Alan's mum
Well-Known Member
Thankyou Mike ....I just find it odd that the OP has only replied once , I have messaged OP and apologized and explained that I thought the thread was an April Fool and she hasn't responded to my apolgie
What Is Wrong With His Back End?
- Thread starter coralwings20
- Start date
Thankyou Mike ....I just find it odd that the OP has only replied once , I have messaged OP and apologized and explained that I thought the thread was an April Fool and she hasn't responded to my apolgie
Mike007
Well-Known Member
Ok I do understand but you have to reaalise that the whole horse ownership thing is so loaded with emotion that even the most casual remark at the wrong time can cause a panic. And I am no exception. Have been around horses for 50 years ,yet when it comes to my own horse ,I turn into a quivering wreck. My first introduction to this was age 16 with my new horse comming off the lorry ,and the yard owner said "theres a bit of blood" meening that this was a horse of quality. I of course completely paniced that my new horse was hurt!
Queenbee
Well-Known Member
justabob
Well-Known Member
I would say so QB, just read her post in Club House...............jeeeeezNah, looks more like AM just has a problem full stop
coralwings20
Well-Known Member
This might just be a bad photo - will take more later - he is not lame & i will show a photo of a peachy bum two weeks ago hence the pole work to see if it would help. he has only ever been hacked the last few years & no problems. he had his back checked & no problems. will give a vet a ring today
weebarney
Well-Known Member
Ok but it doesn't really matter what his bum was like two weeks ago. He needs resting until seen by a vet asap
coralwings20
Well-Known Member
going to get flamed but this was him two weeks ago - son was eating so didn't record the Novice test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=P-UQJgLjttI&app=desktop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=P-UQJgLjttI&app=desktop
weebarney
Well-Known Member
I'm on my phone so the horse is a tiny speck in the distance in that video
ester
Not slacking multitasking
I'm not sure he is stood that extremely to look quite so wonky though. If mine stands with a leg like that he doesn't look like that, but certainly some squarer/older photos would be interesting to see OP.
If he isn't lame he perhaps has a historical injury which has only now been highlighted that he is doing more than hacking.
Wagtail
Horse servant
The video is too small for me to see properly, but he is swishing his tail a lot. Could he have had an accident in the field lately? The muscle wastage is very evident from the side as well as the rear shots. Can you get some more pictures of him standing straight? Is that hollow visible all the time? If so, as I have said before, you need to stop working him and get the vet. You say he is 'tucked up behind', 'struggles to maintain an outline' so there is definitely something wrong. That coupled by such severe muscle wastage would concern me greatly.
*hic*
village idiot :D
OP is he moving now roughly the same as he was in that test or is it since then that he's finding it difficult to maintain an outline in trot?
Was he out at grass before you moved? or has his management changed totally?
Can you get some photos of him stood up level today?
Was he out at grass before you moved? or has his management changed totally?
Can you get some photos of him stood up level today?
coralwings20
Well-Known Member
Wagtail
Horse servant
He looks very nice. But OP, why are you not getting the vet out to look at him?
Booboos
Well-Known Member
For me the back end looks under developed in all the photos. I have a horse with severe muscle wastage in his hindquarters due to poisoning and he looks very similar. If you look at the front half he is a large horse with a deep shoulder, if you look at the back half he is a small horse without much of a bum. From behind as well as the weird muscle wastage on the right, the bottom is angular with no muscles either side. The video is very difficult to see but at times he seems to be snatching the right hind.
I think you need a vet asap, sorry.
I think you need a vet asap, sorry.
shmoo
Well-Known Member
I'm absolutely no expert at all, but I have had my TB mare recently diagnosed with massive back trauma. She didn't display lame at all. Passed the flexion tests with flying colours a horse much younger might have issue with. She has always had what I'd call a weak looking back end though, just don't be fooled or conned by not being lame or looking in obvious pain. Horses are brave forgiving animals and will try hard to please, especially if you're the one feeding them!
I'm guessing he looks so hollow in your first photo's as he isn't stood square? Your chap does look like he has a little roach back to me? My other has this and is has not once been an issue or stopped her having a full career in polo and now enjoying a leisurely retirement as a happy hacker.
For your peace of mind I would most definitely call the vet, a least then you will know for sure.
I'm guessing he looks so hollow in your first photo's as he isn't stood square? Your chap does look like he has a little roach back to me? My other has this and is has not once been an issue or stopped her having a full career in polo and now enjoying a leisurely retirement as a happy hacker.
For your peace of mind I would most definitely call the vet, a least then you will know for sure.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
She has said she would speak to the vet today
Wagtail
Horse servant
Fides
Well-Known Member
Following with interest as I have never seen anything like this before.
CBFan
Well-Known Member
If he has lost THAT much muscle / weight in just two weeks, get the vet out. That is not right. My boy has been lame on and off for a while now (sometimes so subtle you can barely see it) and doesn't have that much muscle wastage. I would be running bloods and getting worm counts done (both blood and faecal) as a starting point but as others have said, he is swishing his tail quite a lot and looks 'tight' in his gait behind. Could be a bilateral problem, thus not presenting classically lame.
As an aside. It sounds like he is getting tonnes of feed for his apparent size (my 17.2hh lad gets a handful of bucket feed and add lib hay). Your lad doesn't appear to be lacking weight but HAS lost a lot of money, which doesn't make much sense for a sound horse with an increasing workload - he should be gaining muscle not loosing it. Especially with that amount of bucket feed.
As for rugging - do check you aren't over-rugging. My fully clipped lad is naked during the day and only lightly rugged at night now. He would be dripping in a mediumweight.
Can't echo the others enough. Get a vet out. He isn't right.
As an aside. It sounds like he is getting tonnes of feed for his apparent size (my 17.2hh lad gets a handful of bucket feed and add lib hay). Your lad doesn't appear to be lacking weight but HAS lost a lot of money, which doesn't make much sense for a sound horse with an increasing workload - he should be gaining muscle not loosing it. Especially with that amount of bucket feed.
As for rugging - do check you aren't over-rugging. My fully clipped lad is naked during the day and only lightly rugged at night now. He would be dripping in a mediumweight.
Can't echo the others enough. Get a vet out. He isn't right.
soulfull
Well-Known Member
The fact you say he seems tucked up together with weight and muscle loss suggest some sort of EPSM.
I had a horse with it and he showed the same weight and muscle loss, although his was more symmetrical.
I had a horse with it and he showed the same weight and muscle loss, although his was more symmetrical.
coralwings20
Well-Known Member
Thanks guys - vet booked for Friday Some photos taken 10 minutes ago:
Some photos taken 10 minutes ago:
Fides
Well-Known Member
Thanks guys - vet booked for Friday
It's just showing the ones from earlier...
coralwings20
Well-Known Member
coralwings20
Well-Known Member
why wont it link to the new photos? ggrr
Nugget La Poneh
Well-Known Member
In this Picture:
He is showing to be roach backed, could be something that doesn't normally cause an issue, but in my experience, roach backed invariably have ridden problems at some point. It could be however from pain and is causing him to hump.
The front feet however are what really, really concern me, the off fore looks like a horse that is suffering from chronic lami, which will in turn cause the issues you are causing. I personally would take off any grass, soak hay to within an inch of its life, stop all feed bar rinsed speedibeet and follow advise of the vet. That level of wastage is not possible in 2 weeks unless there is a serious issue.
He is showing to be roach backed, could be something that doesn't normally cause an issue, but in my experience, roach backed invariably have ridden problems at some point. It could be however from pain and is causing him to hump.
The front feet however are what really, really concern me, the off fore looks like a horse that is suffering from chronic lami, which will in turn cause the issues you are causing. I personally would take off any grass, soak hay to within an inch of its life, stop all feed bar rinsed speedibeet and follow advise of the vet. That level of wastage is not possible in 2 weeks unless there is a serious issue.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
not sure as no good with photobucket only use facebook sorry!
those saying it seems like a lot of feed - I think it's fair to say that one large horse might well require a different amount to another so not really comparable as you need to look at the horse you have.
those saying it seems like a lot of feed - I think it's fair to say that one large horse might well require a different amount to another so not really comparable as you need to look at the horse you have.
HeresHoping
Well-Known Member
Really glad to see you are getting the vet out. I thought it might be helpful to show you some picture of muscle wastage that occurred in quite a short space of time in two different horses, so you know we're not all jumping on you for nothing.
First up, Rosie, a 10 yo 16.0hh KWPN mare. The second pic (not me riding) is taken about 6 weeks after the first. It was discovered that she had bilateral hind suspensory tears in the lower branches. Because it was bilateral lameness, her only real presentation was struggling to work correctly on 10m circles. But you can see the muscle drop off on her rump is quite prominent, despite little change in work and increasing her food (it was end October time).
Then we have Spooks, a 7 yo OTTB. First pic - I'd had him 2 weeks and he'd been in work from the field (6 months off due to owner's pregnancy) for four weeks. This was July time. The second, third and fourth show progressive wastage from about two months on. I had gradually increased the work but we were not yet doing more than 45 mins in the school, or an hour's gentle hacking. Why? Because he tried to kill me regularly and he became more and more reluctant to work into any contact at all. I was tearing my hair out at the diminishing topline and dropping away of his quarters. He was pts due to dangerous behaviour. PM revealed he had shredded sacroiliac ligaments and a poorly healed fracture of the ilial shaft.
Good luck with your boy. I'll be thinking of you. Really hoping it's something simply remedied.
First up, Rosie, a 10 yo 16.0hh KWPN mare. The second pic (not me riding) is taken about 6 weeks after the first. It was discovered that she had bilateral hind suspensory tears in the lower branches. Because it was bilateral lameness, her only real presentation was struggling to work correctly on 10m circles. But you can see the muscle drop off on her rump is quite prominent, despite little change in work and increasing her food (it was end October time).
Then we have Spooks, a 7 yo OTTB. First pic - I'd had him 2 weeks and he'd been in work from the field (6 months off due to owner's pregnancy) for four weeks. This was July time. The second, third and fourth show progressive wastage from about two months on. I had gradually increased the work but we were not yet doing more than 45 mins in the school, or an hour's gentle hacking. Why? Because he tried to kill me regularly and he became more and more reluctant to work into any contact at all. I was tearing my hair out at the diminishing topline and dropping away of his quarters. He was pts due to dangerous behaviour. PM revealed he had shredded sacroiliac ligaments and a poorly healed fracture of the ilial shaft.
Good luck with your boy. I'll be thinking of you. Really hoping it's something simply remedied.
coralwings20
Well-Known Member
thanks for the advice, will try photos again:
coralwings20
Well-Known Member
yes, its worked, I don't think it looks as bad as yesterday?!