Hi collective wisdom. Running into a mystery lameness issue. Have been working through a lameness issue for the last while and still unable to determine what it is. Essentially my mare is very unhappy about using her hind end in the canter. She’s 8 and has not worked overly hard (jumping small courses, regularly worked on the flat). She had stifle surgery last year to remove OCD fragment. Did full rehab, slowly brought her back, vet gave her the OK she is good to go. She seemed fine while bringing her back, a little sensitive in the back but likely due to ill fitting saddle (which has been dealt with). Also had her scoped for ulcers last winter and she was clean.
She can get very sensitive and sometimes just dumb while cycling. Very sensitive to touch by flanks, under belly, etc. This is why we were thinking possible ulcers, but instead put it down to hormones. Put her on Regumate for a few months over the summer and it helped with the mood swings and decreased the sensitivity with cycling, but still there to a lesser extent. Also gets quite swollen in the area in front of her teats, more so on the left side.
Then she started to go off. Not bad enough in the hind that it was noticeable to many people, just felt ‘off’. Then a lot of bum hopping and lead swapping. Then a lot of stopping at small fences. Had a vet out about a month ago who thought her back was sore, and also sore left hock. Hard to say which came first. Vet thought we could get by for the winter with a chiro adjustment, B12 injection in SI, previcox for the time being, and then may need hock injection in spring. Gave her a few days off and brought her back and she was worse, way worse. Reluctant to go forward, tail swishing, pinning ears and not wanting to go into canter. In canter just swapping leads and back end going up and down bouncing around.
Gave her a couple weeks off. Took her off the Previcox at request of vet (also didn’t seem to be doing anything). Had vet out again (different one because other was on vacation) and he said yep, she is 2/5 lame on hind left. We thought it was a possible suspensory injury on the hind, but after a thorough lameness evaluation we thought it was her left hock. Did xrays, ultrasound, etc., hock joint looks clean, suspensory looks clean. Blocked suspensory to ensure it was hock. Did an injection of legend and steroid, gave her 5 days off and tried again. First day back at walk and trot, totally fine. Day 3 tried to introduce canter and same thing, ear pinning, reluctant to go into canter, bum bouncing up and down. Tried taking her back to trot for a couple days thinking the hind end may need to be strengthened again, still same behaviour. Less ear pinning and reluctance to go up into canter, but will not hold a lead in either direction. About half way around a circle she starts to throw her bum up in the air. I have tried loose rein, contact, change of pace, same behaviour. She seems quite happy to trot extended or collected, seems to be something about the canter gait.
I have taken her off the Regumate for the last month and she is very sensitive again to the flank and belly area even being touched. If you try and touch or push in front of her teats she will try to kick you, more so on the left side, and will kick out on the left.
Looking for insight! Could it be hormone related? Ovarian cyst? Mastitis? Hind gut? Still her back? No temperature, eating, drinking, otherwise normal behaviour. She is on no grain, other than Dr. Reeds vitamin supplement as recommended by vet, hemp hulls, flax, and magnesium (also recommended by vet). She’s a very easy keeper.
Thank you for any insight!
