We recently got a skinny 7/8 year old stallion, that was clearly very drugged, for $50.00 at our local livestock market. We gelded him, and we are in the process of putting weight on him when we noticed that he had something wrong with his hind end (hips, legs etc.) so bad that if he would try to rear, or back, up he would fall over himself. We got a massage therapist to have a look and she said it is a dislocated pelvis probably from backing up and falling. I was looking to see if anyone had similar experiences or know of any thing I can do to help him. Would he be able to be ridden in the future?
Thanks!
I would start by a thorough veterinary workup, including a full lameness exam and potentially a neuro exam.
[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;7921143]
I would start by a thorough veterinary workup, including a full lameness exam and potentially a neuro exam.[/QUOTE]
Absolutely. I really don’t think it’s even possible for a horse to “dislocate” their pelvis. Break parts of it, sure, or have issues with the SI joint…but dislocate the whole pelvis? No. Get the vet out for a workup.
I agree. The idea of ‘dislocation’ sounds layman/magical. I would have a good veterinary work up to get a diagnosis about the pelvis and back legs. It could be neurological, it could be orthopedic-spine, it could be many many things. Including previous fractures. You won’t know until it is diagnosed.
I should of included this. we had our vet check for wobblers and he said its a neg. The pelvis is rotated backwards as if he was going fast backwards trying to get away from something and fell on it that way and the muscle memory keeps it there.
To a lesser extent, I’ve had a similar problem. My horse had a pasture accident that caused her pelvis to rotate slightly so her hips looked uneven and we didn’t have a right lead. This went undiagnosed for a month or more before I found a chiro who got us on the right track.
We had regular chiropractic work to keep the hip in place and carefully correct work on circles to fix the muscles. It took months before we could reliably pick up and hold the right lead.
The test for wobbles is cervical xrays. Is that what you had done? Add me to the list that says it is not possible to dislocate a pelvis. The pelvis is attached to the spine. No way that horse would be upright, let alone alive if his pelvis was no longer attached to his spine.
If you can afford it, take him to a major veterinary teaching hospital and get a complete X-ray and soundness workup. If he’s not going to be usable, there’s no sense throwing good money after bad. Since he was a stallion, I’m wondering if that was a breeding-shed injury, possibly repetitive.
People, PLEASE do not rely on the word of “massage therapists,” “chiros,” etc. when diagnosing your horse–that is the job of a VETERINARIAN. There’s a reason they spend a hundred grand getting educated for that job, y’know? :rolleyes:
People, PLEASE do not rely on the word of “massage therapists,” “chiros,” etc. when diagnosing your horse–that is the job of a VETERINARIAN. There’s a reason they spend a hundred grand getting educated for that job, y’know?
FWIW, I always use chiros who were vets first.
You need a chiropractor or Osteopath. Normally they are vets too.
