SatansLittleHelper
Well-Known Member
I'm having a debate over this guys movement and wanted some input, he had white line disease(now clear) and recently had front shoes (huge improvement)....say what you see..
Video Thoughts please....
- Thread starter SatansLittleHelper
- Start date
Polos Mum
Well-Known Member
Caveat with I am 100% no expert
In the walk he looks 'stuffy' in front and buckles at the knee a couple of times. He still looks quite tentative in front - maybe just getting used to shoes if they are new or hesitant if they are slippy on tarmac
Trot - massive gap between where hind foot lands and front foot leave (absence of any tracking up) and not using his hocks much at all - is he older ?
In this one the leader is holding onto his head quite a lot so hard to see how his head moves.
In the walk he looks 'stuffy' in front and buckles at the knee a couple of times. He still looks quite tentative in front - maybe just getting used to shoes if they are new or hesitant if they are slippy on tarmac
Trot - massive gap between where hind foot lands and front foot leave (absence of any tracking up) and not using his hocks much at all - is he older ?
In this one the leader is holding onto his head quite a lot so hard to see how his head moves.
SatansLittleHelper
Well-Known Member
Hi PM, he's 14 this time and has been driven in the past (just in case that's relevant). This is his first set of shoes in over a year and he'd had them on 5 days before we took him out for these videos. The farrier said it may take time for him to readjust, Im hoping to do some more videos now he's had them on a few weeks.
IrishMilo
Well-Known Member
It's really difficult to tell from those videos - wrong angles and wobbly camera 
He could be a tiny bit sore on near fore but might just be my mind. He'd benefit hugely from losing some of that blubber!
He could be a tiny bit sore on near fore but might just be my mind. He'd benefit hugely from losing some of that blubber!
PinkvSantaboots
Well-Known Member
He looks a bit short striding all round I would try and get some weight off him as that won't be helping.
SatansLittleHelper
Well-Known Member
Yes he's definitely a chubby lad ??
It's been really hard to exercise him due to his feet but we are getting him out in hand now.
Sorry, me on the camera, I can't walk and chew gum ?
It's been really hard to exercise him due to his feet but we are getting him out in hand now.
Sorry, me on the camera, I can't walk and chew gum ?
9tails
Well-Known Member
He's tentatively landing toe first in walk, which is causing the jarring effect. I'm not an expert by any means, but I don't think he's comfortable on those feet yet.
SatansLittleHelper
Well-Known Member
I'm glad you noticed this, I've always thought he had an odd way of walking. His fronts are so oddly shaped that he's had to back back shoes on them ?
Sossigpoker
Well-Known Member
Also he's sadly lame behind, right hind as far as I can see. Is your vet involved?
Any x rays taken?
If he's been driven he will have had a lot of concussive forces through the legs due to trotting on the road so I wouldn't be surprised if he had arthritis. For that reason as well as his general health you want to get some of that weight off.
I've started soaking hay in preparation for spring!
Any x rays taken?
If he's been driven he will have had a lot of concussive forces through the legs due to trotting on the road so I wouldn't be surprised if he had arthritis. For that reason as well as his general health you want to get some of that weight off.
I've started soaking hay in preparation for spring!
SatansLittleHelper
Well-Known Member
He was a very cheap pony that my friend took a punt on, she's spent a small fortune trying to sort out varying issues and now the money pot is empty. At this moment in time x-rays aren't doable though the vet is involved plus farrier and physio. The vet saw him two weeks before this video when pony was very foot sore and suggested shoes, hind lameness wasn't mentioned at the time.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
I'm afraid I also think he's lame behind SLH
Chinchilla
...
I'd say 'not quite right' in all four, worse in trot than walk and worse behind, especially hind nearest the camera (though that could be the angle!)
I tend to say everything is lame though .....
I tend to say everything is lame though .....
mossycup
Well-Known Member
Yes the offside hind is where my eye goes - obvious in walk but he's barely bending it in trot - stifle perhaps?
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
toe landing first in walk stood out for me, he looks uncomfortable and not moving forward, shame your friend has spent so much trying to get him right..
SatansLittleHelper
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the input, that was the foot he originally went lame on when he first arrived. I'll be honest I was thinking it was stiffness rather than lame but I'm by no means an expert. My friend has been fine with spending the money, we all just wanted to give him a good chance. Unfortunately there is a line that must be drawn financially and I think she's there.
It's been suggested that he goes onto Boswelia as that might help with stiffness..?? Obviously it won't cure any lameness though. I guess another vet assessment is in order ? We've grown so attached to him, he was so very shut down when he arrived and he has a lovely little personality now.
It's been suggested that he goes onto Boswelia as that might help with stiffness..?? Obviously it won't cure any lameness though. I guess another vet assessment is in order ? We've grown so attached to him, he was so very shut down when he arrived and he has a lovely little personality now.
Michen
Well-Known Member
Goodness, the horse is being trotted up on a main road and it's a short clip. If you trotted Boggle up in that manner his back legs would be about 2 foot from his front (and btw, not all horses do or can physically track up all the time- it doesn't necessarily mean they aren't sound).
I'm sure those with a more experienced eye than me can indeed seem lameness but it surely warrants a fair test.
He's also really fat, he may be a very different horse with a load of weight loss and fitness.
I'm sure those with a more experienced eye than me can indeed seem lameness but it surely warrants a fair test.
He's also really fat, he may be a very different horse with a load of weight loss and fitness.
cobgoblin
Bugrit! Millennium hand and shrimp.
Poor soul looks sore on all four legs to me.
doodle
Well-Known Member
I am not an expert in any way but to me he just looks uncomfortable all round. No one leg sticks out to me.
BaronSamedi
...
That’s not massively un common so that wouldn’t worry me, I think he looks ‘stuffy’ as if he is waiting for pain and hasn’t yet realised he’s feet will join longer hurt
AmyMay
Situation normal
I tend to agree.
He may or may not be lame. But it’s pretty difficult to tell. Not helped by being grossly overweight, and straight through the hocks.
I suspect that unless your friends spends a final amount on x-rays, she’ll never really get to the bottom of what issues he may or may not have.
RHM
Well-Known Member
I would think from those videos it would be hard to discern where he is exactly uncomfortable. I personally think he looks a bit sore on all. I echo what others have said though I think he could be a different animal once no longer a porker. I would strip as much weight off him before any investigation.
Chinchilla
...
Very good point that the discomfort could be due to anticipating pain.
Regardless if he was mine I'd be getting the vet out.
Regardless if he was mine I'd be getting the vet out.
rara007
Well-Known Member
Agree with Mitchen. He’s a fat heavy cob running at a speed to match the handler downhill. I doubt he ever moved like valegro. I wouldn’t draw any conclusions from these I’m afraid.
Sossigpoker
Well-Known Member
What is the intended job for this little horse? Are they hoping to ride him? At the moment i wouldn't say he looks well enough to be ridden but with the vet's permission could do some in-hand work to try and shift a few pounds, perhaps?
When deciding whether to find the money for more tests one needs to decide also what to do with the results- so if any x rays showed arthritis, would they be willing and able to treat it? If the answer is no, then doing the x rays is probably pointless.
Has the vet discussed any pain relief like Bute/Danilon?
JJS
Well-Known Member
I fully agree with this - I’m surprised so many people think they can diagnose lameness from those videos. Yes, he looks a little short striding in front, but if he’s had sore feet from WLD that’s not going to resolve overnight. Get some weight off (which it sounds like you’re already doing), and he may well be a different and much happier horse.
Pearlsacarolsinger
Up in the clouds
This exactly! He can't move well because he is being hampered by the handler, who is almost in front of him, instead of being by his shoulder and has the lead rope far too short to allow him to move freely. I would also be suspicious of the camber on the road making him reluctant to move along. IME driving horses like to position themselves as near to the centre of the road as possible in order to avoid the camber.
When my heavy Draft mare had an infection in her foot, farrier recommended Red Horse products, while we were waiting for that to be delivered, we sprayed her soles/white lines/frogs with tea-tree oil spray x2 daily. By the time the Red Horse stuff arrived the infection had cleared up.
Christmascinnamoncookie
Fais pas chier!
Left hind is laggy, but keeping his lead rope so short is distinctly unhelpful. He’s really obese, I’d want that sorted before much else.
brighteyes
Pooh-Bah
He's getting to the age where Cushing's might start to have its insidious effects on him so, I'll add my voice to those urging you to slim him down MASSIVELY as a matter of priority. It can't do anything but improve his general health and the perceived un-levelness. I was too distracted by the feather flapping about to be able to determine anything other than the faltering off fore and general shortness of step in all four legs. Sweet pony, hope he sounds up.
SatansLittleHelper
Well-Known Member
Thanks everyone. I won't deny that he's very fat but he also has an insane amount of coat which makes him look slightly bigger than he is (Cushings crossed my mind too due to this though he doesn't have any other symptoms)
Because of the soreness his exercise has been limited. Also, because he lives out 24/7 in a group and we haven't had any grass for a couple of months, he's had access to a fair amount of hay. To be honest I don't know how that can really be rectified as we have no way of soaking the hay and we use massive 6 string bales that we take flakes off each day to go into a ring type feeder at the request of our field owner.
How do you go about testing for Cushings and should PSSM be a consideration..???
My friend is going to call the vet in the to come out for a good overall assessment of him and go from there.
Because of the soreness his exercise has been limited. Also, because he lives out 24/7 in a group and we haven't had any grass for a couple of months, he's had access to a fair amount of hay. To be honest I don't know how that can really be rectified as we have no way of soaking the hay and we use massive 6 string bales that we take flakes off each day to go into a ring type feeder at the request of our field owner.
How do you go about testing for Cushings and should PSSM be a consideration..???
My friend is going to call the vet in the to come out for a good overall assessment of him and go from there.
JJS
Well-Known Member
It’s diagnosed by taking bloods and checking the ACTH levels, so nice and simple.
In terms of his coat making him look bigger than he is, I can sympathise. Mary and Flower always look at their largest at this time of year, but it really is hair. I know from doing Mary’s girth up that she’s actually dropped off a fair amount over winter and that come spring, when she sheds out, she’ll be a really nice weight underneath it all.