About a year ago, my guy tweaked a hind suspension at the origin. After being professionally rehabbed, he was back in work beautifully. The plan was to do basic flatwork for a year. A month after returning, he got very stiff behind. Repeat ultrasound of the hind suspensories was unremarkable. They were both the same size with good fiber pattern. The injured leg wasn’t as “pretty on ultrasound”, but vets didn’t feel it was the problem. We injected hocks and stifles with PRP. Those worked amazingly for everything except the right hock. (The One with the suspensory injury)
His movement is awkward on that leg, wanting to swing wide and seemingly short/stiff through the hock. He is sounder at the trot. Just a slight toe drag and short on that leg. No head bob is present. The vet is coming out next week to block the hock and do more diagnostics. In the mean time, I’m sick with paranoia. Any thoughts/jingles/suggestions or experience with something like this?
Mine had identical symptoms when he had a soft tissue SI injury. Short striding, toe drag, and swinging wide. The swinging wide was particularly obvious in the canter. He also didn’t want to articulate the hock on that side.
A thought in case the hock doesn’t block out at your vet appt next week. Hopefully you can find out what’s happening!
What did you end up doing for your guys SI injury?
6 weeks of stall rest with hand walking, then I moved to a more suitable rehab barn and we set up a small round pen (using half the panels for an idea of size), then he got daily half day turnout plus hands walking for another 2.5 months (total 4 months rest). Hand walking after the initial period also included poles on the ground and then raised.
We had a recheck at 3 months, then continued the same program with gradually increasing turnout area for another month before I got back on. We then did 6 weeks of walk only, starting at around 10 minutes a day and increasing to 45 minutes, then added 1 minute trot every 4 days. I think canter got added slowly about 3 months in to riding, then slowly back to jumping at around 4 months back under saddle (by jumping I mean cross rails). He was back showing by the following summer.
He’s maintained well. After 4 years of regular riding he did need the SI injected again (that hind leg started swinging wide which was the telltale sign) and per the vet we did a conservative mini rehab of 3 months after that. I keep up on his hock injections as he does have lower hock arthritis and don’t want him compensating for that and irritating the SI.
