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Discussion on Hocks or Something else?
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Member:
9193
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Posted on Wednesday, Sep 22, 2004 - 3:02 am:
Hello All,
I wrote to HA in June to report that our horse Justin was getting his hocks injected to (hopefully) aleviate a lameness issue that had been progressing since April when he took a hard fall on his left side. The fall had been dismissed by my vet and trainer as having no connection to the lameness that he was exhibiting. He was injected without problems and we went on vacation for two weeks one week after the injections. During our vacation, our trainer rode him very easy three times a week. No training, just getting him out for a go around.
We were more than dismayed to discover that when we returned from our vacation and my daughter took him out for a ride, that the gimping and "bunny hopping" that had been the problem was still there when you asked him to trot. He could and would walk willingly, but would try to canter or "bunny-hop" when asked to trot.
We were told by our trainer that he was probably permanently lame and she advised us to get rid of him. I called our vet, who examined Justin and seemed as baffled as the rest of us as to what was going on. We had diagnostic x-rays done of the hocks and the results again surprised our vet because he could not see anything on the xrays in the way of major arthritic lesions, bone spurs or any problems that would reflect the degree of lameness in the rear that Justin exhibits when asked to trot.
I still felt that perhaps the fall might have injured a ligament in his hip or someplace deep, so I decided to give Justin the summer off. We just goofed around doing turnouts as much as possible, riding bareback around the property with applications of ice on his hocks and linament rubdowns after riding. I also added Hyluron supplement to his feed and for a treat in August I took him to my dads in the Sierra foothills for a vacation and turned him loose for 10 days to wander 23 acres at his leisure.
The end of July we noted that he was starting to trot on his own without gimping. My daughter started asking him to trot while riding bareback and there would be no gimpyness. We graduated slowly to easy riding under saddle alternating a day off after a 10 minute workout with a few minutes of trotting. By the end of August, he was working under saddle at the W/T/C for 30 minutes with out any sign of gimpyness at all and we were thrilled.
We have been very careful to not train hard, to do the 30 minute walking warmups and 30 minute walking cool downs, with 2-3 days off a week. Justin was doing so well that even our trainer was impressed with his recovery and progress.
We entered a dressage schooling show this past weekend and he performed beautifully at Training level 1 and 2. We have had to work a bit to get his flexion and suppleness back (I think he really liked semi retirement)We have not done any lunging with side reins and all the circles have been 20 meter circles. The show was Saturday, we gave him Sunday off and I hand walked him for 30 minutes on Monday.. Today my daughter took him out for a ride and bingo...He is gimping and bunnyhopping like he was at the beginning in April!
The gimpyiness seems to be in his left hind leg. Could the bending and flexion we are asking of him be causing more stress on his hindquarters or back than I appreciate? I do not know what stifle lameness looks like. Does this sound like a stifle problem? I do not know what a ligament problem looks like. Assuming it might have been a ligament problem, does this sound like a reinjured ligament? We did the carrot stretches for his neck and spine every day thruout his recovery to try to keep his flexibility in the front. Are there stretching exercises I could be doing for his hindquarters that would help?
I guess we did something too much too soon, but I can't figure out where. My plan for now is to talk to my vet and consider taking him to a veterinary clinic that specializes in lameness issues to see if there is something more than just hocks that is causing this problem. Anybody out there have any suggestions or insight? I am open to suggestions.
Thank you,
Debra
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Member:
Sunny66
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Posted on Wednesday, Sep 22, 2004 - 10:37 am:
I have no suggestions, as I'm going thru the same thing with my gelding. He's had his hocks injected, however, he is back to being slightly off until he warms up. Could be his stifle or his sac (something in his back- can't remember the name), or his front feet may still be sore...those dang diagonals compensating...I wish I were a vet (;)))
Anyway, I feel for you and I hope you find the answer soon.
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Member:
Parfait
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Posted on Wednesday, Sep 22, 2004 - 12:26 pm:
Hi Debra,
I think taking him to a clinic where they can do a thorough lameness exam is an excellent idea. The more work you do with an injury, the more you just set yourself back. The horse also can start to compensate for the pain and over-uses other limbs or gets sore in the back and hip etc. (My horse ended up sore everywhere in addition to the offending limb.) Importantly, it can really wreck a good horse's attitude about work if he's in pain. I always want them to be happy about our sessions--they should be fun!
kerry
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Member:
9193
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 23, 2004 - 12:50 am:
Thank you both for your replies to my post.. Ironically, yesterday I was throwing a hay bale around and strained something under my right scapula. But the odd thing is my right scapula hurts the most when I try to lift something with my LEFT arm! So I got to thinking and gave Justin a good slow massage and noted that the one place he was most sensitive was in a spot the size of my hand on the right side of his back just a tad forward of his flank. This is opposite the left leg and I am wondering if a strain or pain from his right back could reflect on his left side.
Is there any merit to my thinking or am I just grabbing at straws? The vet cannot see him till next week, so I am just giving him 1 GM of bute at lunch and letting him take it easy. Should I increase the bute to 2GMS? Would it be advisable to let my daughter ride him at a walk just to give him some exercise or should I just handwalk him and do turnouts till the vet can see him? When you take him out on lead, he is eager to walk as fast or slow as you want to go. There is no evidence of discomfort at the walk and I do not want him to get stiff from standing around, but I do not want to further compromise his lameness.
My husband has said he wished I would be as concerned about his creaky joints as I am about the horse!
Smiles,
Debra
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 23, 2004 - 6:56 am:
Good morning Debra,
I posted yesterday but apparently it got lost in the vapors of the Internet. Most of the questions you ask require a localization and a diagnosis and there is not enough information in your post for this. I agree with your current plan: get a referral to a veterinarian who is interested in working up lameness issues.
DrO
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Member:
9193
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 23, 2004 - 12:19 pm:
Thank you DrO,
I appreciate your taking the time to comment. It will be interesting to see if we can find some answers to this problem.
I enjoy reading the posts and I want to send my concern and caring to those members who are experiencing the ravages and aftermaths of the hurricanes hitting Florida and the Gulf states. What a nightmare to deal with repeat hurricanes! I hope the families and their horses are coming thru this mess with minimal injury and impact. Please let us know how you are doing from time to time..
With Caring and Concern,
Debra
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Member:
Suzeb
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Posted on Thursday, Sep 23, 2004 - 12:48 pm:
Hi Debra,
Ditto for the full lameness workup. I think there is a lot of merit in your thinking as the opposite limb can get sore from compensating for the original lameness...does that make sense  . My gelding has similar issues so it is always a challenge in figuring out what the "Lame du jour" is. I really can't advise you on the ride or rest issue until you know what the problem is. For myself, I like to err on the side of caution and rest in paddock or small turnout. I am fortunate that I can at least phone and talk to my vet about Bute administration before she can come out to see. I usually start with 2gms for a couple of days and then reduce to 1gm a day.
The caveat to this is that you will need him drug free for the vet exam.
If your arms are feeling better from grabbing at straws....pardon the pun  , you could try some massage on Justin. It might make you both feel better until the vet comes. As for Hubby's creaky joints....well he could come with you for the vet exam and vet's do carry good drugs.....
All kidding aside, I wish you and Justin well in the exam and let us know how it goes.
Cheers,
Susan B.
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Member:
Kcovell
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Posted on Friday, Oct 22, 2004 - 5:03 am:
Hey Debra,
I hope your horse is ok, but if not I have a few suggestions as my horse came up lame for no apparent reason.
First get rid of your vet. He couldn't figure out what the problem was so he tells you to get rid of your horse. Unbeleiveable.
When my horse came up lame for no apparent reason the vet did x-rays, nerve blocks, & flex tests and couldn't find anything. So he told me to give her bute & keep her stalled for a week (which I'd already done before seeing him).
Second I don't know where you live, but if there are any racetracks around talk to your farrier and others vets there usually deal with alot of leg problems.
My farrier recommended a vet like that and mly horse is no longer lame and I know what was causing the lameness (she had a cyst on her navicular bone).
Third I know you've tried massage, but what about a chiropractor? If you decide to try one make sure and check him out first. Get names of other clients, how long he's being doing this, training, etc. Some vets also do this.
The vet I use now did some work on my horse the other day, he showed my some places she hurt and when he was done you could see how relaxed she was and when I rode her I noticed a big difference.
KC
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Member:
Kcovell
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Posted on Saturday, Oct 23, 2004 - 4:44 am:
Debra
I made a mistake in my post to you I meant to say get rid of your trainer and find a new vet.
I seems obvious that your trainer no longer wants to deal with an unsound horse even though no one knows what is wrong.
I hope you don't take your trainer's advice until you find out what is wrong and if you can deal with it.
When a horse has a problem there is always a reason, it might just take sometime to find it.
Good Luck
KC
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