would your horse pass a flexion test???

[keekee]

My horse is getting over a tendon injury since march i started riding her mid july and am now walking and trotting on hacks today she had a chek up to see how tendon was holing up she was sound on trot ups and on a circle but 2 strides of lameness on a flexion test i was gutted actually cause she has been 100%sound up till now but vet insured me most horses would react like that and to carry on as normal is she saying this to make me feel better ?

 

[Stoxx]

Nope, I very much doubt mine would pass. He's not had any big injuries to date (crosses fingers and everything else!) but I still doubt he'd pass! To be honest I doubt I know many horses that would!

The way I look at it is if I sat on my knees for 10 mins and tried to get up and walk away I would hobble for a few strides too

, in fact in my case I'm not sure I'd be able to get up at all

. So I think I'd afford my horse 2 strides too

 

[Skhosu]

All of ours passed flexions to be bought, all of them passed flexion to be sold, bar the odd one that wasn't vetted,or todays who was a bit positive but the vet was happy with, that's around 10 horses alltogether. We wouldn't have bought them without good flexion tests, but I understand some think they aren't worth much. We have not had any issues related to flexion/joints etc. with horses that passed them.

 

[RachelB]

Flexion tests are dodgy anyway as there's no real method of standardising them. My horse is a big middleweight ID and passed flexion testing during her vetting probably only because the vet was tiny

At the moment, my horse would probably pass on the left fore (the one with the tendon injury, as it's a tear in the deep flexor so flexing the pastern takes the strain off the tendon) and would possibly fail on the right as she still dislikes standing on her left fore for too long. TBH my horse is perfectly sound enough to hack out for the rest of her life so I don't care anyway!
I wouldn't panic too much about slight lameness after flexion testing - but then I trust my vet implicitly to tell me exactly what she thinks

 

[kerilli]

i've never had a vet flexion-test a recuperating tendon-injury horse. re-scan by ultrasound really is the only way to ascertain how the healing is going, the look and feel of the tendon can be very deceptive (i've had lots of experience, unfortunately.) flexion tests are to test whether there's a joint problem, not a tendon problem, usually, i think. for peace of mind, i would definitely get her leg scanned.

 

[JaneSteventon]

Hello in my experience vets are always very honest and do not mislead you, if they think anything could be wrong they will always say. My two would not pass a vetting now - one has very mild thoroughpin and another has spavins - both fine though and do what I want. Vet has told me that my mare could have problems in the future due to straight hind leg confirmation which caused thoroughpin so I don't jump her very much but that's my choice. Vet said she could manage up to 3ft comfortably. Horse with spavins fine.

 

[keekee]

Thanks for all your advice very helpfull but i do want to jump her so fingers crossed it was a 1 off..... kerilli... it was only a slight tendon injury but proves to be taking a long time they come every few weeks to acess her soundness and have always done flexion tests some of which she was much more uncomfortable with at the beginning so i have seen a big improvement scans and nerve blocks have all been done also and i do trust my vet...

 

[kerilli]

fair enough, best of luck, hope she comes totally sound and back to jumping.

 

[CastleMouse]

Ali passed a flexion test in May of last year before I bought him - It was part of the vetting...

 

[keekee]

thankies kerilli xx

 

[merlinsquest]

Merlin passed flexion on all four legs prior to me buying him.... he subsequently was found to have arthritis (really badly) in his near hind...... he still passes a flexion on this leg...... if the vet doesnt know it is dodgy!!!

My vet says that he would pass a vetting, but because he knows its there he can see it

!!!

 

[CrazyMare]

Mine passed when I bought her, however she is now 16, an absolute wimp, and with the work and wear and tear shes had I would say that if she had a big man do her flexion tests she may well fail. Having said that however despite being a wimp about some things she is a tough little cookie in other respects.

 

[dieseldog]

I thought it was normal for horses to be lame on the first couple of strides in a flexion test. It is how long they are lame for that matters. If you had your leg held in a strange postition for a minute it would also take you a couple of strides to walk properly again.

 

[miller]

Yes mine did last week as a routine check - however OH's mare who was being looked at for a queried tendon injury did not and was subsequently scanned to see level of injury - vet wasn't 100% at point of flexion test that the tendon was the issue - sadly it was and her ridden career is now over

I would go on what the vet has said - he knows theinjury she has had best and tbh alot of horses take 2 or 3 lame strides after a flexion IME

 

[Alibear]

Go with what your vet says he's know most about whats going on with your horse.

Atty passed a flexion test all round two weeks ago

 

[MagicMelon]

Id have always said yes to this, however after my last horse failed his flexion test on a pre-sale vetting (ie. I was selling him) then Im not so sure! As horse in question had never been lame in the 4 years I owned him and competed most weekends... however, saying that we got our own vet out the same day and he passed him...

Id probably get a 2nd opinion!

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

my vet prefers to xray any failed legs as he isnt convinced by the consistancy/repeatability of the flexion test. He told us if there is a problem, the xray will find it and if the xray is clear then dont worry about it.

two out of our five failed flexions at time of vetting but the of the three that passed-only one would definately pass now. Dont care as we have no intention of selling any of them

 

[Nats_uk]

Flexion tests are a grey area with soundness as I know horses that have failed vettings due to failed flexion tests that have passed a week later with no treatment/change in routine.

My horse also passed a flexion test on both forelegs despite having a sprained coffin joint on his right fore and being hopping lame on a circle

 

[Halfstep]

My horse passed a flexion test the day before being diagnosed with a bone chip in his hock.....