This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Nervous System » Neurological Conditions Not Covered Above » Shoulder Sweeny »
  Discussion on Could this be a shoulder sweeney? Please help!
Author Message
New Member:
kim384

Posted on Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - 4:25 pm:

Hi everyone. new here. I will try to give you as much info as I can :-)

I have a 7yr old thoroughbred mare that gets massages normally... (every month) this past massage (3days ago) we noticed a (or what looks like) bulging muscle in the LEFT shoulder. My massage person said its most likely the supraspinatus muscle and had no clue why it was bulging.. Today it is still bulging, and she is slightly lame at the walk and trot mostly when turned to the left. Im not totally sure how long she has had this, ive been so busy with wedding planning and work and my other sick dog, I havent been there to ride.. so its def not an "over developed muscle".. so it might have been there and I overlooked it...

And lately (not sure if its related) when I can ride for a few. I have been having trouble picking up the left lead canter, like she cant. and before she was fine... i wonder of the two are intertwined? and noticed that sometimes i felt like the leg hit either a deep spot in the sand or is hitting hard when landing...

I am uploading photos.. any info is good. Vet is coming out. but cant today... so any help today would be good.. for now he told me (over the phone) he has no idea yet, but to vigorously hose that area, and give her bute.

I see my horse everyday, just not been able to ride much.. Im so ashamed that I didnt notice this before (if she had it before). please nothing negative... I love my horse very much just have been super busy... :-(

Here are links to the photos

[IMG]https://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k36/Jessiex2006/j1-1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k36/Jessiex2006/100_0487.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k36/Jessiex2006/100_0489-1.jpg[/IMG]
Member:
scooter

Posted on Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - 5:14 pm:

HMMMM weird, I doubt if it is shoulder sweeny they get quite lame with that FME...something you wouldn't miss, the one's I've seen anyway

It almost looks like my mare's fat roll she has there... can you describe the way it feels eg. hard, soft, squishy, moveable does it palpate sore any heat, how lame is she?? ect. That might help.

Don't feel bad my horses are in my backyard and there are many days they don't get much attention due to life and they definitely don't get massages
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - 5:15 pm:

I have to say I am having trouble figuring out whether the supraspinatus is enlarged or the infraspinatus is smaller. The way the shadows fall sometimes it seems the latter. But if swelling is present certainly trauma would be number one on the list and if this is the cause a course of NSAID's and rest would be reasonable treatment. It is too early to consider Sweeny but antiinflammatory therapy for injury may help lessen the chances it develops.
DrO
New Member:
kim384

Posted on Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - 7:06 pm:

Thanks for the advise. DrO my massage person says there is no swelling... and that it doesn't bother her to touch it and there is no heat.. Im not sure how she would have injured herself, she is out alone and not in a huge paddock. its actually rather small (not to my liking). and like i said she isn't terribly lame but you can see it, and its almost like that one leg doesn't move like it used to... more out than straight.. but again not very noticably. she just comes down hard on that leg and comes up short at a trot.

DianE - lol I wish it was a fat roll!!! my mare is the HARDEST weight keeper.. she is still slightly ribby and gets everything under the sun to add weight lol. the way it feels... hard... not like bone hard, but like super tight muscle hard. it is not movable, it feels like it lays right on top of the bone, i wish i had a better way to explain it. i was walking her and my trainer noticed that she was lame at the walk... more so like she comes down real hard on that leg when walking and cuts it short while trotting.. its very confusing..
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - 7:56 pm:

Kim,
This suspiciously looks like what my colt had last year only in a different place. His was between his front legs, about halfway between his chest midline and the inside top part of his leg I thought he had a case of pidgeon fever.

It felt like a hard banana under his skin, but did not bother him. It was really weird, when I first noticed it, I thought it was some sort of reaction to a bug bite(B52 bomber flies), I spent two weeks hosing, medicating, poulticing and icthamoling it stayed the same. He had it for the longest time, I even had to get him a regular breast collar because I was afraid that the buxton would rub it. After a while, I quit paying attention to it, since it didn't seem to be affecting him, and when I brought him back in to start training him it was gone.

Hmmm, I just thought of something, your mare doesn't wear a breast collar does she or wear anything that might rub or irritate her.

Good luck trying to figure this out. I know I was stymied with what my colt had. Vet couldn't figure it out either.

Rachelle
New Member:
kim384

Posted on Monday, Jul 12, 2010 - 8:04 pm:

hey rtrotter,

Shes doesn't wear a breastcollar or anything, they annoy her. she never has anything there that could rub.. its just very strange.. and i dont ride her alot since im so busy so it cant be like an over developed muscle lol. i feel like maybe (and i could be wrong) that ive noticed this before, and now its back.. but prob not cause if i had id be freaking out about it like i am now :-) lol
Member:
gramsey1

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2010 - 11:25 am:

This link might have helpful information. Though the PDF is over 11MB. You shouldn't click on it unless you have high speed internet access.

https://digital.library.okstate.edu/etd/umi-okstate-1781.pdf
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC