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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
  
| I have a 14 yo mare that had a colt last year so was off for about a full year. I started getting her back in shape late this spring and she was doing fine, but started swapping leads when going to the right. She will stay on the right lead when doing circles, but going straight away she would prefer to switch to her left or sometimes switch just her front and cross fire. About the same time she also didn’t want to collect up or drive as hard with her hind end. I took her in and did a full lameness eval and both of her hocks &, her R stifle flexed fine. Her L stifle was off, first flex not too much, second flex vet rated it at 3/5. We x-rayed the joint and it was clean and had fluid in it. Per vet’s suggestion we went ahead and injected it as that was the only area showing some trouble.
Now her front feed have been fine, she wings out her left front, but with proper trimming it has never caused her any problems. The last time my shoer trimmed her I mentioned to him that her toes looked like they were toeing in a little. He agreed and said he’d work on them. Well, after that trim job and as they grew out it was obviously much worse and she was toeing in horribly. She is straight legged and it was easy to see it was due to her feet. The vet agreed and pointed me in the direction of another shoer. I had him work on her feet last week and he was able to get them straightened back out pretty well. It will take a few more months and trims to get them back to where they should be, but I think we are on the right track.
The stifle injection was 6/16 and she had her feet trimmed 6/23. I rode her for the first time yesterday and while I could tell she had better forward movement and her circles were a lot smoother, she was very tender on hard ground or rocks which is unusual for her even after having her feet trimmed, and I could feel she was dropping on her L hind – whereas before she never was dropping on one side or the other, just was somewhat reluctant in engaging her hind end and just “off”.
I called the new shoer to see if he could stick some shoes on her and hopefully get some relief there. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was body sore due to the changes in her feet, but how her L side was dropping it felt like something more than that….
Any suggestions? Am I on the right path? Would you be looking into something different?
Edited by veintiocho 2016-08-16 10:49 AM
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Did the vet check her pelvis out? I ask because she had a foal and that might have caused her to be out in her pelvis. My daughter is a chiro for people and horses. She is specializing in pregnant women and has had to adjust some girls even during their labor. It has helped restart their labor when they slowed down. Just a shot in the dark.  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| She is level across her hips and he checked her SI and it was fine. I had her chiro'd/massaged before I started riding her (for the same reasons you said! :)). I think after we get shoes on her I might have her done again just to rule out any soreness that might be there... |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Lameness and hoof problems are so frustrating! Keep us updated if you don't mind. I hope you find out what is going on soon! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Thank you! I think we're getting shoes on tonight so will hopefully see some improvement! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Check in when you ride and let us know how she is doing. . . |
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Veteran
Posts: 255
Location: Alberta Canada | If this only happens under saddle, have you checked how your saddle is fitting? Sometimes they will compensate for pain & use one side more than the other. When that happens lots of times they will be less muscled in the wither/shoulder area on one side. If its really bad it will cause the saddle to really roll down & pinch on the lower side. You may have to shim one side until you get everything even again. I have had this happen to me before so just thought I would share in case. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Well I rode her last night and she started out fine, but after about 20-30 minutes of warm up, trotting, and loping a few circles she was off again. It almost felt like she was skipping on her front end.. Because she started off fine and then got worse it's making me question my saddle fit. Prior to her having a baby it fit her great, but things may have changed since then. I'm going to try a different saddle that I think might fit her better in the shoulder area or try her bareback and she if we still have problems. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| canadiannorth - 2016-06-29 4:32 PM
If this only happens under saddle, have you checked how your saddle is fitting? Sometimes they will compensate for pain & use one side more than the other. When that happens lots of times they will be less muscled in the wither/shoulder area on one side. If its really bad it will cause the saddle to really roll down & pinch on the lower side. You may have to shim one side until you get everything even again. I have had this happen to me before so just thought I would share in case.
After last night I was questioning my saddle fit. Going to try another saddle tonight that is a little wider in the shoulder area and see how she does with it. She doesn't have any shoulder or wither atrophy and has not had any back soreness. :) |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | As far as the hind end dropping...If she had a lot of time off. her stifle could be sticking a little due to lack of fitness. might want to keep straight lines and do hills to get her hind end in shape after you figure out the front end |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| kwanatha - 2016-06-30 11:13 AM
As far as the hind end dropping...If she had a lot of time off. her stifle could be sticking a little due to lack of fitness. might want to keep straight lines and do hills to get her hind end in shape after you figure out the front end
I've delt with sticky/dropping stifles before and this isn't the same, it's more of a sore/limp drop than a weak/sticky issue. :( |
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 I Want a "MAN"
Posts: 3610
Location: MD | Take a video and post it |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| I did video her and can see that she is off in her L hind. Not sure if it's related to her stifle or what. Going to have her massaged and chiro'd and hopefully that is all she's needing.. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Update on my mare:
I had her chiro’d on 7/12 and she was pretty out a few places in her back, her SI was out, but not bad other than her muscles were so tight it was difficult for the chiro to really see an improvement after getting it in, so we put her on an Equi-vibe table and after 30 min the chiro adjusted her again and there was a big difference. I gave her 4 days off of riding and per chiro’s advice hand walked her and backed her up a slow incline. She didn’t have as much movement in her left hind when backing up – she would make a big move with her R and then a shorter move with her L and would drag it (did not want to pick it up and move it back) I rode her on the 4th day and she was still off/short striding on her L hind.
Took her back to chiro on 7/18 and after checking everything she started her out on the Equi-vibe for 30 minutes and adjusted her after that. She was sore in 2 spots in her back – two vertebrae on either side of one in the Lumbar area (not sure which ones exactly). Her SI was good and did not need adjusted. She ended up getting 5 days off of riding, but was able to hand walk a few times and backed her up the slow incline, which she has kept good movement and is picking her L up and moving it back the same as her R.
I rode her yesterday and while she is not at 100% yet she is better than she was last week. I’d say we’re at 80-85% soundness now. After warming up we long trotted and she started out feeling like herself, but after a bit was off on her L hind a few strides, then was back on. This went on for the whole ride. I contacted my chiro and we both agreed that I’d continue to ride her for a few more days and see if she improves or starts getting worse.
At this point I'm not sure if I'll take her back to the chiro or vet if she doesn't improve... any suggestions or advice is appreciated. :) |
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 Saint Stacey
| I would not do any incline work on a horse with sore stifles. Incline work is the worst thing you can do for those. Try strengthening that area with what are known as rubber band exercises.
You basically start out jogging. Gradually lengthen the stride until you have extension. Sit down, gather the horse and collect the jog. Hold the collection until the horse starts wanting to lengthen because it's uncomfortable to hold the collection. Increase the stride again and keep repeating the process. A horse with sore stifles has a hard time holding collection. A vet who's wife trains high end dressage horses taught me these. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| SKM - 2016-07-25 10:04 AM
I would not do any incline work on a horse with sore stifles. Incline work is the worst thing you can do for those. Try strengthening that area with what are known as rubber band exercises.
You basically start out jogging. Gradually lengthen the stride until you have extension. Sit down, gather the horse and collect the jog. Hold the collection until the horse starts wanting to lengthen because it's uncomfortable to hold the collection. Increase the stride again and keep repeating the process. A horse with sore stifles has a hard time holding collection. A vet who's wife trains high end dressage horses taught me these.
Are you suggesting to not work on backing her up the slope either? The pastures I've been riding her in are flat so I will continue to stay away from any hills and try the exercise you posted. |
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Saint Stacey
| veintiocho - 2016-07-25 9:13 AM
SKM - 2016-07-25 10:04 AM
I would not do any incline work on a horse with sore stifles. Incline work is the worst thing you can do for those. Try strengthening that area with what are known as rubber band exercises.
You basically start out jogging. Gradually lengthen the stride until you have extension. Sit down, gather the horse and collect the jog. Hold the collection until the horse starts wanting to lengthen because it's uncomfortable to hold the collection. Increase the stride again and keep repeating the process. A horse with sore stifles has a hard time holding collection. A vet who's wife trains high end dressage horses taught me these.
Are you suggesting to not work on backing her up the slope either? The pastures I've been riding her in are flat so I will continue to stay away from any hills and try the exercise you posted.
I wouldn't back her up an incline. Especially if she can't do it right. To me that says you are just further stressing the problem and she's compensating. Horses aren't really made to go backwards for extended lengths. There's a great article floating around Facebook about strengthening the hind end. Just glanced at it but it was more about cavalette type work. They had a cone with a pole running from the ground to the top of the cone and they'd do circles around the various heights from low to high. Might try to find it and see if it could help you. The picture with it was black legs, an orange one and pole. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| SKM - 2016-07-25 11:56 AM
veintiocho - 2016-07-25 9:13 AM
SKM - 2016-07-25 10:04 AM
I would not do any incline work on a horse with sore stifles. Incline work is the worst thing you can do for those. Try strengthening that area with what are known as rubber band exercises.
You basically start out jogging. Gradually lengthen the stride until you have extension. Sit down, gather the horse and collect the jog. Hold the collection until the horse starts wanting to lengthen because it's uncomfortable to hold the collection. Increase the stride again and keep repeating the process. A horse with sore stifles has a hard time holding collection. A vet who's wife trains high end dressage horses taught me these.
Are you suggesting to not work on backing her up the slope either? The pastures I've been riding her in are flat so I will continue to stay away from any hills and try the exercise you posted.
I wouldn't back her up an incline. Especially if she can't do it right. To me that says you are just further stressing the problem and she's compensating. Horses aren't really made to go backwards for extended lengths. There's a great article floating around Facebook about strengthening the hind end. Just glanced at it but it was more about cavalette type work. They had a cone with a pole running from the ground to the top of the cone and they'd do circles around the various heights from low to high. Might try to find it and see if it could help you. The picture with it was black legs, an orange one and pole.
Thanks. I will look for that article as well. The idea behind backing her up was to get her to use full range of motion after the chiro and equi-vibe got her loosened up/un-kinked. She will back up correctly now.
I honestly don’t know if we are dealing with stifle pain or tight/sore muscles. The first time the vet flexed her she was sound – maybe a hair off, and the second time he flexed her (same visit) she was off (he rated @ 3 out of 5), but maybe that was from the muscle soreness and being out and held up in the flexed position? The injection in her stifle did nothing and she continued to get worse until she was chiro’d.
She doesn't feel loose and has never dropped down like one does with loose stifles.
Back pain of course makes me think of saddle fit, but my saddle fits her very well, leaves eaven sweat marks and doesn't move a hair on her. Now I did notice last night after taking my saddle off that the sweat was heavier in the area on her back that was sore at the last chiro visit. I thought that was kind of unusual, but she didn't flinch when I palpated the area on either side so maybe it's nothing. I'll watch again for it tonight.
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 Veteran
Posts: 239
| I'm dealing with a similar issue right now with my mare. As far as we can tell it is a sore lumbar area. Short strided on LH and will cross fire. Did hocks in April (I do them once a year, she has a small amount of DJD but not sore). Did not flex sore on any hind joints. Chiro made it better but not completely (out in pelvis). I have been massaging her gracilis muscles as they feel tight...also I have been needling her (acupuncture) and that helps as well. However, she is still not 100%. Therefore, we (myself and chiro) figure probably a back issue, and mostly because I have been riding her wrong (my bad!) Saddle fits fine, but what I have been doing is allowing her to be heavy on the forehand for too long. This mare likes to lope with her head down and withers up however she will hang her hocks way out behind her. 5 years of loping her like that and she has a crappy back. So I am just trying to baby her through our association finals next month.
Long story, but I wanted to share an exercise I have been doing. She doesn't pick up her back feet very well while backing (no stride) so I have been backing her in a figure 8. This makes them not only pick up the back foot more, but because they have to cross it over, it helps to work muscles that they don't normally work, so it will help build up a little more strength in their hind end. I have just started doing it but 3 days in she is already improving her stride.
Good luck.....I totally feel your pain.....keep us updated!!
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| 2H~QH - 2016-07-25 1:34 PM
I'm dealing with a similar issue right now with my mare. As far as we can tell it is a sore lumbar area. Short strided on LH and will cross fire. Did hocks in April (I do them once a year, she has a small amount of DJD but not sore). Did not flex sore on any hind joints. Chiro made it better but not completely (out in pelvis). I have been massaging her gracilis muscles as they feel tight...also I have been needling her (acupuncture) and that helps as well. However, she is still not 100%. Therefore, we (myself and chiro) figure probably a back issue, and mostly because I have been riding her wrong (my bad!) Saddle fits fine, but what I have been doing is allowing her to be heavy on the forehand for too long. This mare likes to lope with her head down and withers up however she will hang her hocks way out behind her. 5 years of loping her like that and she has a crappy back. So I am just trying to baby her through our association finals next month.
Long story, but I wanted to share an exercise I have been doing. She doesn't pick up her back feet very well while backing (no stride) so I have been backing her in a figure 8. This makes them not only pick up the back foot more, but because they have to cross it over, it helps to work muscles that they don't normally work, so it will help build up a little more strength in their hind end. I have just started doing it but 3 days in she is already improving her stride.
Good luck.....I totally feel your pain.....keep us updated!!
That is interesting. She started cross firing on her R lead only first part of June and not wanting to collect up, which is what started us on this journey... |
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