6yo ottb, 8 months of down time before being restarted in May. Started slow and steady. Pretty much issues since day one of trot work. Have done everything under the sun, ulcer treatment, lyme test, chiro, farrier trim changed, changed feed, different saddles, different bridles, different bits, different riders, dentist, sheath cleaning, kissing spine xray, drugs (to keep him calm after chiro adjustment so it had a better chance to set, also to knock out the possibly of it just being a mental issue.)
We had the vet out to do flexions, sound (over a month ago), and a very reputable chiro out to weeks ago. - said his croup/back end was a mess. Adjusted stuff mostly on the left side of his body (si, few ribs, some neck.). Basically told me he was lucky to not have broken down on the track.
Started him today on a pill a day of previcox for the next week. Vet is agreeing, pain at this point. Being on all the drugs he’s on (Reserpine + a tube of calm & cool prior to riding.) isn’t preventing the outbursts, but is giving me a better idea of what sets them off . . . Going to the right you basically get two-three laps of trotting with warnings and then he breaks out into a sideways canter … no matter where you are in the ring or how you try to correct it/ride him through it. Right before the outburst you’ll feel him swing his haunches in, but stay straight through the middle back/shoulder/neck. If you ignore it, you get cantering sideways, if you correct it and straighten him back out, you get cantering sideways. If you are walking him on a small figure eight, left to right he shortens. Can’t figure out where in his body he is doing it, but he definitely shortens. If you walk to the left and put inside leg on he attempts to lift, takes the leg and eventually relaxes into it. Do it to the other side with the right leg and you get head tossing, changes in breathing, jigging, etc. Something is also definitely off in his back end, today I noticed some atrophy in his right hip between butt point and croup.
He wants to go with his hips/butt to the right. Which is why I suspect he’s better to the left. He can get away with drifting his haunches out to an extent. To the right I feel it instantly and go to correct and straight, that is when you get the cantering sideways.
Today while the BO was watching and commenting on things I remembered something and put it together . . . Maybe . . . a month into working him under saddle I started adding in canter work. First day was non eventful and short (just a quick canter one way for a few circles). Second day he took off blindly with me for laps on end. I still don’t know how to this day I stayed on. Ended up running him into a wall after everything else failed. NOTHING I tried worked and I tried everything . . . It was the right lead canter. He tipped his butt in and wanted to counter bend/go straight, so I asked him to readjust himself more up off his shoulder and to stop putting his butt in. Proceeded to bolt at this, would not slow down, and BLINDLY ran through a jump standard. Didn’t even so much as try and dodge it, didn’t bat an eye, didn’t break stride, in fact ran faster. At the time, figured he was just being piggish and lacked respect, so ceased canter work and decided to focus more on the trot at the time. Now I suspect that was all from pain and is exactly the same injury/problem I am dealing with now.
This is a short clip from yesterday walking away from the camera under saddle. To me, if you focus on the right hind, when he’s going to the left, he’s twisting it or something and pushing off the outside edge.
Video clip of what he presents to the right:
https://www.instagram.com/p/8EYctuzHwa/
Some other random things
*Tracks up fully on right side, misses on left.
*Wear marks on inside of front left boot/bellboot.
*Used to not stand square to urinate - hind left under him - seems to be squaring up a bit better after chiro work.
*Retired from racing due to inflammation on the front left superficial flexor, rested and still protected galloping despite trotting out sound, so was retired. (or so I as told)
*Kicked a lot hen I got him, mostly hind right from what we can remember. Went away once in work.
*Hind right hoof grows/wears upright, almost clubbed looking as my farrier put it. Hind left grows more typical of the TB, long in the toe and underrun in the heel.
*Supposedly slipped in field two months prior to my purchasing him (unknown to me - didn’t find out about this until recently), developed a hematoma on right stifle that required a drain to be put in.
I am sure I am forgetting things.
Anyone have any ideas??? I am at an absolute loss at this point and am reaching the end of options and so is he.