Unlevel on one diagonal....

[Marnie]

Bit of a long story, but my cob mare has always been slightly unlevel on one diagonal due to a small hotspot on her pelvis (diagnosed by bone scan), it appears to be a mechanical thing, when she is fit and muscled you can't feel any difference, just when she has lost muscle for example when not ridden as much - like now.

I rode her out yesterday, mostly walking and she was fine, bright, eagar etc. Today I took her out again and although she had her ears pricked (takes a lot to make them go back!), she wasn't really walking out. When I trotted her later on, she was really unlevel on the right diagonal behind, she also went really 'stuffy' in front. You can hear the difference in her footfall when you swap diagonal. If you gave her the option, she would drop straight back to walk from trot, she was also slow going up and downhill - most unlike her, for a big mare she can really move.

I had the vet do a lameness work up on her about 3 weeks ago as she has been 'pointing' when stood in her stable, and he said that she was moving better than she ever has done since he has known her. I wouldn't have said that she was lame then.

I am going to take her out again Tuesday morning, if she is still the same I will call the vet. She has no back soreness, no swellings, no heat, nothing in her feet. Has anyone seen similar on one diagonal only? I would normally ride through the unlevelness, but this seems a different kettle of fish, her front end isn't usually affected. This has got really rambling, sorry!

 

[hunteress]

Google up McTimoney and have a look for a lady in your area she will straighten up your horse and its very gentle, let us know how you get on.

 

[nadinek82]

Hiya, i have the same problem with my horse. As a foal he broke his pedal bone in one of his front feet which has made the foot much smaller and totally different shape to the other. When i ride him if i'm on that diagonal he literally bounces me off it onto the wrong diagonal. He never bothers about me being on the other diagonal or in sitting trot. I'm at a loss as to the reason as he's never lame but i plan on getting the foot scanned/x-rayed to put my mind at rest.

 

[RachelB]

Unilateral hind lamenesses commonly show as lameness on the diagonal. The way the horse weights itself during movement, and the fact that more weight is taken on the front end, means that to compensate for being lame on one hind leg the horse shifts the weight onto the diagonal foreleg.
Marnie - I would hazard a guess that she's still unlevel behind but is coping with it differently to before, rather than being lame behind she's showing the diagonal lameness. I think you're doing the right thing though, see what it's like next time and then call the vet if there's no improvement.