Symptoms of spavins ?

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jnb

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Help please!

Am really worried about my cob - he has been "not right" on and off for about 10 days - sound, but taking the odd "strange" step behind on corners when in the school.
He can get a tight shoulder (he has Shiatsu massage for this) and I think I have been mistaking the odd steps with this
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Anyway, he had a sore back from his show saddle 5 weeks ago, had vet and had a week off, plus 2 Shiatsu sessions and seemed fine. I have ordered a new show saddle and have been using his GP which has been checked 2 months ago and adjusted.

Last Tuesday he was shod, and the farrier has taken his feet right back - the shortest I've ever seen them, though he is not footsore.

But on Sunday my instructor felt he wasn't quite right (not lame) but he improved as he warmed up.
Hacking seems OK, I lunged Weds to see what was going on and he seemed fine on left rein but taking an odd short step on the right, again it improved with warming up.

Yesterday however on my lesson we seem to have pinpointed that he isn't flexing his hocks as well as usual - I'm terrified it is hock spavin
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Has anyone any experience? Am getting an experienced horse vet out today hopefully (I want the senior partner).
Have just spoken to receptionist and she is getting the senior partner to call me back today with a view to him coming on Monday - he is in surgery all day today.
 
My horse has just had op for spavins( january) .You are describing short step from behind and very often they are short on opposite diagonal front leg.Best to wait until you have vet out as it could be one of many things.Its not the end of the world there are several options if it is spavins .My horse is a tb and just 7 although it petrified me to think he has this condition he is on the mend although it is a slow process.Feel free to pm if you need any info after seeing the vet.The vet will do a flexation test this will give you a good idea if it is spavins.
 
My horse is being treated for spavin at the mo. She also has backache probably caused by standing differently. This has also caused her saddle to slip back making it initially seem that the saddle was the problem...

mine didn't respond to a flexion test so be prepared for xrays and a proper lameness workup.

Glad you're getting him looked at - spotting these things early makes a big difference! Don't be terrified either - it can take a while to settle but the long term prognosis is usually excellent.
Good luck!
 
My horse is also in the middle of being looked at for spavin. He was never lame just felt and looked a bit uncomfy behind. Treatment varies depending on the joint afected and how advanced it is. Get your pictures and blocks as soon as you can and then you will know what you are dealing with, but spavin can be treated with very good results.
 
toe draging in trot and coming down hills. stumbling behind offten more obvious in school, when watched from the floor less tracking up on one hind again more obvious in trot, excesive wearing of hind shoes normally at the toe reluctance to workform behind, disunited in canter or strking of on wrong lead on one rein a lot.
hope that helps!!!
 
Our Connemara has spavin She suddenly became lame in the canter to trot transition on one rein and was diagnosed with a pulled adductor muscle. After nine months off we started lungeing under veterinary supervision and the problem was still there. It's a bit like stringhalt.

Anyway we resorted to nerve blocks and xrays and found quite an advanced spavin. The vet recommended allowing it to settle on its own, she's not a suitable candidate for treatment.

She's in work in walk and trot only and is very sound in those paces. In fact she moves beautifully, well enough to score over 75% in walk trot dressage tests.

Now and then we check the canter on the lunge. It's two years now and still there though not all the time. Sometimes it's manifested itself in her back or the other hind leg but that's supposed to be normal.

The vet assures us that when it's fused she will be totally sound it just takes as long as it takes. It's very frustrating that you can't do anything about it only wait. We do have days when we think that she'll never be totally sound again.

I'd love to hear from people who've come out the other side of this and ended up with a sound horse.
 
What and were is a adductor muscle .We are having other problems with soreness and stiffness and I think its related to spavin op .
 
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