Symptoms, what would you think?!

[ellie_e]

Ok, if your horse had these symptoms what would your first thought be?
Sound on circle and straight line on the lunge
Not quite stepping through with L hind with rider in canter
Doesnt seem to want to put weight through L hind when circling and seems to throw weight through R shoulder
Happily cantering off back in open field
Schooling canter doesnt want to collect or sit back.

Saddle has been re fitted 2wks ago, she has had her stifles injected back October last year and had 4wks of physio after as she was quite weak and growing. Started noticing changes 3wks ago, vet out re injected the 2stifle joints, still not 100% so vet out yesterday who injected the other joint, flexion tests all fine, checked hocks, suspensories and sacro all fine. No swelling/heat or anything obvious, just cant put my finger on it. She is VERY sensitive and anything slightly not right she tells you. Vet said to see how she goes but might be worth thinking about a course of Cartrophen injections into the muscle.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I'd be getting x rays done to see whats going on in the joints.
Had similar when hock issues resurrected themselves, x-rays showed far bigger changes than had been thought.

Hope you get to the bottom of it.

 

[SEL]

I was just about to say hocks as well. Mine had to get as far as throwing in huge bucks before I got the message - to be fair there was another underlying issue that I assumed was the problem, but I assumed wrong.

X-rays were illuminating and not in a good way.

We tried cartrophen and didn't get an improvement, but its probably worth a go.

 

[ellie_e]

I did say about Xraying but they werent in a rush as her flexions were fine, they seemed to think that this would sort it, but im not so convinced.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I did say about Xraying but they werent in a rush as her flexions were fine, they seemed to think that this would sort it, but im not so convinced.

CF was 'ok' on flexions too (not 100% but not a great cause for concern from vet), however the hock joints when x-rayed told a very different picture.

 

[ellie_e]

CF was 'ok' on flexions too (not 100% but not a great cause for concern from vet), however the hock joints when x-rayed told a very different picture.

Ok thank you, I will see how she goes and if no improvment next week when I can start riding again i'll book some Xrays

 

[Hormonal Filly]

How old is the horse? I'd get x-rays booked in so you know how bad it actually is. Get the entire back legs x-rayed. Just so you can see the full picture, they aren't too expensive considering if you pay for more steroid injections and turns out its in another place or something else is going on!

 

[TheHairyOne]

In my horse sacro problems only really showed up in the canter and only on one hind, field injury that took a while to get to the bottom of. Flexions 100%. 1 steriod injection both sides and the correct rehab sorted it, no sign of the problem 3 years later. Vet took a process of elimination approach and didnt bother with trying to see what was going on as its very hard to do with that joint anyway. Just happened to get it right on the 2nd attempt (first was foot as he was bare - which i knew it wasnt).

Good luck. 'Not quite right' is normally a lot harder to find the issue than 'on 3 legs'.

 

[ellie_e]

Good luck. 'Not quite right' is normally a lot harder to find the issue than 'on 3 legs'.

This is the problem I'm having, I'm almost trying to break her to be able to put her back together!
I'm due to get back on and hack tomorrow, if she's no better by mid next week il book her in to get x rayed every where!
She's 6 btw. Has grown and filled out a lot so I get where the vets coming from thinking it her stifle but I'm just not convinced!

 

[Chocy]

I could have written your post but just opposits leg (won't step thro on r hind in canter)
Vet fairly unhelpful as horse 'wasn't lame', only slightly stiff flexion on r hind.
Eventually got him referred to local vet school & he's had bone scan, x-rays, nerve blocks. None showed up anything massive but has shown changes in all joints in all legs unfortunately.
What helped me was the vet school finally allowed me to ride him while nerve blocked & he showed some improvement with both hocks blocked.
I was sure was stifle involvement as he has slightly odd left stifle movement & it also 'sticks' sometimes but ridden while nerve blocked showed no improvement at all.
So we have injected both hocks & I'm 3wks into rehab. So far I've only done walk hacking (now at 45mins) & will be trying trot/canter nxt week as I have to try it sometimes!
I've started him on couple supplements & time will tell if they help. . . .

 

[rara007]

I'd be looking to block, could well be soft tissue (proximal suspensory or SI for example) from description as much as boney changes.

 

[ellie_e]

UPDATE;
More flexion tests, lunged, rode, and X rayed today, vet agreed the difference under saddle (although she seemed better today) all X-rays pretty good except a drop on the pedal bone in left hind, so having some wedges (if farrier can't support heels with her hoof growth) a course of Cartrophen into the muscle and see how we go. Fingers crossed!

 

[ellie_e]

I'd be looking to block, could well be soft tissue (proximal suspensory or SI for example) from description as much as boney changes.

SI was palpated and he was really pressing and squeezing area which she couldn't of cared less about, managed to get some of the suspensory on the X-ray and nothing obvious

 

[ester]

When you say drop in pedal bone do you mean counter rotated given the wedges?

 

[ellie_e]

Possibly?!
Looking at the x rays, rather than being level and running in a straight line it was dropping towards to the heel end, can't remember what he called it.

 

[ester]

Yes that makes sense it was franks only issue on X-ray and he did have som associated bull nosing. We didn't wedge as it can damage the heel tubules further, we did bar shoe and they looked a lot better but no improvement in soundness. That's when his shoes came off, for him I think he needed to build up the soft tissues to essentially push the pedal bone back where it should be and shoeing only improved them on the outside.