SI injection, if only someone had told me this five years ago, update post 102

[dalpal]

Dear Mare,
I am so very sorry that I have not been able to hear what your body has been saying to me for the past five years. I could never understand why you were so difficult when I asked you to accept contact, why you were so pissy in upward transitions. I had two different vets look at you over the years, one completely shrugged his shoulders and the other one did inject your hocks, but no one ever mentioned your SI…until my friend told me she just had her horse done and all of the same symptoms disappeared after about two months.

So I called my vet up and asked him to please come inject your SI. After talking with him, he said the classic symptoms are "not holding chiro adjustments…since you fit that description perfectly, he agreed to inject.

Thank you mare for some of the most wonderful rides for the past week. I cannot believe you are the same horse. You are as sweet under saddle as you have always been on the ground. You are giving me your back and stretching into my hand. You are trying with all your might to please me (although I really think you always have, I just had no idea what was bothering you all these many years).

It makes me sad and I am very sorry. I would have done this sooner had anyone clued me in.

Here’s to a new bright future together. And here we just thought you hated dressage…but after today’s ride that is obviously not the case. You feel like my sweet old guy who is my steady eddie 3rd level schoolmaster…just honest.

Sincerely,
Your Apologetic Owner.

[kinnip]

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. It’s good to hear you had such great results.

[mroades]

Just did mine thursday, been trying to get it done for a year…I hope he has a s good a result as the others I have done

[Beethoven]

Its amazing the difference. :yes: Instead of inverting and running faster, my mare finally stepped under and lifted! OMG watching her on the lunge line now is awesome! Love that hind end and she is finally sound! She still has her mare days, but our main problem right now is saddle fit. Thats the last piece to the puzzle.

[mg]

Approximately how much do these injections cost? I have one who can get pretty unhappy under saddle…have gone through the works (saddle fit, chiro, vet, dentist, etc etc) and nothing makes a difference. I can’t justify dumping a ton more money into him since he’s just a pasture pet half of the year, but if the cost isn’t too high, I might try it and see how it goes…TIA!

[dalpal]

Mine ran about 285.00 (haven’t seen the bill yet. That’s what the vet quoted me". I’m in Raleigh.

[Lieslot]

About $580 for the ultrasound guided SI.

With ultrasound you have a little more certainty they are getting as close to the SI articulations as possible. The SI joints itself cannot be injected. The drugs do get diffused in the area, so it’s not a direct targeted treatment, hence you want to get as close as pos.

[kinnip]

I’m curious, those of you who know your horse has SI issues, what tipped you off? I have a youngster off the track who is just NQR in the rear. He’s been taking some time off after ripping off both front shoes. I think he’s gotten himself a little hinky while compensating for the soreness, but he was never just right before anyway. He’s been very subtly irregular in the hind since I got him, but without pain, swelling, or heat in his legs. Honestly, he moves the way I feel, and I know I have SI issues. I thought about calling a chiro, but I’m a little iffy about that technique. It can do so much damage if not done right.

[Tiffani_B]

OP, I wrote the same letter to my mare a few years back. And I felt just as bad about how long it took for me to figure it out and how long I asked her to work in pain.

Symptoms - refusing to take a canter depart from any gait, cross cantering on a lunge line, difficulty holding balance around turns (particulary in one direction vs. the other) and getting more and more sour under saddle as time went on, eventually refusals getting more and more adament until rearing developed when asked for an upward transition, especially the canter. All the conventional treatments (dentist, saddle fitting, time off, bute, lameness exams, chiro adjustments, massage, supplements, even regumate and hock injections) did nothing.

Injected the SI and in a month I had a wonderful riding horse. The end.

[kinnip]

:lol: Thanks, but damn! All of those are also symptoms of being fresh off the track. :lol:

[Watermark_Farm]

I just returned a horse I was leasing who was NQR behind and turned out to have SI joint issues. He had been uneven behind during warmup, wanted to go around with his nose literally on the ground (shifting weight onto front end), didn’t want to drive under with hind end, etc. Lost a lot of muscling around SI.

I had him ultrasounded and the vet found significant arthritis in both sides of SI joint as well as arthritis in his left hip joint. He is getting chiro and other complementary therapies, as well as strengthening work, but he will most likely have an SI injection at some point…Nice to read this thread and see how helpful this joint injection can be for some horses.

[NCSue]

SI issues are much more common than many realize. Sometimes it can be “corrected” through correct riding, farrier and saddle fitting. Many times it can’t. Make sure you are using a vet who has experience injecting joints.

Dalpal, you have always gone the extra mega-mile to resolve issues with your horses. I am happy that you and your mare are getting to thoroughly enjoy each other. May you have many, many more wonderful rides.

OTTBs often have more than one issues which makes it hard to pinpoint the initial issue. Do you know why he was retired from the track. How much down time has he had? What you describe (without a video) could be SI but it could also be something else. He needs a thorough lameness exam. Don’t rule out chiropractory. A good equine chiro or osteopath can be very helpful. I am also a big fan of massage therapy. All you need is a truckload of money.

[kinnip]

I’m waiting on my truckload of money to arrive. I told them to deliver it to my house, but they just took it straight to the IRS. :no:

I have no doubt he has many things going on, he had over 60 starts. I shipped him down from FL in Dec. He had a month or two of downtime while the ground was frozen. Up until he tore those shoes off a month ago, he was being ridden 3-4 times a week. He really was good under saddle, no sign of lameness. It’s just that some days he looked like he wasn’t stepping under completely with his right hind. I’ve corrected this in other horses with proper work and straightening, and wouldn’t be worried had he not gotten worse post-shoe pulling (he did do some more silly running around). I’ve been confining him during the day, and it’s back to being barely noticeable. It’s just one of those things that nags at the back of my mind, even when others don’t see it.
The farrier is scheduled for Fri. Hopefully he can find something to nail to in the front. Once that’s squared away, I’ll buy a sixer and lure my vet out. We’ll do a poke and pull and see what we can find.

[SpotznStripes]

I can confirm symptoms of SI problems illustrated by others: agitation when asked for upward transitions, kicking out/cross cantering at the canter, and reluctance to go on the bit…in essence, an angry horse under saddle. And unfortunately the problem won’t resolve itself over months of time. Vet did not recommend riding and felt chiropractor work may or may not help…most likely will need injections. Unfortunately, the horse I am referring to is at a rescue where I volunteer…and has basically been turned out to pasture. Dalpal- your mare is lucky to have you!

[mg]

[QUOTE=SpotznStripes;5632614]
I can confirm symptoms of SI problems illustrated by others: agitation when asked for upward transitions, kicking out/cross cantering at the canter, and reluctance to go on the bit…in essence, an angry horse under saddle. And unfortunately the problem won’t resolve itself over months of time. Vet did not recommend riding and felt chiropractor work may or may not help…most likely will need injections. Unfortunately, the horse I am referring to is at a rescue where I volunteer…and has basically been turned out to pasture. Dalpal- your mare is lucky to have you![/QUOTE]

So are horses with SI pain pretty much always like this? Or can it vary depending on the severity of the pain?

[Lieslot]

Some interesting literature :):

http://www.igloo.lv/horses/harm/sacroiliac_pain.html

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=5445

http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/AAEP/2002/910102000257.PDF

http://www.myhorse.com/back-pain-and-sacroiliac-joint-horses.html

[SpotznStripes]

I only have experience with the one horse. But here’s a good article with list of symptoms I can relate to: http://www.behindthebitblog.com/2008/05/does-your-horse-have-hip-pain.html

[dalpal]

Same here…just one horse that just would not go into contact…now she would go in a nosed out all day long, but once you asked for her to take the bit, she would swing haunches out, if that didn’t work, swing shoulders, if that didn’t work, toss head, anything to evade contact. Now granted the male professionals I’ve had ride her in the past had the strength to push her on contact…I don’t. It was frustrating. I had vets check her…one told me it was a training issue and she needed better training.

There were good days and bad days…but she would always toss her head in transitions. She loves to jump and never refused anything…but dressage…you just couldn’t establish any type of contact. I wasn’t asking for an upper level frame, just go on contact.

I hadn’t been on her for about six months. I have had a hunter rider jumping her. Got on her a few weeks ago and it felt like nothing was behind me…she was everywhere.

Was talking to a dear friend who had, had frustrations with her young gelding and they injected the SI…and it made a huge difference. So I called my vet and had him come inject. I kid you not, we walked her down the barn aisle the next day and you could already see the back was swinging, bigger range of motion.

Now when I ride her, she is calm, relaxed and giving 100 percent and is not evading contact. She used to really give you an uneven, strung out ride…now she feels compact and is listening to my seat. Before she would tune my seat aides out completely.

And agree about the chiro. I am fortunate to have a damn good chiropractor. And she’s do to be done again in July.

And thank you NC Sue and Spots…I do try my best to do right by all the four legged critters. All my jeans have holes in them, but the animals are taken care of. :lol: I’m just sad it took five years to finally figure this mystery out.

[kinnip]

Wow. Those are a lot of very consistent experiences. I guess I need to keep looking. My guy is not consistent in the contact yet, but he’s not resistant either. Upward transitions are no more of a PITA than with any other OTTB. Thanks guys, and dalpal, congrats on your new horse!!!

[mroades]

Mine was resisting upward transistions into the canter, and then if we did any kind of turning or collected work, then the NEXT day he would kick out and buck at the canter.