Torn muscle in neck/strain???

[unicornystar]

Hello there

Just thought I would throw this out to the audience of H&H Forums as in 40 odd years have never come across it...and would appreciate ANY info anyone has about such things....

I went to catch my chap (7 year old large built ISH) on Saturday night, he appeared "tired" having had an antic filled hack (including numerous rears) earlier in the day. He ate his dinner started tucking into his haynet but just didnt seem "100%" I really couldnt put my finger on it, he seemed unusually lethargic...and head carriage slightly lower than normal.

Fast wind to Sunday morning, he's had breakfast from YO, all eaten fine. However, no head over the door when I arrive.....no whinny.....I find him with his nose practically touching the floor and he cant move his head up at all. He wants to as he's hungry for the net that is still hanging there....

Cue vet call (On a Sunday...typical!) but he is clearly distressed whilst calm as he seems to be very warm and clammy. Droppings and waterworks fine, no discharge anywhere, no other abnormal behaviour, gums good colour, eyes bright....

Vet has said it is more than likely a strain or pulled muscle on the underside of his neck....his swallowing is FINE, he is grazing FINE, eating hay from stable floor FINE and since the painkiller jab, very much more "normal head carriage". He is now on bute we are on day 2 and he appears relatively normal....

Obviously I am keen to 1) not repeat this 2) be gentle whilst anything is healing...

Does anyone have experience of anything this freaky at all? the only previous I have with necks and horses was a split trachea, which was quickly diagnosed....and treated many years ago with my old horse.

He did get up to very naughty napping rears in the two days before this happened!!

 

[be positive]

I would be concerned with the rearing, if out of character then it may be due to pain, the muscle pull could be secondary to whatever the true problem is, if it is normal behaviour then I would still be addressing it a horse should not be napping and rearing out hacking.
I would ask for referral to a physio who can help with muscular problems and may get to the root cause of whatever is going on either way it needs looking into further.

 

[Goldenstar]

J had the physio on Friday .
He had a very very sore neck .
He had felt a bit flat and lethargic for a few days and threw an stop in the sort of situation where I would expect him too.
As is his normal maintainance visit was just a few days away I gave him a couple of days rest before it .
Physio did her stuff and he still looks flat, it's not helped by the fact he hates the flys so he's never at his best this time of year .
I am a bit worried the vet will have the physio's report by tomorrow so I am going to ring I fear I am going to fork out for a neck X-ray .
I am not happy something is niggling at me .

 

[unicornystar]

I would be concerned with the rearing, if out of character then it may be due to pain, the muscle pull could be secondary to whatever the true problem is, if it is normal behaviour then I would still be addressing it a horse should not be napping and rearing out hacking.
I would ask for referral to a physio who can help with muscular problems and may get to the root cause of whatever is going on either way it needs looking into further.

Certainly not out of character, he is young and has got away with this behaviour previously, hence I am re-starting him as far as hacking solo.....or with company when he doesnt want to go in front.......

It is simply a matter of him realising that I wont de-camp and let him get away with it, then he carries on sweetly. I am well aware a horse shouldnt be napping and rearing out hacking...that is part of the reason he is with me!!!

He shows absolutely no sign of pain or fear, other experienced people with me out hacking have also noticed it is pure napping and trying it on.

The rearing is also definately not pain related, it is simply him throwing his toys out of the pram (napping) he has had god knows how many work ups with the vet etc to assess for pain/other physical reasons......and magically he is fine on the way home/when behind others/school and other "safe" familar areas. The rearing and evading is a behavourial issue for sure.

Long reining next for us, again, he will no doubt be fine as I can push him from behind.

Interestingly, if not odd, last night he was 90% better and it is almost like his neck had had some sort of spasm after his napping episode as it was back to normal and head carriage/demeanour all back to normal.

 

[unicornystar]

J had the physio on Friday .
He had a very very sore neck .
He had felt a bit flat and lethargic for a few days and threw an stop in the sort of situation where I would expect him too.
As is his normal maintainance visit was just a few days away I gave him a couple of days rest before it .
Physio did her stuff and he still looks flat, it's not helped by the fact he hates the flys so he's never at his best this time of year .
I am a bit worried the vet will have the physio's report by tomorrow so I am going to ring I fear I am going to fork out for a neck X-ray .
I am not happy something is niggling at me .

Go with your gut everytime, if you dont think he's right then do investigate it for sure, you know your horse better than anyone, and you know if it's a "phase" or something physical deep down. Hope it's nothing to horrible xxxx

 

[Birker2020]

Certainly not out of character, he is young and has got away with this behaviour previously, hence I am re-starting him as far as hacking solo.....or with company when he doesnt want to go in front.......

It is simply a matter of him realising that I wont de-camp and let him get away with it, then he carries on sweetly. I am well aware a horse shouldnt be napping and rearing out hacking...that is part of the reason he is with me!!!

He shows absolutely no sign of pain or fear, other experienced people with me out hacking have also noticed it is pure napping and trying it on.

The rearing is also definately not pain related, it is simply him throwing his toys out of the pram (napping) he has had god knows how many work ups with the vet etc to assess for pain/other physical reasons......and magically he is fine on the way home/when behind others/school and other "safe" familar areas. The rearing and evading is a behavourial issue for sure.

Long reining next for us, again, he will no doubt be fine as I can push him from behind.

Interestingly, if not odd, last night he was 90% better and it is almost like his neck had had some sort of spasm after his napping episode as it was back to normal and head carriage/demeanour all back to normal.

This happened to my horse after he reared and fell onto his neck. The emergency vet was called as the horse couldn't lift his head.

Sadly he went on to develop arthritis of the neck bones which led to CVM/Wobblers. I am not saying this is what your horse will get, and its good that your horse doesn't have any neuro problems as a result of his neck problem. I would try and do as many exercises with his neck as your physio has recommended in order to keep in 'well oiled' and in use.

 

[unicornystar]

This happened to my horse after he reared and fell onto his neck. The emergency vet was called as the horse couldn't lift his head.

Sadly he went on to develop arthritis of the neck bones which led to CVM/Wobblers. I am not saying this is what your horse will get, and its good that your horse doesn't have any neuro problems as a result of his neck problem. I would try and do as many exercises with his neck as your physio has recommended in order to keep in 'well oiled' and in use.

Thank you for this reply, it sound as if your horse fell and then couldnt get neck up? is this correct? I am trying to ascertain HOW my horse actually damaged himself so your post is really useful. I will be getting phsyio out to check him out once vet has given the ok and he seems perfectly normal again, but it really was head on the floor but appeared after he had been out in the field a few hours rather than once he had reared....but things can take a while to show!

Sorry to hear about your horse, x

 

[Birker2020]

Thank you for this reply, it sound as if your horse fell and then couldnt get neck up? is this correct? !

Sorry to hear about your horse, x

This is correct. Also the horse displayed ataxia which the vet declared was wobblers but after a conversation with the YO (who he and his wife used to go for dinner parties with) he changed his diagnosis. This may be in part to the fact that the YO was most likely responsible for my horse rearing and falling onto his neck as she had a very short fuse and would jab my horse in the mouth (he had a chifney on due to him being very strong through the neck) and this I think caused his fall. In order to stop me from blaming her I believe she asked the vet to change his initial diagnosis as it was weird that as soon as she called him over and had the private conversation with him he changed his diagnosis.

 

[unicornystar]

This is correct. Also the horse displayed ataxia which the vet declared was wobblers but after a conversation with the YO (who he and his wife used to go for dinner parties with) he changed his diagnosis. This may be in part to the fact that the YO was most likely responsible for my horse rearing and falling onto his neck as she had a very short fuse and would jab my horse in the mouth (he had a chifney on due to him being very strong through the neck) and this I think caused his fall. In order to stop me from blaming her I believe she asked the vet to change his initial diagnosis as it was weird that as soon as she called him over and had the private conversation with him he changed his diagnosis.

nothing like the old boy network....

 

[Birker2020]

Too true