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Member
Posts: 9
| This past week I've been working my gelding almost everyday but only for about half hour a day and he' gets a great warm up of walking, tons of trotting, canter and the basics before I do anything else. I do run him on barrels and 2 days ago I worked him on the barrels and yesterday just went to get on him for a workout and he didn't take a lame step but felt uncomfortable I had people watch and they couldn't see anything. I think it is his left back leg, but he just didn't feel normal so I got off and left him in the stall. He only goes out in the morning for about 2 hours then back in till I work him later in the day. Today I came out and had him tied up in the isle and he just looked uncomfortable on it. He would cock it and rest it then pick it up and stomp it couple times then try to relax it. I got on him seeing if I felt a difference and he didn't feel as uncomfortable but was dragging in all gaits so I got off after 7 mins and took everything off and tried getting him to move off the ground and see if I could see anything. He just seemed to short step that back left leg and had trouble picking up his left lead. It was the most noticeable in his stop. Just seemed unstable. I then went over and started feeling around that leg and there is no heat anywhere in leg and he's okay with me touching everywhere except when I put alittle pressure right by his tail on his hind quarter. Do you think he pulled it? Strain? Or do you think it's something serious. I want to get some opinions before I call the vet out panicking! | |
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  Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
 
| I'd see what a chiropractor thought before I had a vet start poking around. I think sometimes they get something out of whack and pull something. My gelding was acting "OFF" and turns out he had 3 ribs out and one of them was right where the girth went. "Well no wonder he was acting silly." I don't feel good when my back is out either. Good luck. | |
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Member
Posts: 9
| Tthankyou im hoping it's just something like a pulled muscle. the chiro will be out tomorrow ! | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Mountains of VA | I think your biggest problem is your horse is stalled up a lot. Turnout 24/7 and lots of walking uphill and downhill would help. Having him checked by a chiropractor would be better than a vet. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | Am I understanding correctly that you work your horse on barrels nearly everyday? And that it only gets 2 hours of turnout a day and the rest of the time it is stalled?
If this is correct, your horse is probably sore.
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Member
Posts: 9
| I don't work him on barrels everyday usually 2 times. He's just getting the pattern solid at a canter. Other days he either gets a light workout in the arena or a trail ride. And yes he gets ruffly 2 to 4 hours of turnout depending on weather. Then the rest he is stalled. | |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
 
Location: Oklahoma | Well, I guess I'm the lone dissenter. I'd go to the vet first and then the chiro if the vet couldn't find anything wrong. Most of the time, if they sore up with riding, or something is "out", there's some underlying problem that causes them to be "out".....sounds like to me it could be a strained stifle, or a catching stifle, or it could be that his hocks are starting to sore up, and if you go to the right, he has 2 left turns, which would make sense that he'd be more sore on the left than the right, or it could be SI or possibly even EPM. If the vet finds nothing, THEN I'd try the chiro. I had one like that today. Took him to the vet....no heat in hocks, didn't palpate sore anywhere, stifles weren't catching, but he just wasn't moving right. Had massage/chiro guy already scheduled and he worked on him and pelvis popped pretty loud when stretching him and sure enough, all the sudden he was traveling right. However, in the past, I've had chiros that made wrong diagnoses, and worked on my horses numerous times to fix whatever they said it was, and I ended up having to take them to the vet anyway, and it was worse than it would have been if I'd just had it fixed at the vet to begin with. Plus, a chiro can adjust them WAY better if they've already had treatments by the vet to take out the major soreness and fix whatever was bothering them. JMO | |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | dianeguinn - 2014-06-20 1:18 PM
Well, I guess I'm the lone dissenter. I'd go to the vet first and then the chiro if the vet couldn't find anything wrong. Most of the time, if they sore up with riding, or something is "out", there's some underlying problem that causes them to be "out".....sounds like to me it could be a strained stifle, or a catching stifle, or it could be that his hocks are starting to sore up, and if you go to the right, he has 2 left turns, which would make sense that he'd be more sore on the left than the right, or it could be SI or possibly even EPM. If the vet finds nothing, THEN I'd try the chiro. I had one like that today. Took him to the vet....no heat in hocks, didn't palpate sore anywhere, stifles weren't catching, but he just wasn't moving right. Had massage/chiro guy already scheduled and he worked on him and pelvis popped pretty loud when stretching him and sure enough, all the sudden he was traveling right. However, in the past, I've had chiros that made wrong diagnoses, and worked on my horses numerous times to fix whatever they said it was, and I ended up having to take them to the vet anyway, and it was worse than it would have been if I'd just had it fixed at the vet to begin with. Plus, a chiro can adjust them WAY better if they've already had treatments by the vet to take out the major soreness and fix whatever was bothering them. JMO
I'm with you on this one......not that I think all chiro work is bad, but I want a vet to do it. | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| According to my vet a toe drag usually indicates stifle problems.
Ulcers can also affect horses not picking up a specific lead.
I am with Diane on this whenever my horses have anything abnormal, the vet is the first person I call. After the vet has done his assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, then I take mine to chiro mad have them adjusted as if a horse is sore and has been compensating they are probably out, and I like to start things out with a clean slate | |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | dianeguinn - 2014-06-20 2:18 PM Well, I guess I'm the lone dissenter. I'd go to the vet first and then the chiro if the vet couldn't find anything wrong. Most of the time, if they sore up with riding, or something is "out", there's some underlying problem that causes them to be "out".....sounds like to me it could be a strained stifle, or a catching stifle, or it could be that his hocks are starting to sore up, and if you go to the right, he has 2 left turns, which would make sense that he'd be more sore on the left than the right, or it could be SI or possibly even EPM. If the vet finds nothing, THEN I'd try the chiro. I had one like that today. Took him to the vet....no heat in hocks, didn't palpate sore anywhere, stifles weren't catching, but he just wasn't moving right. Had massage/chiro guy already scheduled and he worked on him and pelvis popped pretty loud when stretching him and sure enough, all the sudden he was traveling right. However, in the past, I've had chiros that made wrong diagnoses, and worked on my horses numerous times to fix whatever they said it was, and I ended up having to take them to the vet anyway, and it was worse than it would have been if I'd just had it fixed at the vet to begin with. Plus, a chiro can adjust them WAY better if they've already had treatments by the vet to take out the major soreness and fix whatever was bothering them. JMO
I agree with her.. | |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I agree with the above posters some times even a massage therapist can tell you what muscles are sore of vet can figure the tell the vet and or chiro.
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Common Sense and then some
Location: So. California | Has there been any changes in feed or routine lately? ANY changes? | |
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Member
Posts: 9
| I bought him from California about a month ago and he was never on grass and they only fed him alfalfa. He had grain when he was younger but not recently and I feed grain so for the first couple days he didn't get any then I slowly put a handful of grain is with him once and day and I'm still slowly increasing. He's on alfalfa though. And for grass I have him out on slowly from 5 mins now to 25. | |
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Mrs. Txdad
Posts: 14084
Location: the fantasy txdad married | Did you do a vet check? | |
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