Reminds me of a horse I bought several years ago. Starting about a month after I got him, he would periodically get a “flat tire” while we were trotting, always when circling left. Horribly, suddenly lame behind. If we changed to a right circle, it would fix itself. It was explained to me he had a locking stifle on the left, and once he was in better condition, it would stop happening. I was told to keep working him but only in straight lines as much as possible. I did, and after a month or two it indeed stopped happening and never occurred again in the 13 years I owned him.
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This is making me think stifle more and more. Stifles are fussy - sometimes lame, sometimes not, and on and on.
I’d start your hand walking NOW because if he has a weak stifle rest will not help it. Also - if my guess on stifle is wrong, it will flare the lameness which ultimately makes it easier to find.
Whenever I’m going in for a lameness eval, I grit my teeth and try and aggravate the lameness the day before the appointment. Nothing worse than the lameness being gone, or being so subtle it’s hard to evaluate. You’re out the same $$ with no answers. So, leading up to the lameness eval, I try to (safely, nothing extreme) keep the lameness at the same level it was when I made the appointment, ESPECIALLY the day before…
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I agree with endlessclimb. If it is the stifle, you (and the horse) have to bite the bullet and work on fitness.
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Could also still be an abscess. He looked foot sore to me. Hope it goes well OP.
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I had thé same and it was a stifle injury, good Luck for your boy
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I agree with this 100%! The weight is alarming to me. I would start over after 200 lbs come off and getting a saddle refit.
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Did pony have the vet appointment yet? I vote stifles too and agree they are fussy and inconsistent. I get some great rides yet with my old boy with stifle issues and some where I get off after 10 min and call it a day. Losing weight will help those joints for sure.
Your vet should have a recommendation on where/who to send them to, My vet sends strange cases back to her vet school, and they respond. Maybe your state Vet Hospital?
I don’t think the saddle fit is as problematic as what is happening with the hind end.
No, the appointment was cancelled since there was no longer a lameness and both the vet and I felt it would be a wild goose chase now that he isn’t showing symptoms.
I’ll probably do a check up in a month or two to see how she feels his weight loss is going, and do a lameness exam to see if she sees any subtle lameness.
