Youngster, any such thing as growing pains?

L&B

L&B

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 October 2012
Messages
417
Location
Cloud Cuckoo
Visit site
Posted in tack room. Not sure if wrong place. Just a general question...
I have a 9month old filly who has been looking a little stiff on her back legs the past two days. Though certainly not lame.*
I respect that shes a baby and when turned out with her pals, does hoon around and could have simply tweaked something... (no heat, no swelling, no problem with touching her all over).*
But also she is incredibly bum high atm and had filled out significantly since being with me. So I just wondered, when going through a growth spurt as described, can youngsters become a little stiff?
 
I was wondering the same thing about my colt. He gets stiff on his hind legs when he's about to grow but recently he's been bum high after being level for a couple of months. Could be that they get stiff but not sore?
 
I confess I haven't seen a youngster get stiff purely as a result of growth spurts (and I've bred about 90 in the past 9 years.) That doesn't mean it can't happen.

Watch out for lameness though - particularly if babies are growing fast!! That could mean OCD! If they're growing FAST, I would cut out any hard feed and try to slow them a bit!
 
JanetGeorge said:
I confess I haven't seen a youngster get stiff purely as a result of growth spurts (and I've bred about 90 in the past 9 years.) That doesn't mean it can't happen.

Watch out for lameness though - particularly if babies are growing fast!! That could mean OCD! If they're growing FAST, I would cut out any hard feed and try to slow them a bit!
Click to expand...

I never even thought about that. Thank you. He was on hay and grass only when I got him and was advised by another yard member to give him pony cubes and chaff for nutrition. I'm guessing that was a bad idea to start them then? Totally new to having a youngster of my own. Iv helped back plenty of all shapes and sizes but never had any experience with a rising 2. He was a bit lame a few weeks ago. I feel terrible now.
 
Don't panic yet! Any idea where he was lame - was there any joint swelling? Pony cubes (unless you fed LOTS) should not be high enough in energy/protein to cause problems. The only thing that would tell you for sure would be x-ray of the joint involved (if there WAS a joint involved). OCD is more common in the bigger breeds. If he had it, surgery is pretty successful when they're young (but you'd want insurance - it's not super cheap!)
 
He had heat in the stifle bone area but it went away after a day of rest. Although he was not a happy boy being left in while everyone else was out playing
 
JanetGeorge said:
That would have me a bit worried - as stifles are frequent victims. It's also hard to spot slight lameness in them. How long did you keep him in for?
Click to expand...

Please take great care and maybe seek vet advice. Jay, in my sig below was bought when he was just 3 and backed then. We then brought him on very slowly and he had 2 winters of full turnaway, but he ended up diagnosed with OCD in both his stifles and was PTS when he was just 5 as it was too severe for steroid injections, and with minimal insurance cover we couldn't get both stifles operated on, also taking into account that only 60% of horses go back to full work afterwards, we had to take a decision with our heads and not our hearts. The ops would have cost around £6000.

I don't want to scare you, but please take great care of your baby horse.
 
He's been checked over by the vet and she thought he had been kicked. He was on box rest for 3 days and I was told to ensure that his leg was hosed for 15 minutes a day until they came back out to have a look at it. Although recently he's not been out with the big boys and hasn't gotten any injuries or lameness since.
 
Boxers said:
but he ended up diagnosed with OCD in both his stifles and was PTS when he was just 5 as it was too severe for steroid injections, and with minimal insurance cover we couldn't get both stifles operated on, also taking into account that only 60% of horses go back to full work afterwards, we had to take a decision with our heads and not our hearts. The ops would have cost around £6000.
Click to expand...

Eeek - expensive vets! I had a 2 year old operated on - they did a 'look' at the second hock (which turned out to be clear) but the total cost was just under £2,000. He has been 100% sound since - and he's 8 now. Where did you get the 60% figure from? Older horses don't have as good a result - as a chip has been around long enough to cause arthrtic changes - but when done young, I understand the results are very good indeed.
 
I know older horses are more likely to have reoccurring issues. One that I know has had steroid injections for the past few years and he seems to do ok until they wear off a bit. He was operated on about 6 weeks ago and he's since been back to ha old self and actually exercising himself. He's a big loveable guy too. He's doing great and the vet said he can go back to light riding at a walk/trot in 8 weeks once he's healed. His owner paid over £3000 to get her boy help. The vets have done an excellent job at helping him.
 
YES there is!

My baby is apparently growing too fast, which has led to him being hugely lame, and with a huge knee...
He was advised box rest. The vet initially thought he might have done some serious internal damage to his knee, but after xrays, it turns out the cartilage is growing too quickly in his knee joint...

Does that sound anything like what you're experiencing?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top