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  Discussion on Failed flextion test
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New Member:
Birdie

Posted on Saturday, Jun 19, 2004 - 6:21 pm:

Hello,
I have a 6 year old warmblood mare. We have started working with a new instructor and have been having great success except that my horse's left canter lead is consistantly a cross fire. She will pick up the correct lead and then switch behind within 2 or three strides. My horse has been doing this quite a while but I have not delt with it because I just figured she was young and out of balance. But now I am having to address this problem. My vet came out to examine her and my mare did poorly on the flexion test. Worse on her right than on her left. Not three legged lame...just stiff. My horse has never had a lame day in her life. SHe has a wonderful trot and a nice forward reaching walk. She really bends her hind legs up underneath her. She has no trouble passaging and piaffing in the pasture when she plays. She loves to rear up and this seems to be comfortable for her. <My vet thinks that she has OCD in her stifles...we will xray on this monday. We have had her on a clinical trial of bute since Wed. 4 grams each day and still no change in the canter to the left. I also have her on 100 ml of HA and a supplement with MSM, glucosamine, yacca, 50 ml of HA and grape seed extract. All great products but she looks very much the same to me when I longer her. She was comfortably cross firing to the left again at the canter. SHe changes so effortlessly. SHe will come back to a trot and then canter and then switch again and on the cycle goes. I also have palpated her stifles and they are not sore. Any adivce or comments on this situation would be great. My vet immediately went to OCD...but I am a tad sceptical. There is no OCD in her family history. I am very interested in your take on this situation. Thanks for all your help

AB
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Jun 20, 2004 - 9:05 am:

If there is no lameness I am unsure of the benefit from pursing the OCD in the stifle. You may even find a OCD lesion but if it is not causing lameness, what do you do next(?)...for more on this and the meaning of the flexion test see Equine Diseases » Lameness » The Diagnosis of Lameness in the Horse.

You problem of crossfiring may best be addressed with shoeing. Assuming the problem is the rear leg crossing over the center line: Square off all four toes and move the plane of breakover on the offending foot a little to the outside of where it is now. If this is not successful you might try a trailer on the outside of the hind foot.
DrO
Member:
Birdie

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 22, 2004 - 4:24 pm:

Hello again,
Well as it turns out there is not ocd in my horses hind legs. Now we are traveling down the sore back path. I had the trainer who trained her under saddle ride her for the vet and the trainer mentioned that my horse does not like to bend around her inside leg. She is so stiff that she is fine in the left lead canter until you approach a corner that requires a bend to her body then she switches leads in the back only. Also when the saddle is removed after riding there is a lump or muscel tie at the base of her withers. She was also sore in her loine when the vet examined her. I am thankful that her hind limbs are fine but now I am at a loss about her back. Her saddle is currently being reshaped....With our new training program her topline is more musceled over the wither area and it had to be redone....Are there any excersizes, saddle pads or therapies that help tense tight, unbending horses...She flexes fine to the right, not the left. I plan to ride her on some hills to build her rear end etc...but need more advise on how to make her more flexible and illiminate the back soreness...She is a very short backed horse as well.

Thanks for all your advise,
Allison
Member:
Onehorse

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 22, 2004 - 7:29 pm:

Allison,

Based on your last post, it doesn't sound to me like the saddle is the problem (of course, I'm not an expert) but it doesn't seem like a saddle would cause a lump to form without having the horses coat start to thin and a saddle sore begin to appear. Also, if the problem occurs only when she turns and she has a sore back ... perhaps the problem is she's out of alignment or that lump is a severe knot in her muscles.

If your vet couldn't pin point the cause of the lump and soreness, perhaps an examination by a certified and experienced equine chiropractor is in order. I have used them and believe they can correct problems ... especially if they are not biological. The key is to get someone that really knows what they're doing. Consider it. And best of luck.
Member:
Birdie

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 22, 2004 - 10:50 pm:

Thank you for your input...I am going to look for a qualified chiro. for horses...It couldn't hurt. This is proving to be quite an ordeal.
I appreaciate your feedback.

Take Care
A
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jun 23, 2004 - 6:52 am:

To appropriately address your problem you must decide if this is a disease process or a training issue. Many horses have a stiff side that needs to be trained through. Actively and passively getting the horse to practice bending to the stiff side while both on and off the horse, massage, and practice are the most important prescriptions if the horse does not show signs of lameness. If you think pain may be a problem, a 2 week course of moderately high doses of bute might haelp you decide if pain is in fact a problem.

I am not a supporter of equine chiropractic medicine as both diagnostic and therapeutic techniques are, at best, without scientific support. Human chiropractics have an absolute requirement of spinal radiographs before diagnosis and correction of back problems, this is not done with horses. For more on the diagnosis and treatment of back pain see, Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of the Spine, Back & Pelvis » Lower Back Pain in Horses.
DrO
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