Now what: unsound at canter?

[HandsomeBayFarm]

So I am teaching a lesson on the big baby horse and everything is honky-doory until he is asked to canter.

I thought I saw something when he was asked to leg yield at the walk. He was bridle lame. But then I had her trot him out and he was fine.

In the canter he was reluctant to bend his hind legs - not to bad on the straight side - would break in the corners.

And he is dragging toes at the trot.

What the heck?? I have a call into the vet (chiro lady too). Just trying to wrap my head around this one.

Any thoughts?

[purplnurpl]

But I was telling one of my peeps yesterday that when I was at the vet on Friday I told my horse's PCP that I was going to paint my horse yellow and put a big fat L on his forehead for LEMMON!

She said, 'they are all lemmons, Kristen', in this matter of fact voice.
It made me feel better for some reason. lol.
Horse's are an engineering nightmare.


good luck.
K

[Simkie]

Sounds like stifles to me, which is not uncommon in a young horse. Doing some strengthening exercises certainly won't hurt and should help.

Cantering is also hard work, especially for a young, gangly horse. Is he really fit enough to hold himself together, particularly through turns?

[HandsomeBayFarm]

Yes he is fairly fit. Been foxhunting and eventing this season. I try to keep him going 4 days a week. This is very new.

It seems like both legs are effected. Maybe he was partying too hard. We have had lots of wet weather.

[BornToRide]

What does he look like when you free longe him? Similar patterns?

[Simkie]

Has he gone through a growth spurt recently?

[horsey nurse]

could it be something neuro? EPM?

[HandsomeBayFarm]

She says GI tract/ulcer. Sells me Nutrient Buffer from Vita Royal and wants me to switch to that feed real bad.

Did some chiro and acupunture.

We will see. :confused:

[goeslikestink]

how old is your horse if hes young then doing tight cirle work wwould put extra strians on undeveloped legs and mussle

[HandsomeBayFarm]

Makes sense. He is 5, 1400lbs and about 16.3hds. Have mostly done big ring work - hacks - and trot sets.

[George Myers]

Horse's are an engineering nightmare.



K

Well that would explain how successful and adaptable they've been as a species and how useful they've been to us humans in the course of our social evolution. (I'd insert an emoticon here but they don't do a wry smile)

Even if someone believes in 'intelligent design' they'd have to be egotistical to the point of mania to think that the horse was designed for them to ride.

The horse is naturally a superlative athlete - any 'engineering nightmares' almost always have a human origin.

[veebug22]

This is similar to the first symptoms my mare showed when Lyme hit her hard. She went from sound to looking a little funny at the canter, like she was unwilling to bend her legs, but completely sound at the walk and trot. Then her stifle seemed to act up at the trot, then walk. Turned out to just be an extremely high titre/Lyme causing stifle-focused lameness.

Or it could just be a stifle issue that needs to be worked out. My first thought with a horse that sounds like it's not willing to "bend" at the canter is stifles, then hocks.

Ulcers don't make sense to me, OP, not if lateral work at the walk makes it slightly apparent. That sounds more like a joint issue than ulcers.

[EqTrainer]

I was just thinking today that all my horses look tired and stiff from dealing w/the wet and mud. So the working horses got to come in for the night. I bet they feel better tomorrow! Maybe that's whats up w/Baby Huey...

[HandsomeBayFarm]

Well he does seem better today.

We did crack him (he was due as his tail wasnt on striaght) and then added some acupuncture.

Up until she came he had been resting the right hind A LOT. In the field, when eating in his stall, on the cross ties. Last night and this AM he was on all fours.

She is gonna look again at 10 days. If not better - we will look at Lyme or joint.

Forgot to add, I did give in and give him the Nutrient Buffer for the ulcer he may or may not have. He ate it in his food - which is good becuase I refuse to dose 80 CCs of that stuff. So we will see.

EqT - his belly is back. I dont think it is near as bad as before - just a 'lil bit more hay in it maybe?

[purplnurpl]

Well that would explain how successful and adaptable they've been as a species and how useful they've been to us humans in the course of our social evolution. (I'd insert an emoticon here but they don't do a wry smile)

Even if someone believes in 'intelligent design' they'd have to be egotistical to the point of mania to think that the horse was designed for them to ride.

The horse is naturally a superlative athlete - any 'engineering nightmares' almost always have a human origin.

LMAO.
that's a nice way to put it too.

[HandsomeBayFarm]

So the right hind was a bit swollen after the vet left last Tuesday. Nothing major - low in the pastern. Was standing better all around after some chiro work.

Thursday of last week - looks like he bowed his hind leg. OMG! Not horribly hot - just weird.

Friday - I go to lounge him and he is sound.

So I put him on the crossties and low and behold there is a hole in the coranary band of the right hind foot! All of the swelling gone.

So it seems he was working on an abcess. He could trot just not canter? Or perhaps there were two things at play. Idk!

Either way - he went on to clinic over the weekend just fine.

[EqTrainer]

:D Now about that belly.. email me w/the details :)