My 13 yr old gelding does his ‘stopping’ when he is starting to become hock sore, and then compensates and his back gets sore. Have you looked into the hocks or stifles yet as a source? Unfortunately, no quick answer than to start some simple diagnostics and rule things in/out one by one. I wouldn’t jump to an MRI or bone scan without doing some straightforward hind end x-rays first. If these have been done already, what were the results?
My checklist would include:
- Hock & stifle x-rays
- Front leg flexions (if not already done) as they can compensate front issues on their hind
- hoof evaluation for any soreness issues there or improper balance
- If all of these are negative, you will need a sports medicine/lameness vet to make further recommendations, such as spinal x-rays, bone scans or an MRI. Bone scans show areas of inflammation that may or may not be an issue. An MRI is best defined once you determine what joint or area is the issue and it will identify issues such as tearing in muscles or ligaments.
Of course, there can always be more than one thing going on at a time too and it takes a combination of things to manage the issues. For my older one, it’s IA injections as needed, massage prn, and full turnout. He gets an oral supplement but that’s more to appease me in all reality.
