hopscotch bandit
Well-Known Member
I have a mystery. Sorry for long post but didn't want to lave anything out!
I have mentioned this to the vet the other day when i rang to enquire about whether i could start to leave bandages off now but would appreciate your ideas.
I have a 23 year old mare recovering from check ligament injury.
She did her injury 21st December and was on box rest 3 months with increasing turn out, in hand then ridden exercise. Scans came back showing amazing progress. Here is the link with the photos on
https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/update-on-check-ligament-injury.786792/
We now do 2 x 20 min hacks, one x 40 min hack and one 25 min ride in the field with the odd few strides of canter every week, same format. We have been at this level for the past six or more weeks and probably twice a week prior to that since the all clear to start hacking around beginning of April. Until recently she was still being stable bandaged during the day. She has always been sound after riding during this time period except for one occasion when she spun three times and then came up lame going down a hill 30.mins later. That was weeks ago.
Sometimes i will walk her off round the building for a lap, to ccol down sometimes going the long way round, other times going a shorter way which is gravelly and up a concrete slope.
My vet is happy with this level of work for her, he says she can do more hacking if i want but this is the level I'm happiest with. Horse is out overnight in paddock for approx 12/13 hrs.
Every now and then if she's been running around in the paddock her leg will be slightly inflammed so i will ice twice a day and not ride for a few days until its normal again.
Two weeks ago we returned from a 40m hack. She had jogged a little which she does on the way home from time to time, and she had strided out nicely with no sound of lameness whatsoever.
On her return to the yard we walked down the side of the building and walked up a concrete ramp (have done so approx 1000 times over the 16 yrs been on this yard). However no sooner had we got to the top of this short ramp when she went suddenly very, very lame. Jumped off as i assumed she'd picked up a stone but no sign. Iced her leg although it wasn't up and there was no heat in it (mad i know). Anyway she seemed okay and the longer she walked in hand the better she was although walking from standing for a while she appeared 'ouchy'. Anyway gave her a week off although she was sound the following day and she remained sound on her 2 x 20m hacks and her field day with a short canter.
Well today i did exactly the same hack and again walked up the slope. Exactly the same thing happened again! No stone to be seen. Very lame suddenly. No heat/swelling in any legs. So i am guessing it's the slope that is somehow causing something to tweak. The vet is at a loss to know what's wrong and neither of us think its worthwhile scanning again and i don't feel its worth a vet visit because by the time I'd hosed her down some 10 mins later, walking to her box she showed no sign of lameness.
My physio is due to give her a routine physio check up soon so i will see if she can find anything wrong. It's really weird.
Needless to say i wont ride up the slope again! But strange.
I have mentioned this to the vet the other day when i rang to enquire about whether i could start to leave bandages off now but would appreciate your ideas.
I have a 23 year old mare recovering from check ligament injury.
She did her injury 21st December and was on box rest 3 months with increasing turn out, in hand then ridden exercise. Scans came back showing amazing progress. Here is the link with the photos on
https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/update-on-check-ligament-injury.786792/
We now do 2 x 20 min hacks, one x 40 min hack and one 25 min ride in the field with the odd few strides of canter every week, same format. We have been at this level for the past six or more weeks and probably twice a week prior to that since the all clear to start hacking around beginning of April. Until recently she was still being stable bandaged during the day. She has always been sound after riding during this time period except for one occasion when she spun three times and then came up lame going down a hill 30.mins later. That was weeks ago.
Sometimes i will walk her off round the building for a lap, to ccol down sometimes going the long way round, other times going a shorter way which is gravelly and up a concrete slope.
My vet is happy with this level of work for her, he says she can do more hacking if i want but this is the level I'm happiest with. Horse is out overnight in paddock for approx 12/13 hrs.
Every now and then if she's been running around in the paddock her leg will be slightly inflammed so i will ice twice a day and not ride for a few days until its normal again.
Two weeks ago we returned from a 40m hack. She had jogged a little which she does on the way home from time to time, and she had strided out nicely with no sound of lameness whatsoever.
On her return to the yard we walked down the side of the building and walked up a concrete ramp (have done so approx 1000 times over the 16 yrs been on this yard). However no sooner had we got to the top of this short ramp when she went suddenly very, very lame. Jumped off as i assumed she'd picked up a stone but no sign. Iced her leg although it wasn't up and there was no heat in it (mad i know). Anyway she seemed okay and the longer she walked in hand the better she was although walking from standing for a while she appeared 'ouchy'. Anyway gave her a week off although she was sound the following day and she remained sound on her 2 x 20m hacks and her field day with a short canter.
Well today i did exactly the same hack and again walked up the slope. Exactly the same thing happened again! No stone to be seen. Very lame suddenly. No heat/swelling in any legs. So i am guessing it's the slope that is somehow causing something to tweak. The vet is at a loss to know what's wrong and neither of us think its worthwhile scanning again and i don't feel its worth a vet visit because by the time I'd hosed her down some 10 mins later, walking to her box she showed no sign of lameness.
My physio is due to give her a routine physio check up soon so i will see if she can find anything wrong. It's really weird.
Needless to say i wont ride up the slope again! But strange.
Last edited:
