8 y/o mare won't pick up left hind

[Equitational]

Long story short, 2012 Hanoverian mare is reluctant to pick up her hind feet for farrier, vets and now me. Mostly so on her left hind. When you go to pickup her left hind she’ll either pick it up momentarily, slam it down and then rest the right hind (she was doing the same on the other hind too, but her right has gotten better). Or she’ll put all her weight on her left hind and wont even attempt to pick it up. I suspect she doesn’t want to load her weight on her right hind. I suspect its a pain issue as she’s fine for the other 3 feet (or at least the fronts) but it can’t be that bad since she’s sound under saddle?

She just came home from being in full training at A-show barn. While there she became difficult for farrier and was sedated for being shod. In October she had her hocks and stifles injected for the first time (in an attempt to help any discomfort). She was on Legend and Adequan but has not had any since October. In December she had her SI injected by a vet experienced in lamenesses. That vet saw inflammation in her stifles but noted her soreness/response mostly to SI region. I think she is moving better u/s since all those injections. But she still doesn’t have clean changes most of the time (these have always been a battle). If you are lunging her and she takes off, she’ll bunny hop behind (canter with hind legs together). Her last shoeing we could get shoe nailed on her left hind (even under sedation) so she’s been barefoot behind last 6 weeks. Farrier was able to briefly trim right hind today while she was in her stall eating/distracted. Mare lives in a stall, is turned out daily and ridden 3x a week. She has not jumped in last two months but was jumping regularly 3’ and under while in training. She is a big mare and can be heavy in her mouth while jumping. Also has been difficult to collect her canter but it’s greatly improved since training. She had clean x-rays as a 2 y/o and I have x-rays from 18mos ago with beginning arthritis in her hocks and some changes in her stifles (mostly right stifles).

Anyone have experience with similar issue or any ideas? I can have vet come out and do new x-rays to see any changes since last 18mos but kind of out treatment options? I’m up for animal communicator (not sure I believe that stuff) or body work/chiropractor.

[sheep_with_a_gun]

Any muscle quivering or difficulty backing up?

[Equitational]

No I discussed shivers with my vet when she was there last (she just had a dental too) and she doesn’t display either of those symptoms.

[No1]

Have you xrayed her back? Specifically, T13/14 through lumbar spine?

[IPEsq]

It sounds like you need a more thorough lameness exam and maybe an opinion from someone that specializes in rehabilitation. Plus probably a chiropractic evaluation.

While things have gotten bad, none of this sounds “new” in that she’s always struggled with changes and getting off the forehand and things like that.

You have treated the things you have found with little effect. If the stifles are the main thing, you may want to try something like IRAP or ProStride instead of steroids (I’m assuming the first injections were steroids), and you may want to ultrasound since there was effusion the vet could feel. There are 3 sites to inject possibly in each stifle.

Neck and back Xrays would also be on my list as well as further examination of the SI area if there isn’t marked improvement by the time you get to a month to 6 weeks after injections (not sure when those happened in December —you might need to wait longer).

Neuro exam and considering things like EPM would go alongside the neck and back question. And saddle fit, since a change in posture due to saddle issues can cause hind end strain.

If there is nothing in particular to treat at this point, this is where the rehab specialist comes in. Do you try a course of steroids and go back to the beginning with slow conditioning and retraining of the movement patterns? Plus core exercises and mobilization exercises as she tolerates them.

Long story short you need a close look at the whole horse and someone to help you develop a day to day plan.

[sascha]

Yes, I have had experience with this in a horse who ended up 18hh. It was, um, a challenge. This was some 20+ years ago so his “official” diagnosis from the vet college was stringhalt. His official diagnosis from topnotch private lameness clinic, “Yup, that’s stringhalt.” I suspect he also had EPSM as it was muscle damage from a kick that eventually led to having him put down at just shy of 17. Apart from the stringhalt/EPSM he lived a happy, useful life in the jumper ring. Too bad I bought him as my go to the moon and back dressage horse. Oh well, lots of other people had fun with him His lower leg joints were all clean as a whistle at 16, btw.

Anyway, the absolute best for shoeing/trimming was to put him in an aisle way with a solid wall beside him. When he realized he could lean against the wall and not be in danger of having a moment that might hurt his handlers he was much, much easier to work on. I also kept a LOT of leadshank length between him and me so that if he had a moment he could move forward, I’d have a chance to let the farrier know to get the hell out of the way, and nobody would get hurt.

So that’s for shoeing. For figuring it out - EPSM diagnosis is a LOT easier and actually recognized as a thing now than it was back then, so do that and then make changes as needed to diet, work, turnout, etc. If that’s not it, I guess try to rule everything else out (neck, stifles, etc)

[joiedevie99]

Test for EPM, talk to the vet about EPSM. If that’s not it, I’d start over on diagnostics with someone awesome at it. You’ve tried a lot of treatment, and nothing has fixed the issue.

If you can’t create any lameness that you could block with flexions or ridden work, I’d start with back and neck x-rays. And then ultrasound the SI (from above and rectally).

If you can create a lameness that is consistently apparent under some condition, I’d start with blocks.

[LovieBird]

I don’t know if this is helpful, but my horse has always been reluctant to pick up his left hind and fussy once you pick it up. Chiropractor says it’s due to inflammation in his lower back. His SI/hips have always been his problem area, especially on his left side.

I find chiropractor visits followed by massage therapy a week or so after on a regular schedule to be beneficial.

I’ve also found that sometimes it takes them some time to realize they’re not hurting anymore. You could always do the animal communicator route also- can’t hurt!

[Equitational]

I googled ProStride and that seems like what was injected into her SI region. Her hocks and stifles were injected with steriods. Its been about 4-5 weeks since her SI was injected. I could pick up her left hind right after the injections, but not currently. She did just come out of heat.

Flexions aren’t possible with her since she won’t pick up or hold up her leg long enough and I know she won’t flex sound (I think one vet put her at a 1 or 2 on the hinds, this was before hock/stifle injections). I don’t want to do blocks for that reason.

She just came out of full time training, so she’s super fit and muscled. I will try and post a recent video of her u/s.

[Equitational]

Yes my vet thought she was sore over her hip too (this was after the SI was injected by lameness expert). She has not shown any soreness on her back or where the saddle is. She has a custom saddle too.

I think I’ll try a chiropractor but we’re in a pretty small/rural area so finding a decent equine chiro may be hard.

[Equitational]

Her back and neck have not been x-rayed but probably should next step. I just feel her issue is not wanting to be load bearing on right hind. Not sure if that’s coming from further up her body like her neck or back?

[Equitational]

I also forgot to mention since being home from training, she tends to be more stocked up in her left hind fetlock. I’m assuming it was the same when she was in training, I just didn’t see her in person much during that time (she was in training 2hrs away and I had a baby half way through her time there).

[Equitational]

Video_1

Video

[Equitational]

Did he hold is leg up/it get stuck held up? I’ve seen another horse with stringhalt who was a successful AA jumper but I can’t remember if they had difficulty shoeing him.

[sascha]

He did the not wanting to pick it up, appearing to get stuck with it up, and slamming it down. All progressed as he aged. It also progressed to both hinds and started to be visible in all 3 gaits -with a lift, hold, slam that had started as a barely noticeable lift, slam just in walk.

[IPEsq]

Could we see a walk video also? That is the gait you’d probably see signs of stringhalt first if it’s that. She doesn’t canter quite like a horse with a major SI thing but that hyper mobility in trot suggests some chronic SI area dysfunction and/or strain on her back just from how she moves. That doesn’t mean the lumbar area or hip aren’t possibilities for things higher up. She’s also a little on the heavy side which may not help. (Sorry, I like them hunter fat myself but I am hearing the same from my vet now that I am chasing some mystery back and hind end thing myself).

I think most obvious would be right stifle given how she is moving and what you have already imaged. You can do blocks without flexions. You just need to longe or ride her after the block to see if there is any improvement. You just can’t inject the joint the same day as blocking because you need the block fluid to dissipate.

The reason to look for things like neck is if this behavior is proprioception related instead of pain related.

If this were my horse, I would go ahead and X-ray neck and back and have a lameness expert review the hock and stifle X-rays. Because you have already treated the more obvious things, this would at least rule other possibilities out. Next I might ultrasound that stifle. And then I’d do blocks. She isn’t really obviously lame so in that case starting with blocks could potentially bring in unintentional bias…the vet wants to see improvement but there may not be any, and when you have a grade 1 lameness to start, a subtle improvement is hard to judge. And if course you can’t really block the SI and stuff very high up (well, you CAN but it’s highly risky and most vets won’t). So you are looking at blocking the lower limb to see maybe if an area you treated is still the problem and it just didn’t really respond to treatment.

[Equitational]

Walk video, don’t mind beginner rider. She was a little thinner when I brought her home, she’s definitely gained a little weight.

Video

[IPEsq]

This video is before treatment, yes? Even considering the beginner rider, I think she looks better now. Definitely hitchy in right hind. Would be interesting to see how she walks now. Doesn’t scream stringhalt to me but I don’t really know what beginner stages might look like. Could be the stifle. And the little bit of trot and upward transitions do look more SI like than the recent video.

Maybe it will just take more time and conditioning. With my guy at one point we did a round of oral steroids just to try to get him working well enough to see if we could push through. But his response to initial SI injections were more noticeable than what you describe.

[Equitational]

No, all three videos are from the same day, this past Wednesday. 4-5 weeks after SI injection/treatment.

[frugalannie]

I’m not sure I saw anyone ask this: did your vet back her up a few steps and then see how she walked out? Have you ever done that? (All in hand BTW).

If she doesn’t walk out well after being backed up, strong indicator of stifle problem. “Rehab” exercises, maybe estrone injections in stifle, turnout on a hillside if possible can all help. I had one and handled another. As I recall, more common in mares. And both did well after rehab.