Horse Stiff / "Off" After Standing Up - Thoughts?

[DFL]

I recently noticed that my 16 year old OTTB sometimes appears “off” in his hind end when he gets up after his morning nap–to the point where he briefly looks lame. I have noticed him do this twice now but unfortunately I do not have any video. He doesn’t seem to have trouble getting up and he seems to “walk it off” shortly after getting up. Otherwise, he’s a fit, active horse that comfortably gallops to the pasture gate for his grain.

Is this relatively normal for a horse his age?

He does have a history of hind suspensory problems (he’s built really straight through his hind end) but as much as I hate to say it, he’s been going well lately and is in consistent work for dressage.

Anyone have similar experiences? Should I still be worried even though he appears to fully “walk it off” after a minute or two?

I’ll be calling the vet tomorrow to hear her thoughts and to see if we should put him back on Previcox (per the vet he’s been off Previcox for about a year because we fear that it could mask things if he were to strain a suspensory).

[purplnurpl]

I’m def off when I get up in the morning… Get up in the afternoon… Get up anytime. Especially after sitting Indian style or driving.

My 7 year old got up after sleeping one morning and it was clear to me that his hind leg was asleep.

[cdalt]

I began to notice this in my TB/WB mare when she was about 18 and started her on Previcox which helped her for a few years but it eventually got to the point that she had difficulty rising, stood and pawed in pain for a few minutes before she would begin to walk and then looked dead lame initially till she “walked it off”. She had only been lightly ridden for a few years and then been a broodmare (5 foals) till age 15. She had somewhat posty (overly straight) hind legs to begin with and they became worse with age plus her pasterns began to drop. I had to have her euthanized at age 22. I hope your guy does better than she did.

[DFL]

Thanks for the replies. I’m sorry about your mare, cdalt. Did she have difficulty rising before you put her on the Previcox and then it helped until she began to have trouble again? And how long did it take for her to “walk it off”?

[cdalt]

I put her on the Previcox because I noticed how stiff she was after rising from a “nap”. (I suffer from arthritis and know how that is - I have been on Celebrex for 10 years!) It did seem to lessen her symptoms and probably gave her a couple more years of fairly comfortable life before her arthritis got to the point where I felt she needed to be put down. She was in a pasture 24/7 and I think that the free movement (not being stalled) also helped her. But arthritis is progressive and there comes a point when there is not much that will help with the pain. As to your question about how long to “walk it off” - it was not very long, maybe a few minutes but it was excruciating to watch.