cord itself.

Whilst my boy couldn't be saved as there was so much damage to the spinal canal due to calcification horses can go on for many years with wobblers but it is a degenative condition.

I am not a vet but I put a reply as this down hill problem was somethign I'd come across with my boy. Also warmbloods, TB's, quarter horses and shire x are usually more effected, geldings and stallions more than mares and in particular horses with long necks, all three catergories my horse happened to fall into.

RIP Rommy x

Here is a link for further information as I am probably not explaining myself very well.

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/pubs/asc133.pdf which is written by Antonio Cruz who is a specialist in this matters.
 
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We did the sway test this morning and the horse stayed on track. We asked her to back up and she did this fine. We turned some tight circles and she also did that fine. She a little unbalenced in the tight circles but I think it's because she has raced and hasn't been schooled much.

Any ideas where to go from here? The only neurological symptom she seems to have is the wierd action downhill. Could premature arthuritus be possible?

Thank you :)
 
Could be any number of things, could be pain related, tack or just a general strength/fitness issue- maybe if theres any doubt your friend could ask their vet to check the horse over and go from there- it's so easy to guess at things sometimes and then you start to worry!
 
I am really pleased she doesn't have a neuro deficit. I'm sorry haven't a clue where to go from there. sorry but good luck in finding an answer xx
 
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