Weak Ligaments In TB, Help

[Irishdan]

Am becoming increasingly concerned regarding my mare. She has had a lot of time off over the Summer due to a tooth abscess and lost shoes. Now having got all that sorted out I am building up her fitness again. She is also currently undergoing corrective farrier work to balance her heels which is going really well and looking good. She has never been great on uneven ground, trips and stumbles, and has always been a bit worried going downhill, she is v sensible and takes her time. She has a habit , both when hacked and in the field, of what I can only descibe as her pastern giving way for a second. Sort of jolts her leg. It happens with all legs but mainly her fronts when hacking. She has never done it when working in the school. She has always had locking stifle issues but nothing major, generally only when out of work and v midly some mornings when she is turned out.
Things came to a head a few weeks back when she fell with me while cantering. Have no idea what happened. It was possibly a spook and she tripped herself up but will never really know for sure. Since then I think I have become more away of these mini jolt things and even find myself counting how ofter she does them but really cant decide if they are getting worse or I am just more aware of them following the fall. Today for example she did it about 7 times coming down a sloping farmtrack of about a mile, fairly uneven going.
Spoke to my Vet who has advised me to try and get her back up to full fitness and do exercises such as raised poles etc. My RI doesnt see a problem as she does nice flatwork and never does it in school. My hacking partner thinks she is a dreamer and needs to concentrate more.
So anyone got any experience? Could it be due to rebalancing the feet? Would sports boots help? Thanks in advance.

 

[GeeUp&Go]

I know a horse that stumbled a lot out hacking if they were allowed to be lazy / were unfit / pushed too hard / unbalanced rider

Presuming your horse is not half asleep and you are balanced etc I would take this problem seriously and get a second vet opinion if needed. A horse that falls over can kill you! Drag the vet out to a downhill spot and show them / or go to a very experienced lameness vet

Be safe

 

[Palindrome]

Making the heels pretty does nothing if the internal structures are weak. Is she landing heel or toe first? If toe first, I would look up navicular syndrome.
Also, horses need break from shoes on the off season, how long has she been shoed without a break?

 

[Irishdan]

Thanks for your help.

GeeUp&Go, my OH thinks its the horse being lazy as you suggest and I am bad for sloping along on the buckle on hacks. She only does it in walk too - fine in trot and had always been fine in canter:/

Palindrome, Navicular was/is obviously my primary concern. She has never had a break from shoes in the two years I have owned her and as an ex racer Im really not too sure about her past. I expect she does land toe first as most shod horses do:/ My OH is a barefoot fanatic and desperate to give her a try. Im a little old fashioned.

I felt as an ex racer she probably had v limited work on muddy tracks and such like which is why she appears to find it hard. She doesnt like deep going of any sort mud, sand or grass.
Im kind of hoping that some TB experts have seen this before and its just a case of everything needing tightened up. As soon as she works correctly everything appears to be fine.