I'm gathering "evidence" for a vet school trip - is this weird or not?

Yeah, this is weird. Neurologically normal horses don’t (usually) stand tangled up like that, at least for that amount of time. It’s really suggestive that he doesn’t really know quite where those limbs are in space.

I hope you get some useful info from this appt!

6 Likes

Thank you. I hope so too, having been mildly gaslit by a handful of vets in the past I’m just hoping someone will take me seriously! I’ve learned that picture and video evidence helps so much for stuff like this.

3 Likes

I have nothing to add apart from good luck, and now I’m waiting for answers as well.

2 Likes

Would video taping him in this position, then adjusted to be put in a more “normal stance” and taping how long and how he readjusts back to this leg forward, tightroping stance be beneficial??

1 Like

Don’t like that picture! If possible send photos/videos ahead of your appointment. It will get the vets to take you seriously if he doesn’t deign to do it in front of them and will give the vets a chance to confer a bit beforehand about what to look at. Safe travels!

2 Likes

I wonder…

He will stand normal if you put him there, but the moment his head goes down for grass or hay he goes into the “grazing stance”. He starts off pretty close to in line (but not as crossed as this), and gets crossed as he grazes in a semi circle. Instead of moving both feet, he kind of moves the front (left) foot around.

1 Like

I wonder if seeing video of that, when he’s not pumped full of adrenaline from the trip and new place where he may not demonstrate it, might be beneficial.
It’s actually fascinating, in an academic sense.

Jingles
.

4 Likes

If I’m correct in understanding that your horse will shift from a normal stance to a tightrope stance without external direction to move (ex on crossties) you may be seeing an attempt to relieve pain. In my (limited) experience, neurological horses “forget” to adjust their body when they move to a new position. Like leaving hind feet pointed sideways after doing a 180 turn. The proprioceptive signals are not getting through to prompt the brain “oh yeah, that’s uncomfortable, let me straighten that leg.”

Horses that shuffle into a weird stance are usually trying to alter the pressure on feet, or use different muscles, etc. because they do feel uncomfortable in a normal stance.

Did I understand your question correctly? I see I didn’t - you were asking about @fivestrideline’s grazing horse. I’m thinking that could be either or, and probably having a video of the standing normally and grazing in a circle around the non moving leg could be helpful regardless of pain vs neuro cause. I’d suggest keeping the whole horse in the frame as there might be some additional oddity as yet unrecognized.

1 Like

And having gone back far enough to catch up on the new conversation and pictures, I still think it could be either or. But if I saw my horse standing like that regularly my first thought would be that it’s an attempt at pain relief, and probably for something higher up, like maybe a shoulder. Second thought would be “Vet!” :wink:

1 Like

@fivestrideline I recently had a CT/myelogram done on a horse of mine. Ultrasound had shown some worrisome area c6-c7, and he had some neurological issues. The cost was approx $4000 from a clinic in Ocala. Just FYI, obviously you may see some variation.

1 Like

OK this is weird. The above post ^^ just showed up as done 2 minutes ago. I did not type the post and I have no earthly idea how it got there. I did post something close to this on another thread quite a while ago…

1 Like

OP, I hope you are not going to the same vet(s) who have dismissed you in the past. There is no point in trying to convince them. Even if you have to travel a bit with this horse, I’d find the best vet outside of that realm to have the next look.

That said … are you traveling with this horse in a trailer to the vet? I’m wondering how he will stand and balance himself. If he only does this when he lowers his head to a certain point, I suppose you can manage that, hopefully.

2 Likes

I skipped some posts, but I’d probably go to UGA. And you want to see sports medicine/lameness as well as whoever they have that does neuro stuff (there are very few actual equine neurologists but typically someone in an internal medicine department may have more neuro cases in their experience or research interest who would be the go to person). There is a doctor at UGA now who I met while she was doing sports medicine residency at CSU who is very good at imaging, particularly ultrasound (for your neck and/or SI imaging), so between UGA and NCSU I’d go UGA.

Also agree the leg crossing is not normal.