I don’t remember if this was mentioned up-thread, but has he been tested for Lyme disease? That can make a horse look neurological; it can also, if it’s undiagnosed for too long actually result in neuro problems.
Worth considering or asking the vet about if you haven’t already done so.
Good luck!
I completely forgot! My horse couldn’t back up in correct cadence … so = neurologic. But, just back sore.
Oh no! Sending you all the jingles.
I’m also optimistic that maybe this is nothing. What deficits did they see? Is there any possibility this could just be lingering weakness from whatever he did to himself in the first place?
Exactly this. I started a thread about 2 months ago about what appeared to be sudden onset of neuro symptoms in my gelding. The initial neuro evaluation suggested maybe CVSM (aka, Wobbler’s) or EDM. I was devastated. He ended up having cellulitis in his left front leg - there was no swelling yet but he must have been in such terrible pain that it made him look neurological.
Jingles for Petey!
My wonderful vet also says pain, especially orthopedic pain, can mimic neurologic problems. Jingles for Petey.
Many jingles for a treatable cause of neuro symptoms and a good recovery!
I am so sorry you and Petey are going through this. I am jingling with all my might that this turns out to be something treatable and fixable. You deserve some good tidings at Christmas!
Oh dear. Jingling for you and Petey and hoping it is something manageable.
Sending massive jingles your way.
Thank you all so much for your support!
I don’t have the written report yet but the vets’ main concerns about him were hind end hypermetria and spasticity–basically picking his hind legs up extra high, having an unusual arc in the cranial phase of the stride (my phrasing–I’m sure there’s a more technical description of that I don’t know), and sometimes showing some tremors right before the foot lands. I see the first two but I have to admit I never saw the third even after it was pointed out to me. I did take a little video but the vet tech is handling him and I don’t feel comfortable posting someone else’s identifying image on the internet without their permission. I will deploy the Pivo to recreate some of the tests at home for you guys and myself though.
Tail pull, downhill walk, and head-raised walk were all normal. He is pretty symmetrical with just slightly more developed muscling on right haunches than left. The movement I described in the cranial phase of the stride is also more pronounced on the right, and does precede his RH injury. Looking back now, I see it in year-old videos from before I bought and imported him, which makes EPM or Lyme unlikely causes.
I was numb yesterday but also kind of accepting because it all made sense…this is just what happens when I buy nice young horses, and I really should have known better. With my last troubled 4-year-old I spent a year and over $12k doing second/third opinions, MRI, shockwave, stall rest, a biopsy, etc only to still have a very lame horse. I finally came to accept what I had suspected within the first month, that he had DSLD, and necropsy confirmed that he did. I don’t know if I can go through all that again to override a strong gut feeling.
This morning, however, I am in Camp Denial. Could this not just be how he’s bred to move?So many dressage-bred horses have exaggerated movement these days, and they can’t all be neuro, right?
Also, the thing that made me go 
was longeing on asphalt, when his hind legs were moving very very strangely. I asked if he could be footsore and protecting himself, and was told no because he was negative to hoof testers all over. But I still wonder. He has good enough feet to be barefoot for turnout and arena work, but they are a little sensitive to gravel and hard ground. I use front hoof boots for trail rides and had even brought them to the appt in case footsoreness was confounding the exam. It’s always worse right after a trim, and he was trimmed on Sunday. I will try to recreate that one too, with and without hoof boots.
This morning I think I should not put him through a myelogram without at least a second opinion. If I had my truck I would drive him to New Bolton but I’m not comfortable borrowing a truck for that. The adjuster did finally look at it yesterday (after a week!) so maybe it will be fixed in early January…
I do wonder what happens insurance-wise if we don’t get an exact diagnosis or I choose not to do the myelogram unless his symptoms get worse. Will they exclude every possible neuro issue forever? Will they just drop him? They were awesome when my TB stepped on a nail on a trail ride a couple years ago, but that was a much easier case.
Sigh… I have an important day at work and I haven’t even been outside to feed yet. I’d better go, but thank you all again for the jingles and for reading all this!
Oh and I forgot to say, thank you and what bump on his belly? Can you point me to the pic(s) in which you see it?
If I can weigh in again … I always am slightly dubious about diagnoses until it makes more sense, and so far this doesn’t. Any back pain, stifle, hocks, etc. will show up on hard surfaces and that just seems like a NUTS way to evaluate his movement.
I hate to jump in with recommendations, but my horse - who felt super wonky for a very long time - markedly improved when I focused on small movements to build stabilizer muscles, and used surefoot pads and the Eagle Prosix to get his whole body back in the game.
Are you near Maryland? Happy to loan mine to you to try.
And yes, I would hold off on myelogram until you see more of his movement and behavior post whatever-he-did to his hind end.
I would certainly get a second opinion before doing a myelogram. This is a horse getting over an unknown injury to his RH that caused him to be severely lame, has been on limited turnout, and was perhaps footsore? I know that waiting is the hardest part, but I would give him a little more time to recover from the RH before doing any more neuro diagnostics. Did they clear him for turnout?
They can absolutely be hoofsore without reacting to hoof testers so I really think your gut about the hard pavement is correct.
I might be seeing things, I just noticed something on his belly in the videos that I don’t remember from other videos you’ve shared of Petey. I wonder if it is just winter fluff/fur sticking the wrong way and nothing? These are screens from your first OP, then 11/29 video:
It’s in the later videos too which is when I first noticed it.
Holden had the world’s fattest hematoma on his hindquarters and some of it even trailed down to his belly when he fell and had that pelvic fracture in three places a few years back. I don’t even want to think of how neurological he would have tested if the vet had the wherewithal to try to do any neuro testing on him. I’m positive he would have fallen over if you pulled his tail. Not saying this is at all what I think Petey is dealing with! I think other posters are right that pain can cloud any neuro testing because they’re just so sore from trying to protect themselves.
Continuing the big fat jingles, please give ‘Prison Petey’ kisses and mints for me.
I saw the same, looks like some sort of edema. Maybe hit himself getting up in stall, who knows. Horses.
In the video series it really looks like he did something to his hind, stall rest, lost fitness, and now has weak stifles that are showing up as neuro. Plus probably still growing a bit at 4.5.
He’s super fancy and lovely. I would definitely get a second opinion.
I think you are right in that’s how a lot of them are being bred these days. But I do wonder if some of them are mildly neuro. Or have other orthopedic problems. My last horse with neck stuff also had chronic SI joint instability (found on necropsy). Some dressage folk oohed and ahhed over his hind end. I bought him for his flat kneed front end for the hunters. He got an 8 on gaits when he had a moment of being sound and sane enough to show in a training level test not long before both front feet started to fail.
Since then I’ve been more prone to prioritizing “useful” looking horses. And they can’t seem to stay healthy either. So…
I might be the only one that thinks this, but I thought in his videos he just looked stiff, locked, or uncomfortable. I don’t know. Something isn’t right, but I can’t put my finger on it. He seems to not let loose across his topline/higher up. I don’t know, maybe this is nornal for him? I know my last horse wasn’t the most ambitious on the lunge line.
He actually moves similar to a WB of mine (he’s no longer with us), so maybe he’s bred similarly, but that horse did end up having SI issues and close vertebrae. He also just had a lot going on with his body, none of it good, but he was a pretty mover I guess 
and well bred. Not saying yours has all or any of those issues just reminded me of him.
You could just see how it goes until you get your truck back, and if symptoms persist and/or worsen, get another opinion if he’s not in outright pain?
I don’t know, I hate horses and the whole hobby sometimes! It can cause a lot of stress for sure.
Thanks for updating more, @Libby2563.
I am in camp denial, too, only because your luck can’t possibly be this bad.
I don’t know about the insurance part or all this; I wouldn’t want to say anything that would mess up future claims. But reading your description, my gut says give him some time off or some time with light work only, then reevaluate in a few months. Soreness certainly seems like it could cause all the neuro symptoms seen on exam. As lame as he was, plus considering he was cooped up for a couple weeks, it seems perfectly plausible he could have some lingering soreness that hasn’t totally resolved.
My sports med vet made a comment similar to this last week about my gelding. He noted that “his pathologies all seem to align with his career” 
I mean, I guess that is an upside of knee arthritis? Limited range of motion = less knee action for a hunter 
Also, he lunged painfully, UGLY lame on asphalt during last week with said sports med vet, but looked pretty darn sound on the grass. He has pedal osteitis so this was not terribly surprising but the degree of the difference from asphalt to grass was pretty remarkable to me.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
