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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
 
| Ok. 11yo gelding all of a sudden having some super pain while running OR mental issues abou it all and has decided he hates his job.
Had Sept to March completely off. Up here in the tundra.
Has run at 3 double headers since May. Does not see a barrel otherwise - knows his job.
*Not clocking normally at all. At least a full second off from where he should be. (not a wishful, hopeful 1 second off either - a full second off his norm)
*At our last run his 4-wheel drive turn style suddenly became TOTAL front endy turn style. Like a different horse completely.
*Running off in the gate - like away from the arena. Not a horse with a gate issue other than some anticipatory anxiety about running.
*Superficial sores on hocks - on the outside not the cap (?) area. He has always been one that lays down a lot so scuffed up hocks isn't a huge deal, maybe..but this is a silver dollar size sore. Thinking he is getting up/down funny to scrape it up that bad.
*Also stumbles on the hind end sometimes at a walk/jog. Usually chalk this up to needing a trim and or not paying attention as he's a lazy gelding a lot of the time.
vet appt next week. thoughts ???? He does not feel off while riding at all, but again, I am not drilling him on barrels at all. He has no reason to be sour or blown up. He's got it EASY.
Not sure what to hope for. An issue to explain or no issue and a horse that is over running barrels. 
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Ooohh poor guy I would be testing him EPM first thing, if hes not his normal self something for sure is happening to him. But I would do the testing to rule that out. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| He sounds like he may have sore hocks and possibly loose stifles. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
| He doesn't "feel" lame, he rides around pleasently out in the fields at all gaits. But flips out going toward the arena.
While all the things I detailed in my original post are things I consider symptoms of something, I also pray he isn't just being a puke. But I refuse to beat on him in any way to get him into the arena until I make sure it isn't a physical issue.
Could hocks / stifles allow him to travel perfectly sound and only hurt him while turning hard? |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| low level epm, pathogens can do testing or your vet |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
| I am not very knowledgable on EPM but isn't that to do with Possum droppings? I dont think we have those up here...
Maybe I am wrong though :) |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| star1218 - 2017-07-07 9:58 AM
I am not very knowledgable on EPM but isn't that to do with Possum droppings? I dont think we have those up here...
Maybe I am wrong though :)
Do you have barn cats? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
| streakysox - 2017-07-07 10:28 AM
star1218 - 2017-07-07 9:58 AM
I am not very knowledgable on EPM but isn't that to do with Possum droppings? I dont think we have those up here...
Maybe I am wrong though :)
Do you have barn cats?
I do. no access to grain but hay barn is available to them. they are all vaccinated. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1343
Location: Oklahoma | star1218 - 2017-07-07 9:13 AM He doesn't "feel" lame, he rides around pleasently out in the fields at all gaits. But flips out going toward the arena.
While all the things I detailed in my original post are things I consider symptoms of something, I also pray he isn't just being a puke. But I refuse to beat on him in any way to get him into the arena until I make sure it isn't a physical issue.
Could hocks / stifles allow him to travel perfectly sound and only hurt him while turning hard?
Yes, it's possible. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| star1218 - 2017-07-07 9:13 AM
He doesn't "feel" lame, he rides around pleasently out in the fields at all gaits. But flips out going toward the arena.
While all the things I detailed in my original post are things I consider symptoms of something, I also pray he isn't just being a puke. But I refuse to beat on him in any way to get him into the arena until I make sure it isn't a physical issue.
Could hocks / stifles allow him to travel perfectly sound and only hurt him while turning hard?
Yes, running barrels is hard on their joints. Most of the movements in barrels you're not going to be doing out in the pasture so you're not going to feel it out there. With him acting up going into the arena he could be anticipating the pain in the turns. Definitely get him checked out. Good luck! |
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Regular
Posts: 53
| Put him on Aloe Vera. 30ccs on feed twice a day. He could have ulcers. Hocks will make them not want to run and it will sure make them front endy |
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Defense Attorney for The Horse
Location: Claremore, OK | Usually, unless they're laying on pure concrete, those sores on their hocks go along with "sore hocks".. Sore hocks usually don't show up on a flexion test. Usually they'll wear the outside of their back feet off and travel base narrow when you watch them walk away. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| Liana D - 2017-07-07 12:36 PM
Usually, unless they're laying on pure concrete, those sores on their hocks go along with "sore hocks".. Sore hocks usually don't show up on a flexion test. Usually they'll wear the outside of their back feet off and travel base narrow when you watch them walk away.
Not trying to steal the thread, just stealing information. 
If a horse does not show soreness on a flexion test and he travels correct from behind; but becomes front endy in turns and you suspect/gut instinct is soreness, is your only option to get x-rays to find the issue? Same with stifles? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Liana D - 2017-07-07 12:36 PM
Usually, unless they're laying on pure concrete, those sores on their hocks go along with "sore hocks".. Sore hocks usually don't show up on a flexion test. Usually they'll wear the outside of their back feet off and travel base narrow when you watch them walk away.
Sore hocks will show up on a flexion test, so will sore stifles. Your vet needs to know how to hold the horses leg in a particular way to check each joint. Flexion test will show you if the horse is sore. Always a good idea to then get X-rays to see what is going on the the joint rather than just inject away. The horse could have the beginnings of arthritis, starting to fuse, or a spur. Best to know what you are dealing with and treat accordingly.
Also, the sores on the hocks are not indicative of sore joints. They are from the horse getting up on unforgiving/unbedded surface. |
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Worlds Greatest Laugh
Location: North Dakota | Where are you located? Just because he doesnt "feel" lame, doesnt mean that he is visually off. If you are way up north, good lameness vets are few and far between. Make sure you are getting him to a competent vet. My first suspicion is sore hocks with possibly sore stifles as well.
Edited by Runnincat 2017-07-07 1:09 PM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385
Location: Texas Big Country | Yes. Some can be very stoic about pain on a day-to-day basis and pretty hard to see even by really good vets in just a standard lameness eval. This sounds like a textbook case of sore hock(s) just based on behavior. You checked every "sore hocks box" lol. Good luck! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| Can a sore left hock and/or stifle make one sore in a right shoulder? Or vice versa? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
| wow you guys THANK YOU for the responses.
I just have to defend myself on one point. He is always deeply and appropriately bedded down. He's very very well taken care of.
I just don't want any of you to think I make my poor horse stand in a filthy, concrete stall. My stalls are also dirt based.
Thanks so much. I will update after I see the vet. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| star1218 - 2017-07-07 2:36 PM
wow you guys THANK YOU for the responses.
I just have to defend myself on one point. He is always deeply and appropriately bedded down. He's very very well taken care of.
I just don't want any of you to think I make my poor horse stand in a filthy, concrete stall. My stalls are also dirt based.
Thanks so much. I will update after I see the vet.
No need to defend yourself! My horses in the pasture 24/7 get the sores and so does my colt that sleeps in a sand/sawdust stall! It's a lot of weight getting pushed on thin skin and pretty much inevitable
Edited by veintiocho 2017-07-07 2:44 PM
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Defense Attorney for The Horse
Location: Claremore, OK | star1218 - 2017-07-07 2:36 PM
wow you guys THANK YOU for the responses.
I just have to defend myself on one point. He is always deeply and appropriately bedded down. He's very very well taken care of.
I just don't want any of you to think I make my poor horse stand in a filthy, concrete stall. My stalls are also dirt based.
Thanks so much. I will update after I see the vet.
I didn't mean to suggest you had your horse on concrete or trapped in a nasty stall. I've seen sore hocked horses that were deeply bedded in shavings that had sores, then, in a lot of cases, get their hocks injected and the sores go away. Just my observation from working with a lot of horses.
I hope you get him fixed up ?? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
|  I appreciate all your input more than you can know. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Usually the ones with sores on hocks means its difficult for them to get up which means pain.. stifles or hocks..get a good lameness vet and xrays |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 534
Location: Ohio girl moved to PA | You definitly have a case of sore hocks. I literally just went through this with my main mount, and we saw the vet this past saturday. Did flexion test, vet could automatically see the drop in his hip on his more sore side. Did x-rays and sure enough he's got some bone spurs and a little inflammation in the lower joints so we injected. My horse was doing excatly the same yours was. This was our first time getting injections so im super excited to see how hes gonna be feeling this weekend. |
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Veteran
Posts: 217
| I agree with sore hocks and/or stifles. Just experienced this myself though so not really well versed in it. We had to travel two hours to a really good vet because no one is near us. The best one around here is the same distance but I risked going with the step down to save some on $$ because I had a pretty good idea what was going on. |
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What would you suspect if..