Would you recommend vet or back person for this...

[Trudyt76]

16.2hh thoroughbred ex race horse 10 years old.

Reluctant to walk down hills and when he does he severely drags his hind feet.

He will not bear weight on his nearside rear to allow you to pick his foot out however the farrier does not have a problem putting shoes on him. When you try to pick his hind leg up he hops over and as though he's really struggling to keep his balance.

Head like a llama when asking for trot or canter. However he will bring his self into an outline in walk.

He jogs and hops on his back legs when hacking out.

He sweats profusely when only doing light work hacking out.

He has reared and bucked.

It is hard to keep him in a straight line when walking.

He often goes into reverse to try to get his own way.

He is reluctant to enter the menage when being ridden but not when he is lunged.

He does not like being tacked up at all but this has now spread to a dislike of rugging up and brushing.

There is no sign of discomfort when pressure is applied along his back.

He has no obvious signs of lameness and he has just had a saddle fitted and his teeth have been done.

I know something is very wrong but don't know who to suggest to his owner as she had the vet out to him a while ago who could not find anything wrong below the hock however he said that nerve blocks only work on the lower leg and will not unveil lameness originating from higher than the hock. He recommended a scan but cost implications meant she did not go down that route.

The back lady found seven displaced vertebrae and treated him accordingly (I'm not sure if this was prior to the vet).

I do not know this horse's past history, only that he's an ex racer and then he was bought straight from the field in very poor condition over 2 years ago.

Any suggestions????

 

[unbalanced]

My vet told me that a lot of problems which we think of as back problems are caused by underlying minor lamenesses so from that I would say vet first. Also you need your vet's permission for any back person, chiropractor or physio to treat your horse. The vet can then recommend an appropriate back person if appropriate.

 

[Luci07]

I thought it was physically impossible for the horses actual vertabrae to be physically displaced?

Why don't you go back to the vet, ask him to review his previous notes and also talk to the back person. No reputable physio/chiro etc would treat a horse without a vets knowledge or recommendation first anyway.

I am just wondering that if there were problems found, there must have been a suggested regime for the horse and a time for the follow up visits. Maybe these horse didn't get to see his treatment through.

Would also get the saddle seen to as well - if the horse has been odd as long as you suggest he has, then he may well have some muscular development now as a result of this.

 

[charmeroo]

I would try a chiropractor perhaps?

 

[Snowysadude]

I would say vet, if he doesnt like his rugs, being brushed etc especially being an ex racer I would also consider stomach ulcers

 

[Trudyt76]

My vet told me that a lot of problems which we think of as back problems are caused by underlying minor lamenesses so from that I would say vet first. Also you need your vet's permission for any back person, chiropractor or physio to treat your horse. The vet can then recommend an appropriate back person if appropriate.

Yes, thanks that's what I thought. I've told the owner that If he was mine I would get the vet.

Personally I think there's something going on in his sacroilliac region but I could be second guessing all night

 

[Trudyt76]

I would say vet, if he doesnt like his rugs, being brushed etc especially being an ex racer I would also consider stomach ulcers

Thanks, I've made a detailed list of my observations from over the last couple of months that I've been working with him, that the owner will hopefully mention to the vet (if she gets one out).

I've been working from the ground with him for the majority of the time with very few problems apart from the picking feet out and dragging his toes whilst I was walking him in hand down hills.

It's only the last week that I've been riding him and the alarm bells started to ring very loudly.

I won't be riding him again until he gets checked out.

 

[Trudyt76]

I thought it was physically impossible for the horses actual vertabrae to be physically displaced?

Why don't you go back to the vet, ask him to review his previous notes and also talk to the back person. No reputable physio/chiro etc would treat a horse without a vets knowledge or recommendation first anyway.

I am just wondering that if there were problems found, there must have been a suggested regime for the horse and a time for the follow up visits. Maybe these horse didn't get to see his treatment through.

Would also get the saddle seen to as well - if the horse has been odd as long as you suggest he has, then he may well have some muscular development now as a result of this.

Thanks, I asked the owner if the back woman had sought authority from the vet to treat him but she seems to think that the vet was not informed.

I also asked if the back woman had given her remedial exercises for him but she did not receive any aftercare exercises which I thought was a bit weird but then just thought that they must not be a bone fide practitioner.

To me, the horse looks like he has muscle wastage on his back. His muscle tone and condition have improved tenfold since I've been working him but I've got a niggling feeling that I may be doing more harm than good

 

[mcnaughty]

Not sure what to advise really - the horse is obviously not yours so would assume it is not you who is going to pay the bills?

Physio would be helpful, saddler and vet too but if the owner is not prepared to go down this route...

You say the horse is not obviously showing discomfort when pressing the back but if you are not a qualified horse physio then you would not know the "buttons to press".

 

[suzysparkle]

Personally, I would say equine bowen therapy with vet permission. It treats the whole Horse, not just the back, and I have witnessed amazing results in both Horses and Dogs.

 

[Trudyt76]

Not sure what to advise really - the horse is obviously not yours so would assume it is not you who is going to pay the bills?

Physio would be helpful, saddler and vet too but if the owner is not prepared to go down this route...

You say the horse is not obviously showing discomfort when pressing the back but if you are not a qualified horse physio then you would not know the "buttons to press".

I'm not totally oblivious to the horse's musculoskeletal system but you're right I'm not a qualified physio so it could be related to his back. I just hope he gets a diagnosis and treatment and soon

 

[Trudyt76]

Personally, I would say equine bowen therapy with vet permission. It treats the whole Horse, not just the back, and I have witnessed amazing results in both Horses and Dogs.

Thanks for your advice, I'll look into it

 

[hairycob]

I would always get the Vet out first & then, if necessary, a back person that they were happy to work with. A friend of mine had a horse who was stiff on one rein - got back person out several times without Vet approval. Back person gave all the usual "the pelvis is out needs a course of manipulation" stuff & the treatment did appear to be of benefit - for a short while. This went on for a year without the horse seeming sound for more than a couple of weeks. She finally got the Vet out because of a colic episode & mentioned the other problems while he was there - the real problem was suspensory ligament damage & not only it was too far gone to heal, it had caused damage on the other side & the bilateral lameness was concealing the extent of the problem. Horse ended up being shot. The only reason she delayed getting the Vet was to avoid an insurance exclusion. Instead she spent hundreds on physio & ended up with no horse so it was a false economy. There are many really good physio/chiro practitioners but sadly there are far too many who have no real skill other than extracting money from worried horse owners.