doodle
Well-Known Member
She stands all camped out. Back legs too far back and front legs quite far forward but standing square?
Why would a horse stand in such a way?
- Thread starter doodle
- Start date
PonyclubmumZ
Well-Known Member
Laminitis?
doodle
Well-Known Member
I did wonder about that. Not my horse but I first noticed it a couple of weeks ago. Feet not hot but didn't feel for a pulse.
WelshD
Well-Known Member
How old?
doodle
Well-Known Member
6yo
_GG_
Well-Known Member
It could be lami, but typically, they will load the weight in the heels and if it's been like it for a few weeks, still on grass and with no treatment/management, I would have expected it to worsen by now. That's not ruling it out and if you have any doubts, by the time the stance changes, the horse is a emergency case for a vet, so I'd have it in, on a very deep shavings bed with very careful management and restricted feeding. On that basis, I would strongly advise a vet is called on an emergency basis first thing tomorrow before it goes too far...which it may have already done. It can take days to become very serious indeed, so weeks is a big big risk to take.
At least by getting the vet, lami can be ruled out...leaving other reasons for that stance. Tightness through the many of the larger muscle groups can be relieved by using that stance...as can digestive pain or discomfort.
Honestly, it needs investigating and quickly...very quickly.
At least by getting the vet, lami can be ruled out...leaving other reasons for that stance. Tightness through the many of the larger muscle groups can be relieved by using that stance...as can digestive pain or discomfort.
Honestly, it needs investigating and quickly...very quickly.
Wagtail
Horse servant
Do you have a picture? It could be a simple conformation thing, or laminitis, or just that she's in season.
cobgoblin
Bugrit! Millennium hand and shrimp.
Rocking horse stance would usually be laminitis in all four feet, colic or back pain.
skint1
Well-Known Member
My horse stood in the same way, he had bounding pulses all round but no heat in hoof, lame on a circle. After diagnostics done by vet and farrier it seems his existing hock arthritis flared up coupled with a touch of laminitis, caught and managed early. Xray also revealed mild arthritic changes to coffin joint, front feet. He's had a month off, restricted grazing, pain relief and a joint supplement and is standing normally again now. He'll come back into work but probably no jumping or fun rides, good hacking though hopefully.
Eta I did call vet immediately. It happened to him day after a fun ride. He's in his teens, I knew he had hock arthritis but it had never bothered him since I got him a year ago. It did take a couple of weeks to sort him, but hopefully he'll be ok now.
Eta I did call vet immediately. It happened to him day after a fun ride. He's in his teens, I knew he had hock arthritis but it had never bothered him since I got him a year ago. It did take a couple of weeks to sort him, but hopefully he'll be ok now.
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Xanthoria
Well-Known Member
A friend's horse stood like this and eventually it was determined he had sand in his gut causing pain. He did 6 months on prednisone due to the abrasive damage the sand did and eventually resolved it.
EmmasMummy
Well-Known Member
There are a variety of lami stances, as I have found out! Old pony had an attack, he wasn't doing the leaning back but looked what I would call, startled.
Wagtail
Horse servant
Do you mean camped out behind or in front, or both. Camped out behind loads the toes and so doesn't usually indicate laminitis. Usually horses with laminitis in the hind feet stand with their hind legs tucked under them to reduce pressure on the toes, whilst the front feet are pushed forward, again to reduce pressure on the toes. Camped out behind can be conformation (such as sickle hocks) or pain somewhere.
cobgoblin
Bugrit! Millennium hand and shrimp.
Wagtail
Horse servant
Pain in the fronts and minimal in the back will create rocking horse stance, but if a horse has laminitis the more classic stance is like all these, camping out behind would make the pain worse if it's in the hind feet too:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=l...ORjZjNAhWD_ywKHXIcAF0QsAQIHQ&biw=1366&bih=566
cundlegreen
Well-Known Member
My 6 yr old ISH did this. Turned out she had a severe SSL injury.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
plenty of times lami isn't in the hind feet tho..
doodle
Well-Known Member
Think we can rule out laminitis as she had her feet done yesterday and no signs. She is more camped out behind than in front. Will suggest she gets the vet.
_GG_
Well-Known Member
Does she ever stand with front legs on slightly higher ground, with hind legs camped out behind?
applecart14
Well-Known Member
My horse has this stance if he has a bit of mild gassy colic. I've also witnessed him and a friends horse with colic walk very strangely in an effort to alleviate the pain.
stencilface
High upon a hillside
This. Is the stance a bit like the gelding wee stance? Mine used to do this all the time when being brought in, and I thought he was just trying to pretend to wee to stop being brought in as a way out of work. But he used to get mild bouts of gassy colic, and eventually I joined the dots. He is now on a lot less grass than he used to be, I think this is the most likely option if he does it coming off grass.
_GG_
Well-Known Member
Yep - said on first page in my first post...good to see it's not just me. With George, he has a different stance for different things. He has one stance, not dissimilar to that which the OP describes which means he's feeling tight. Same stance, camping the hind legs out behind him but also standing over the fronts slightly is one of my first signs of spasmodic colic. Luckily, now the ulcers are largely sorted, it doesn't happen any more.
applecart14
Well-Known Member
Sorry lunch nearly over and was in a rush so didn't read all the replies.
_GG_
Well-Known Member
Lol...just nice to see I wasn't alone in thinking it.
SallyBatty
Well-Known Member
Does she always stand like this? You haven't said what breed she is but Welsh ponies are often taught to stand like that for showing in hand.
stencilface
High upon a hillside
Sorry GG, your response was too wordy for me so I didn't make it to the bottom 
_GG_
Well-Known Member
Sorry GG, your response was too wordy for me so I didn't make it to the bottom
Sounds about right, lol
doodle
Well-Known Member
Not entirely sure what breed but I would say Irish with a fair bit of cob there, about 16.1.