This horse had a full PPE including neuro exam in December, but he’s been struggling with lead changes and often stands with his hind legs in a row or crossed. Does this posture provide any clues on where he might be sore? He is 5 years old, 17.3h. He is on night turnout, flats and does ground poles/cavaletti 4-5 days per week and jumps ~2’6” once a week or less.
Neuro exams are so subjective. Has he been tested for EPM? That’s where I’d go first.
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Hi there,
In addition, check Vit E and Selenium levels.
Is there anything else “odd” going on with this horse?
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I’ve seen horses stand that way when offloading heel and hock pain. Sometimes secondary to something else like suspensory soreness or heel soreness.
Fingers crossed you can get to the bottom of it. I agree neuro exams are so subjective. If it were my horse I’d be having a vet come out to do another neuro (with EPM test). I’d also want some flexions to serve as a waypoint re: suspensories.
I’d also be wanting a chat with my farrier about those feet, they look long and underrun to me but it could be unflattering photo angle.
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Does horse appear to be basically “sound” at this time when moving?
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I would even throw in testing for Lyme just to be on the safe side. And definitely a second opinion on the neuro exam. Could be just hock/heel pain like someone suggested but better safe than sorry
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He was treated for EPM with Marquis because he does be trip occasionally (front and back) but was not tested for EPM. Treatment didn’t make any difference — still the same. Appears and feels sound, jumps great. He’s on Emcelle (3 pumps per day). Neck X-rays had minor findings per radiologist but minor enough that the vet didn’t even pick up on them. His lameness exam and neuro exam was performed at a vet school… there were 6 sets of eyes on him, plus a camera/app, so it was pretty thorough!
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This. Potentially higher like SI if something is out of whack up there and it’s more comfortable to offload the pain of standing.
I’d start at the feet since it sounds like EPM and neuro were covered well. I don’t love the farrier job here but as Beowulf said, it could be the angle… still, hocks and suspensories can be set off by poor feet and sore feet.
I might pull for Lyme and get hoof X-rays (at least laterals) next vet appointment. Way cheaper than a neuro exam round 2 at the vet school, anyway.
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My instinct would be hoof rads and suspensory ultrasound.
If this horse had a thorough PPE I wouldn’t expect anything notable in the hocks. Stifles can be an issue and x ray clean so I’d start bottom up. Could be SI but I’ve seen it present with chronic shifting and offloading hind feet as opposed to this stance.
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I agree about his feet — they’re getting done tomorrow by my farrier instead of my trainer’s. Hoping that helps!! His stifles and hocks were xrayed in December and looked fine. He had OCD surgery on one hock a few years ago, but there isn’t any sign of arthritis in it.
I’ll see if the farrier makes any difference and if not, I’ll have his suspensories ultrasounded. I’ll make an appointment to have my chiropractor look at him too. She’s been really good at identifying problem areas too, particularly the SI.
Thank you for the ideas and feedback!!
If you ultrasound the suspensories might as well hit the stifles, too. There’s so much soft tissue in those joints, rads just don’t tell the whole picture. If you’re in the neighborhood, good to look!
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My understanding is that marquis only kills one variety of the protazoen that causes epm. I’d run the blood test and try some of the other drugs like lavamasol oragen and/or prontasil. Mine " tightroped" similar to yours and it went away after epm treatment with lavamasol and oragen. She was never neurological.
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This is not true.
There’s also no study that deconquinate/levamisole (oroquin-10 or orogin-10, it seems to go by both names) is effective against N. hughesi. Unfortunately, there’s been no quality study in this med combo at all. The FDA considers Ellison’s research really lacking.
There’s nothing called “prontasil” that treats EPM. Do you mean Protazil, maybe? I don’t think there’s any study regarding it’s effectiveness on N. hughesi, either.
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SI and/or hind suspensories.
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To add to @GraceLikeRain, @Simkie and @IPEsq, check the suspensories high up, at the hock.
My guy loves to stand like that, and it turned out to be an avulsion fracture at the point of insertion of the suspensory at the base of the hock.
Now, he also has dropping fetlocks, so there may be something like that beginning with yours too… ?
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Last question! Based on how he’s standing, you would be suspicious of the RH, right?
Does his weird stance always display like photo?
Always left hind ingront of right hind?
In addition to considering how feet are affecting him, I would look to use the Eagle ProSix to help him posturally. It’s been described as a useful tool for horses with EPM; it does some heavy lifting with resetting proprioception to get to better whole-horse balance. I can say my boy absolutely loves it - and he can wear it while in turnout, in his stall, or even while being ridden.
Yes, he always stands for the right behind left, when he stands weird. Sometimes he stands normal but it bothers me that he finds the odd stance comfortable.
My pony often stands with his back legs crossed. He’s sound, just a little weird. Is there a reason you’re looking for a problem?
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