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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 680
  
Location: Texas | I have a 6 year old mare that I've noticed has been cycling constantly this spring, and has developed a first barrel issue. I have taken her to Lonestar a few months ago when the first barrel issue started, and they found nothing lameness wise. I am taking her back on Tuesday for more lameness work. She just doesn't want to turn the first barrel and is super stiff. Teeth are current, and so is chiro. I have tried treeless saddles, and I'm currently riding her in a caldwell that fits her well. She seems to constantly be in heat, and my fiancé told me he saw his gelding mounting her today. She is now away from him.. But my question is has anyone ever had a reproductive or hormonal issue causing soundness like issues on the pattern? |
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Too busy outside!
Posts: 5417
| Yes- if she has been in any pain from the heat cycles it could cause her sacro/lumbar region to be in a chronically restricted state- if she can't relax her abdominals and psoas she won't be able to stride up underneath herself. |
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| Yes, I would definitely be ruling out reproductive issues. I've got two mares right now that had painful reproductive issues. It didn't take much to remedy the problem, we just needed to know what we were dealing with so we knew how to treat. |
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Veteran
Posts: 113
| What did u do to remedy this? |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| A good lameness vet would have included a repo assessment. I would suggest starting with flexion exams or all joints in all 4 legs, block, X-ray, ultrasound depending on what the flexion tests and blocks say.
I would also have the vet do a pelvic exam including ultrasound and culture.
Take the videos with you so if they don't find anything you can show them the video and it may point the vet to the root of the problem. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| HEY!!!! My mares heat cycles were really messing with her work on and off the pattern and 2 things (that are relatively cheap) solved it! Raspberry leaf 2X day in feed (like a tablespoon 2X day) and acupuncture. I have yet to have any issues. I started the raspberry leaf in January and acupuncture is whenever she starts acting sore over her ovaries (3 months or so) costs around $100 for full body work up or like $30 for just ovaries. I have it done at Oakridge in Guthrie, OK. Not sure where your located. |
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 Living within my means
Posts: 5128
Location: Randolph, Utah | hershey - 2014-04-27 9:10 PM
What did u do to remedy this?
My mare was having gate issues, as well as back soreness. My vet checked her ovaries after she didn't show any lameness and she was sore in the ovaries. We did acupuncture on her ovary points and she gets a shot of alternogest once a week to keep her from cycling. It seems to be working. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 680
Location: Texas | cheryl makofka - 2014-04-27 10:14 PM
A good lameness vet would have included a repo assessment. I would suggest starting with flexion exams or all joints in all 4 legs, block, X-ray, ultrasound depending on what the flexion tests and blocks say.
I would also have the vet do a pelvic exam including ultrasound and culture.
Take the videos with you so if they don't find anything you can show them the video and it may point the vet to the root of the problem.
Dr Williams did do a full lameness exam, including flexion tests. She was very very slightly off only on her left rear, so we blocked and did X-rays. The only thing found was a cortical thickening/remodeling of her cannon bone from an old injury. He said it wasn't anything to be concerned about, and would be unnoticeable by the end of the year. Her first barrel has steadily gotten worse, and she has been getting increasingly hot when just exercising. I am definitely willing to rule out any extremity lameness, but just wanted to hear of anyone had stories about a mare not working bc of hormonal issues. |
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Reproductive/Hormonal issues in mare causing pattern problem?