I have a wonderful little guy that I have had for a few years and have had great success up to novice level and am starting to school the training levels movements. He’s always had regular chiro/adjustments, proper vet care and brought along slowly and correctly but there has always been a question if hock and/or SI is causing the shortness in his left lead canter. Jumps great, honest as the day is long but I can tell the lateral/lengthening is hard for him. I had X-rays earlier this year and vet suggested we inject the hocks so we did. He feels much better in the right lead but still struggling in left lead. I say all that to ask this question… could the fact that his hocks are better be showing that the SI could benefit from injection as well? Has anyone had this type of issue and are there any success stories with SI injection?
I definitely don’t want to be a downer and want to hear others opinion but they did not help my guy . We started doing MWF Previcox and Adequan and it helped as much as anything.
I am interested to hear what people say bc my vet recommended that I start thinking about injecting my horse’s SI at some point but for whatever reason my (somewhat old school) dressage trainer is VERY against it. I don’t really go to her for horse management advice but it’s just made me wonder why she’s so adamant against me doing it!
It helped mine a lot, but we only injected after doing a rectal ultrasound so it was obvious that the SI/sciatic nerve were inflamed.
Likewise. Made a huge difference, ultrasound guided to make sure we got to the right spot. Wish I had done it years previously. Horse started to carry himself properly and developing a proper top line.
They’ve helped my gelding…but we had confirmed that it was the SI that was the issue. Rectal ultrasound showed an inflamed nerve root at the SI area. They’ve also only done ultrasound guided injections. I wouldn’t do it just to see if it helps unless your vet is pretty certain that’s an area of issue.
Rectal ultrasound…that’s a good idea.
In general, how long does it seem to last?
I’m 1 for 2.
Horse 1: prelim horse rehabbing a stifle injury. Got through all our rest/turnout/walking/trotting, and when it was finally time to canter, he had no canter on 1 lead, and barely one on the other. Had his SI injected and it was night and day, continued the rehab and went on to a LL career. That was probably 5 years ago. He’s been doing novice for the past few years, hasn’t needed another injection, SI or otherwise.
Horse 2: training + horse who always had a great trot, a great jump, and a very iffy canter (pogo sticky). Great lunging at the canter, but never looked 100% with a person on him, always marginal in the dressage. Tried everything, including SI injections, nothing worked. So obviously a canter issue but not SI. My best guess would be his back, though that x-rayed and bone scanned fine. Still have him, retired 15 years, never found out.
ETA: both were ultrasound guided injections. Wouldn’t consider ones that aren’t.
Vet said about 9 months to a year. In reality, I think it alleviated the pain to the degree where the muscles/ligaments could re-strengthen to support the area properly. It was almost two years before we needed another one, just to try to help. It did help, but did not make as much of a difference as the first one.
Once you start injecting the SI, it creates hardening, and over time the injection becomes less and less effective and eventually you won’t be able to do anything.
SI pain is often a symptom of other body or foot lameness.
Have you tried Chiro? Shoes? Masterson method??
If the SI is truly the issue…? Absolutely worth it.
If not… no.
I had a total 180 on a horse that needed SI injections from years of improper saddle fit. His difference was night and day. His were ultrasound guided and we saw the remodeling of the SI. Horse came back and I was training Prelim when I lost him unexpectedly from a freak accident.
Sometimes SI is a red herring - it is an area that really doesn’t tolerate any sort of inflammation before it becomes reactive… but it doesn’t always become reactive because of an acute injury or strain there. It’s commonly a second-hand symptom of kissing spine, neck problems, and poor shoeing like Jealoushe said.
Not for nothing but just about every TB I’ve gotten off the track has been very sore over their SI. That soreness disappears once their feet are corrected.
“though that x-rayed and bone scanned fine. Still have him, retired 15 years, never found out.”
Was that a full body bone scan at one of the university vet schools? My friend had it done and discovered cervical arthritis. About $1200
I injected my horse’s SI years ago. It was ultrasound guided. It seemed to help but he also popped a splint about a month after. So maybe the time off helped more. Not sure…
Blockquote Was that a full body bone scan at one of the university vet schools? My friend had it done and discovered cervical arthritis. About $1200
Blockquote
Yes, I think “nuclear scintigraphy” is the official term. Amazingly, for a horse that wonky, nothing really lit up. Several vets worked him up (x-rays, that bone scan, etc.) and the consensus was “mental issue.” It’s a moot point now because he’s 27, but it was/is a frustrating mystery.
Not to be raising a scary monster thought here, but I’ve had two horses now that were suspected SI and hocks, and the actual answer turned out to be chronic high hind suspensory strain. My lameness guru at UF thinks that high hind suspensory is rarely considered and often missed.
Fortunately, in my 6 year old, we caught it before it tore significantly, but on my older TB, it retired him. Before I went the route of the SI injection, I’d take a look at the hind suspensories, just to be sure – scanning/blocking there is less invasive and less expensive than the SI injection.
Best of luck with it – we haven’t yet cantered my guy under saddle since we found the problem, but his canter in the pasture Saturday, with perfect flying changes looks great!
We’ve rested/put him in special shoeing to help with it, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that it will be the answer!
His full body nuke scan, interestingly enough, showed that his growth plates in his hind end were “hot” even at 6 years old. His vet was quite surprised, because she would have expected him to be done growing by that point. He is a big WB built TB, though, and seems to be slow to mature.
Best of luck with figuring it out!
This. My local vet was convinced that my 6yo OTTB had an SI injury. The symptoms I was seeing didn’t fit that, and SI was thrown out there with no diagnostics to back it up. I didn’t feel right about pursuing those diagnostics with her, so I sent him to New Bolton.
He had an intensive lameness workup there, which showed severe ulcers and thin soles/flat palmar angle behind. Correct trimming, a pair of hind shoes, aggressive ulcer treatment, and a few sessions of acupuncture have seemed to set him right.
