Thoroughpin - increasing in size and relatively hard?

[GermanyJo]

Hi

wondered if anyone here has experience of issues with thoroughpins - I have seen many in the past and none have been an issue, but all have been your typical thoroughpin which is relatively soft and you can push from inside to outside.
Mine had a small one come up around christmas, no lameness, vet had a quick look and confirmed what I had been thinking that normally they caused no problems.
However, ... over the couple of weeks it is increasing in size and seems to be becoming harder (don't worry - the vet is scheduled to be looking at him this evening so I am not completely relying on diagnostic skills on here! )

He is appearing to be sound and his flat work is consistent and good - however last week we had our usual jumping session and it was a catastrophy -like riding him 18 months ago when we first started jumping - thought it may be a one off so got my instructor to ride him on Tuesday expecting to get some feedback along the lines of 'if you ride properly it is fine' but he was also a bit flummuxed (sp?) .. said he was jumping everything .. but very spooky and unsure of himself suddenly.

So... hence the worry over whether the thoroughpin has something not nice lurking underneath... or something else amiss (I am convinced there is something as the change is so dramatic)

Any info on your experience with 'troublesome' thoroughpins' would be good - or any other ideas .... want to get the vet to do a complete check of him this evening .. so front legs too and back

sorry it is so long !

 

[hussar]

Although mine has a thoroughpin it's fairly typical. However, a friend's horse had what you're describing - a normal thoroughpin that suddenly blew up into a larger harder lump. It was drained but returned within a couple of weeks. The vet then xrayed it with a fandango 3D machine and one of the angles showed a tiny bony spur on one of the bones in the hock that was irritating the tendon. Surgery dealt with it and although this was only a couple of months ago it's all looking quite hopeful!

 

[GermanyJo]

Well... the vet was here, and he trotted up sound but reacted on the flexion test on the hock with the thoroughpin - he currently has no shoes on behind as his feet are good, but vet suggested we put some hinds on tomorrow to maybe give him a bit more support, work him normally on the flat this week - he gave him some painkiller and is coming back next week .- if it is the same or bigger we have to x ray it.
The great thing was after he gave him the injection the lovely 'sensitive trakehner' decided he might be allergic to it and within 2 mins came up with a rash all over his body... que frantic scratching ... which stopped only after a cortisone injection and then a big dose of calcium .... I am sure creating a bigger bill
will see how we get on this week - part of me is relieved that there is at least a reason for the crap jumping...got the impression everyone on the yard was thinking I was a bit silly to get the vet - but now we need to hope it is not something serious...... although better to find out sooner rather than later

 

[CBFan]

I'm afraid I can't help you with the thoroughpin issue but I would like to say well done for actually considering that your horses sudden issues with jumping are down to a physical problem rather than him just being naughty... I see far to many people beating their horses up for not doing things they should be able to do when there are outside factors causing it!

Pat on the back! x

 

[GermanyJo]

Hi CBFan... thanks ... It is definately difficult sometimes when you have alot of people trying to give advise etc - now I am old enough that I just think sod it.. even if there is nothing, for my own piece of mind I need to get it checked out - but I think 20 years ago I found it much more difficult