Very strange hindlimb lameness....ideas?!

madhector

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This has completly thrown me, so would appreciate your input! Horse is sound in walk, in trot I would say to most people it would look sound, I think maybe it is a little odd behind, but not noticable at all.

Then occasionally horse will literally hold a hind leg right up whilst trotting and hop for a few strides before returning to normal. It has done it on both hindlegs, on the road/grass/on a surface. Seems to happen more if horse is stood for a while then trotted straight off, or horse is pushed into a more active trot.


It looks very much like a shiverer would look but doesnt do it standing or in walk, only when trotting. And doesnt come out of the stable stiff or tight or anything.



Ideas?!
 
Christ- how bizarre!!
Sounds like it could be a locking stifle but bit of an odd case if it is. I'd have it looked at by the vet and be a bit wary about riding it until I knew what was wrong...
 
I'm sure that I've heard that this is a sympton of KS ! though how they would correlate I've no idea!
Is his topline good?
 
Sounds like locking stifle.We had pony on loan that did that.The fitter he was the less likely he was to lock.
Is your horse fit or is he coming back into work.
Joint supplement and hard work stopped Bennys stifle locking.
 
He is quite fit now, he didnt do it when he was coming into work which is odd
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KS can also cause real sacroliliac pain hence lack of muscle /weakness on the quarters.
But please, I may be barking up completly the wrong tree here so dont quote me on this!- only going by things I've picked up over the years!
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I did think KS just by looking at his back end, but then discounted it as the symptoms were just so odd, didnt realise that it might cause something like this...

Would make sense as when you do really ask him to push from behind, I then think he doesnt feel 100%, nothing major or obvious, just a tiny bit odd...
 
It sounds very similar to my horse, who was fine in walk, trot and left canter but couldn't sustain right canter, his leg would "hang" for a stride, looked like a hop. Initially it was only when ridden but later on it developed and happened on the lunge / in the field.
It came on out of the blue when he was 6, he was fine before that & was competing in low level dressage etc, placed every time out.
After months of investigations he was diagnosed with KS - xrays, gamma scan, most conclusive evidence when he was nerve blocked in the back between the affected vertebrae he suddenly could canter properly. Had surgery last year but it does not appear to have cured him.
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So could well be something else although there was definitely back trouble as well.
 
MH, I know this may sound odd but as youre local to me... why not try Larry Bensusan. My old fella was doing something similar... Larry came and worked his magic.... and it returned to normal. He can probably put his finger on it by just watching your horse walk. Amazing man !
 
Not sure about KS. May be some muscle or ligament damage. Try a McTimoney practitioner. Sounds a bit like stringhalt. Interesting as I read yours and has made me post my issue - see intermittent near hind lameness post on 19th. Also, look on You Tube for vids of anything similar. Can be helpful.
 
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