That’s what my good friend was thinking…Almost like PTSD from being ridden… He came from a jumping background, which makes me wonder if they over-bitted him and smacked him badly with a whip (I can’t carry a whip because he gets super anxious). He loves doing groundwork, and I’ve taught him to give me a kiss etc. He also was taught to do the Spanish walk by a previous owner, so he really loves treats and is super smart. Lunging without side-reins he’s fine, but the second you ask him to go on the bit he get’s spastic. I made sure to check his teeth for sharps and made sure his bit is correctly fitted. My trainer and I have tried everything. She’s even gotten on and schooled him, and he does it to her as well. I’ve tried riding him really light in the contact as well as trying to reallllllyyyy engage my back and us my core to hold (Hold isn’t really the right word) him together. So we’ve been proactive in trying to ride him different ways and find out what he likes.
I’m curious as to what that is, I’ve never heard of it. Like a bone scan?
I agree. Might just go do it, we’ve already put this much money into him.
If it helps, you only have to take a couple views - probably just a lateral and straight-on if you’re concerned about left-right balance (we just did two views per hoof). It’s nothing like taking rads for a PPE, so it’s much cheaper 
GOOD LUCK - I just went through something similar so I get it. 
To be clear, everyone on the same page, remember the difference between palmar and plantar, first paragraph:
LOW PALMAR OR PLANTAR ANGLE
(Click on any image to see a larger version)
What is it?
The triangular bone inside the hoof is known by several different terms: distal phalanx, P3, coffin bone, pedal bone. In the front feet, the two corners of the coffin bone that are closest to the heels are known as the palmar processes. In the back feet these are known as the plantar processes.
You bought a horse that was from sketchy sellers that wouldn’t release medical records, needs special shoeing and for cheap. There are a ton of red flags going on and I would have expected to pour $$$ into a horse like this.
Get blood work done, and turn him out 24/7.
They were sketchy after the fact. It wasn’t like we knew this would happen. We made sure he wasn’t on drugs and the horse acted fine when we tried him. He is already out 24/7. Not everyone has money to buy six figure horses, and we bought him sound, without MAJOR issues.
But they wouldn’t release the medical records- and he was cheap….soooooo.
Yes, I’m aware, I asked for records after I bought him. Might try and call the vet again since I’m the legal owner and get them (if that’s possible without getting the original owner to sign off on them).He was cheap, but I couldn’t spend much more on a horse, and we expected normal maintenance for a horse his age.
Just putting in my 2¢, if the front feet need special treatment isn’t it likely that the hind ones do as well?
At what point did you take the wedge pads off the hind feet?
Did you not think to ask for medical records before you bought him? I’m just saying- you kinda knew you were taking on a possible high maintenance horse. I get it you couldn’t initially afford a more expensive one, but this was a big risk you took. I hope you find answers.
About four months ago, and he was better for awhile. My trainer noticed less hind leg crossing (Some crossing is normal for him as he’s built base narrow). When we took him to the university vet, they nerve blocked his stifles and determined that there was no difference lameness wise, and when the nerve blocked the hocks there was almost 90% improvement. So the original owner put the shims on for “stifle issues”, that their vet diagnosed him with. That particular vet has had a lot of miss-diagnoses for stifle issues, which I find interesting.
Here is the wither finding if anyone is interested…my vet isn’t worried about it but my trainer said it could cause pain every time he goes to lift his shoulders, especially in the canter. Or if he gets hollow…
If the horse blocked to IA hock injections, he’s lame behind. That is why his behavior is the way it is.
The story you tell makes me think your horse has at least some amount of suspensory pain. Did the vet hospital ultrasound him when he was there? Simplest, cheapest thing to do next, fix the horse’s feet, give him a little time, and see what happens. It could be that the horse’s bad angles are causing the soreness. It could be that the horse actually has a suspensory injury.
I’m not a big fan of wedge pads, but if you put them back on for a shoeing cycle or two and give the horse a holiday, and he comes back better than before, you will have a good idea of what you need to do next. And without spending a ton of money. Although, as I believe someone else mentioned, 2 xrays of each hind foot really should not be that expensive and will let you know how much correction the hind feet need.
Unfortunately it’s not likely the vet will give you his records without the previous owner’s permission. In the future, the best time to ask for records is as part of the PPE so you can have your vet review them.
When you took the back x-rays did you also do neck?
Any discussion of what OP could have or should have done when buying the horse is neither helpful nor productive. That ship has sailed. OP is clearly doing the best they can to do right by the horse, so maybe lay off the guilt trip?
They blocked his suspensory as well when he was there and he was still lame, so they didn’t suggest further suspensory pain exploration. But yes, might as well go get his feet x-rayed and my farrier will do whatever we need him to do. The pads seemed to make him worse (He was hitting his back legs pretty bad), so we might try some other options. He was still just as bad with the pads as he was without, but who knows. Might just try something new.
We did from Poll to Pelvis, the only anomaly was in the wither
