Claudius, I too am in PA. Who did your injections?
One more thing Iām curious for those that have been through this. What was the recommendations on shoeing the hind feet?
Hollbear
I was in florida when I had him injected by Dr. Miles Hildebrande. I think he travesl quite a bitā¦he is a vet but specializes in Chiro. He is from Michigan, but he said he has some clients in Penna. If interested, PM me and I will give you a contact person who will be able to tell you about his whereabouts. But when I mentioned the SI injection to my vet, she said that ātheyā were doing a lot of that nowā¦and ātheyā are Unionville Equine in Oxford Pa.
I thought I had a horse with an SI problem because he was NQR, but the stories have been way to consistent to support that. He doesnāt have any canter problems, etc. Iām sure his issues will constitute a wholly different and thrilling adventure in learning.
In reading all these anecdotes, however, Iāve come to think of another horse of mine I thought may be having hock issues. His hocks have always been super tight and neat, not a hint of swelling or fever. He has, however, been having canter issues. Iāve also noticed he is very resistant to shoulder-in with his sorest side on the inside. I can feel his back brace. Anyone have SI problems when you have SI problems?
[QUOTE=HollBear;5647697]
One more thing Iām curious for those that have been through this. What was the recommendations on shoeing the hind feet?[/QUOTE]
Not sure what your asking. We didnāt change anythingā¦my horse just goes in four steel shoes
We raised the heels on his hinds so heād tip a little forward in the pelvis and stand more relaxed, less camped under.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for posting this; I have been trying to tell people to look at the SI for 11 years but, the answer is always the same:sadsmile:, vet says "canāt do anything up there:no:; inject hocks:mad:;
sad
It saddens me :(to think how many horses got unneeded :eek:hock injections; because so few vets are cognizant of si issues; It takes less time, and makes more money:cool: for vets to inject hocks:o
si manifestations
my mare had recurrent muscle spasms/ hardness. soreness in her right glut, and inner thigh. stifle; my vet lent me her laser to use; it removed the spasm; I used the laser every day for a week; my mare was a very successful show jumper but, cross cantered to the right, hopped and swapped leads when being collected in right lead canter
Thank the Lord I found this thread! I canāt tell you how much my daughters horse fits the description you all have stated in your posts.
Unfortunately, I donāt have years or really even one year to say āIāve done everything we canā. We picked up an older OTTB in the fall. Started Chiro and then workā¦but something just wasnāt right. Had him thoroughly vetted, flexed, and though Vet sees āsomethingā, feels heās weak in the hind end and to strengthen and weāll recheck. But work is not happening like it should. Heās clearly uncomfortable, He wonāt canter and when he does, he loses it, head high, not on the bit, is always dropping a his right hip when on cross ties, shifting weight, keeps feet under him when standing, etc. So I spoke to my Vet about it being his SI joint, and really is reluctant ( as I understand ) to consider an injection yet. I know I have to rule out hocks, stifles, what have you, but his behaviors are screaming SI joint! Our Chiro knows there is some SI stuff going on and though due again for and adjustment, I donāt think itās the only thing that is going to help.
My frustration is that Iād hate to spend tons of money ruling everything else out like you all have. I want to go straight to what I think his issue is and do a bone scan and give him relief if it is.
In the meantime, Iād hate to strengthen him only to put him in pain through the process. So any ideas on how we can proceed as the Dr ordered until we can look further into this mystery.
[QUOTE=wishnwell;5744263]
Thank the Lord I found this thread! I canāt tell you how much my daughters horse fits the description you all have stated in your posts.
Unfortunately, I donāt have years or really even one year to say āIāve done everything we canā. We picked up an older OTTB in the fall. Started Chiro and then workā¦but something just wasnāt right. Had him thoroughly vetted, flexed, and though Vet sees āsomethingā, feels heās weak in the hind end and to strengthen and weāll recheck. But work is not happening like it should. Heās clearly uncomfortable, He wonāt canter and when he does, he loses it, head high, not on the bit, is always dropping a his right hip when on cross ties, shifting weight, keeps feet under him when standing, etc. So I spoke to my Vet about it being his SI joint, and really is reluctant ( as I understand ) to consider an injection yet. I know I have to rule out hocks, stifles, what have you, but his behaviors are screaming SI joint! Our Chiro knows there is some SI stuff going on and though due again for and adjustment, I donāt think itās the only thing that is going to help.
My frustration is that Iād hate to spend tons of money ruling everything else out like you all have. I want to go straight to what I think his issue is and do a bone scan and give him relief if it is.
In the meantime, Iād hate to strengthen him only to put him in pain through the process. So any ideas on how we can proceed as the Dr ordered until we can look further into this mystery.[/QUOTE]
This was the one time that I called my vet and saidā¦I WANT YOU TO COME INJECT THE SI. And he didā¦of course Iāve been a client for a very long time and he knows me quite well. Usually I would ask for his advice, but from what my friend had told me, I knew I needed the SI injected. If I had the extra funds, I would have the other two horses done as well.
Just wanted to add that I had my horseās SI injected recently for very similar issues as described here. He felt weak behind and would occasionally land cross cantering from a fence (something heād never done in 6 years). I had chiro done and he was out back there but unlike other adjustments he gets done this one didnāt have a dramatic effectā¦
so I took him to the very good lameness clinic I use. This horse has significant hock arthritis that we are very aware of, but it didnāt feel āhockyā at all to me. Vet watched him go, listened to me, and flexed him. Told me she also didnāt think it was his hocks at all, but rather his SI.
So we injected it ā I trust her eye very much, and it really jived with what I had felt.
Within a week very big difference. Clearly helped the horse, who now feels properly sound in the first time in ages!
Unfortunately my Vet is leaving the practice in less than a week. Very sad about that. I just hope we donāt go through unnecessary hock/joint injections first, I will put my foot down. My gut is telling me, in bright neon signs this needs to be doneā¦
lots of signs, if only I had known also.
consistently leaving right hind leg back in halt.; incomplete change to right lead, cross cantering; sensitivity/ constant spasm to palpation between si and spine;
consistent lack of āthoroughnessā to the right.; collecting the canter produces resistance:eek: "hopping"swapping behind in right lead; right side never "lifts as much as:no: left; feeling of ātraffic jam :sadsmile:ā or āgrinchā under the right seatbone; saddle constantly shifts right:eek:.
My mareās SI joints got very sore when I started to ride her after an 8 month lay-off. (Sheād had suspensory surgery, a fasciotomy, on her LH.) She felt a little wobbly behind, was cranky about upward transitions (halt to walk, walk to trot ā we were barely trotting when this came up), and just āsourā about work in general, more than one would expect from just being out of work for so long. My vetās a great lameness guy and he guessed SI just watching her go, but the thing that did it for him is that when he palpated the SI area, mare would try to sit down to get away from him! (Sheās not a kicker, bless her.)
My vet did the U/S guided SI injections on both sides, for about $600 or so. She got a week off and then we continued on her rehab program. Steady improvement continued until April or May, when she started to show the same symptoms but only to the right and especially in canter transitions. She had a very hard time holding a canter, cross-cantered, etc. Because the problem was only on the left (LH being very important to right lead canter), he redid the injection on the left side only, for about $450. (In between the two SI injections sheād also had her hocks done, which she really needed.) Sheās improved tremendously since then and has not been cranky about the canter at all; in fact she LOVES to canter, which is how she was before she went lame. She does sometimes fall out of it but is more responsive to a half-halt to keep her in it when she starts to flail. She barely responds to SI palpation at all.
The vet thinks she probably wonāt need injections again for a while, maybe a year. I certainly hope so; as with all injections, SIs can only be done so many times. I do absolutely recommend that you only get them if the vet uses ultrasound to guide the needles.
I would love a pm about the SI exercises.
[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;5746881]
I would love a pm about the SI exercises.[/QUOTE]
Me too!
[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;5746881]
I would love a pm about the SI exercises.[/QUOTE]
Thirded!
Shame I didnāt see this thread soonerā¦ The symptoms sound very consistent with the problems my new guy is having. He was quite tweaked when I got him in the fall, so I gave him the winter & spring to trail ride, be a horse, and see how much we could fix just by riding forward and straight. Heās run hot and cold it became apparent that he was still not right somewhere. Iāve been slowly trying to narrow it down while I sort out other things, starting with cheapest & least invasive fixesā¦ I may have to bite the bullet and skip a few items down the list.
On that note, I would also like to get in on the SI exercises PMā¦ 
Hereās another request for the exercises! Thanks
