It sounds like you are talking about his SI. Feel free to PM me, you are local.
Also he almost always carries his tail a little. See picture below:
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/1131134463046948539QLkRVh
That doesn’t sound like a saddle fit problem. I didn’t catch that the pain was that far back. I too would consider SI problems. My equine chiropractor says that is a very common issue that she treats. Continued chiro work may help a lot.
Aw shoot I wish you were still up here. I have the perfect guy to fix your boy. Matt had very similar issues and he is now a totally different horse. Hon if you EVER move back up here I know an affordable place that you would love. 
Anyway no help I know. Hope things get figured out and let me know if I can help you in any way. 
I would look into trailering your horse to M&M Tack Shop in Raleigh for a saddle fitting appointment with Mary Bowles. That will likely be cheaper than having her come to you (or any saddle fitter really). See if anyone else in your barn wants to have their saddle checked and split the cost of gas.
Also, you made a comment about going through three saddles this year alone? Why have you changed saddles three times? This statement says to me that you are definately dealing with saddle fit issues???
Give a shout if you need/want Mary’s contact info.
It could be a number of things, or some combination. Particularly if the problem went undiagnosed (or rather you saw it as an attitude problem rather than as a physical problem), it’s likely that there is both the primary issue and then one or more secondary problems.
What that means is that even if you correctly find one thing that is a problem, if you don’t find the others as well, you still won’t have a pain-free horse.
Been there, done that, paid the vet bills.
Things it could be, starting at the bottom and working up:
-
hoof balance; some pictures would be good for the purposes of the forum, but you might also want to post on http://www.horseshoes.com.
-
continuing problems with arthritis beyond the hock area–think hips and shoulders and spine.
-
Chiro problems.
-
Nutritional issues. Is the horse getting a selenium and Vit. E supplement? If you’re living in a selenium deficient area he may need it (ask the vet about drawing blood to check selenium levels). You can safely increase the Vit. E that you give him to at least 10,000 IU per day and see if it helps (for that much Vit. E you’ll have to use a separate Vit. E supplement).
You might also try changing his ration by reducing the grain and increasing the fiber and adding oil if you’re worried about his weight.
- Lyme disease. It might be worth pulling blood to check for lyme; a persistent sore back as well as some intermittent lameness and changes in attitude are all symptoms of Lyme (but of course they’re also symptoms of other things as well).
Good luck.
I have added a link on the first post to pictures of his feet and of the saddle on him.
See first post on Page 1.
Pull blood on this horse!!! Many diseases can cause chronic nagging soreness, such as Lymes and tying up. It’s worth it to rule these out before proceeding.
Also, another common chronic back problem in horses is damage to the supraspinous ligament. This is more serious then a muscle problem, and must be treated differently. ECS injections will help tighten up the ligament, plus a short lay-up, then Surpass on sore areas before riding and nothing but long trotting (preferrably up and down hills or over lots of trot poles) for up to a month. Acupuncture is also helpful.
Other things to consider: his stifles, his teeth, his shoeing. You might need to get a second opinion from another vet, even if you can’t afford to bring him to a big clinic.
I just took a look at those pictures - does he stand toed out like that in the back end a lot? Does he walk with his toes out in the back? This is a sign of stifle issues. A shoe with a small trailer on the outside of the hoof only on both back feet will help him travel straighter.
I just responded to a post titled " chronic back soreness." I wrote about my horses experience with kissing spines. I would check it out, your horse sounds just like mine did. Mine is very long backed as well.
[QUOTE=Meadow36;2050264]
I just took a look at those pictures - does he stand toed out like that in the back end a lot? Does he walk with his toes out in the back? This is a sign of stifle issues. A shoe with a small trailer on the outside of the hoof only on both back feet will help him travel straighter.[/QUOTE]
I’m embarrased to say that until just now, when I was taking the pictures, I don’t think I noticed the toes out like that. I was thinking the same thing and kept trying to move him around in the crossties to see if he would change positions. Nope. Stayed the same.
I always groom in the stall and standing in shavings I just didn’t see it. When I’m in the wash stall the wall is a little to close to stand behind the horse and get a good look so taking the pictures is opening my eyes to some things.
Also he’s a bit pigeoned toed in the front.
Don’t be embarrased; that’s the beauty of this board, to point out things you might not notice yourself. I’m not a hoof expert, but those feet look like they could use some help. I would post on horseshoes.com for opinions on shoeing ideas.
Thanks everyone for the replies.
Meadow36 - I’ll check out that website.
JSO - Thanks for the PT that sounds alot like it could be what’s going on. Ughh…Now I’ll need to save up for the trailering to the Vet Hospital and the xrays or bone scan and then possibly back injections. Does insurance cover any of this??? Probably not, huh. :no:
And apparently I need to get more involved in what’s going on with his feet as well. I’m not usually there when his feet get done but I think I’ll show the pictures to my trainer (it’s actually more obvious in the pictures, I think, than in person. I guess it helps that the camera was on the ground level with his feet.) and have her talk with farrier.
I think his feet may just get done without too much concern because he is never lame (knock on wood) and manages to keep his shoes on without issue.
You really need to have a professional check the saddle fit. The damage has been done already, so just tweaking the saddle won’t make a huge difference at first. There is a possibility that there is muscle atrophy, and if you don’t stop more damage from occuring, you may never be able to get all the muscle back. I suggest an equine massage therapist, and pay close attention so you can start doing this yourself. Then I would suggest taking dressage lessons if you don’t already, as that is the best way to work the muscles. Continuing to ride with an improperly fitted saddle will do nothing but cause more damage. I’m sure you have a great trainer, but not all trainers understand how important a proper fitting saddle truly is.
I agree about also having him checked for kissing spine, just in case.
I didnt have my horse insuranced, but if he was insured the xrays, bone scan, and injections would have been covered. I think they only would be covered that one time though. The bone scan is the most expensive part.
I agree. Stay simple. The toes look very long to me as if he’s wearing super pointed shoes. I’ve had a farrier bring back dead lame horses by balancing. Get a couple of farrier’s to look at him. Also, consider going natural or barefoot. I’ve found those guys are best at balancing a hoof. Best of luck.
Which part of his back is hurting? I would also be nice to see a confo shot of your horse. Can’t comment on saddle fit from pictures alone.
The feet. Um, well. Back feet, the shoes are way to small. There is absolutely no heel support, and the heels are collapsing. If farrier thinks he had to use such a small shoe, he could have at least shortened the toes and set the shoes back for at least a little heel support, instead of just dubbing the toe. The left heel is more under run than the right. Toes are too long and pointy. Looks like if your horse stands with his feet too far under himself and with his cannon bones sloping forward. If he chose to stand with his cannons vertical, his angles would be broken back (see picture 10). Note that right cannon is not even vertical. If it was, angle would be broken back. This sort of long toes/low heels behind with horse unable to easily stand with vertical cannons can stress stifles and cause stress and windpuffs. Shoes are too closed through heels. Flares on outside, and inside quarters and heels are too straight.
Inside view of LH in #7 shows heel of hoof extends past shoe, but outside view of LH in #10 shows shoe extends past heel. Is shoe applied crooked, or are the inside heels and outside heels doing two totally different things?
Fronts. This horse is being shod so he will toe in alot on RF. The outside wall is rolling under because of all that flare that is really getting carried away on the inside. Inside wall is high. If you draw a straight line through cannon, fetlock, pasturn, hoof, you can see outside rolling under and crazy inside flare. Farrier needs to M-L balance LF foot, remove high inside wall, remove flair on inside toe and quarter. Set shoe wider on outside of foot for lateral support so foot won’t want to roll under.
LF has much better M-L balance, but is high on the inside.
UPDATE
Update: Jingles needed!
Xpress went into the vet hospital (NC State) today. They did the basic exam today, and he flexed positive in all legs. Vet said he’s very sore basically everywhere. Probably because whatever is the main issue is bothering him so much that he is just sensitive to touch all over. He said we need to do a full body scan. They’ll start in the morning with the muscle scan and then do the bone scan. Then he’ll stay another night and then they’ll do additional xrays based on the scan.
I’m so nervous about the results. But I am confident that he’s in good hands. He was at the hospital for colic surgery 3 yrs. ago and they did a wonderful job.
Did you get a different farrier to look at him too?? judging from what the last post said. Hope he’s ok.
