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View Full Version : Totally change in behaviour! Any ideas!


TackRoomGang
8th Oct 2006, 09:45 PM
Ok so i have had my ID x Welsh Section D for 6 months. When we got him he passed a 4* vetting.

He was brough straight in to full work (before he occasionally hacked). I planned to show jump him so we did quite a bit of work. He managed 4ft easily and for the forst 4 weeks we did a mixture of jumping, schooling and hacking and he was a dream.

HOwever one sunday he suddenly went very lame when i was riding him. He did his first transition from walk to trot and went very lame. (there was no heat, swelling at all and he came in from the field sound that morning) So he was given two weeks off no work but turned out. However two weeks later there was no improvment. So my farrier took a look and as he has sidebones it was susspected concussion and he said to give him two weeks box rest. This continued for quite some time with no improvment what so ever. So after 1 month (2 weeks box rest, 2 weeks turned out) we called out a vet.

The vet did two nerve blocks in the bottom of his foot and he trotted up sound. The vet said there wasnt really anything wrong with him and to give him a futher weeks box rest and he should be fine. But one week later he was still lame. However whilst he was on box rest one day he was lame, the next he was sound (it was very intermittened). So the vet proppossed a weeks work, to try and work him though the problem!

However he after the week he was worse. And during this time our vet left so we had to wait a futher week before our new one could come out and see us. When he came out he did both nerve blocks again and decided to bring him in for x -rays, which where booked for a week later.

However on the day he was completely sound (intermittened lameness again). However not long later, guess what he was lame again. So we rang the vet up the day he was lame and the vet booked the x rays for the next day so he could do the x rays while he was still lame.

So he went in and the x rays clearly showed atheritus in the fore left coffin bone. He was given an injection to *cushion the joint* (the equivalent of liquid gold for humans) and put on glusamine (sp?) supplement.

We where told to give him 3 days box rest after he got back. Then a week walking, week trotting and a week cantering. Then he could go back into full wokr.

So i followed the routine to the minute. now 2 months later he is now worse to ride than ever. Although he is completely sound he refuses to do anything at all. Previoulsy in the week we where told to work him though it my mum took him up the field for a "trot". However he promptly bolted at flat out gallop across the field with her (despite being severly lame!)

Now he will walk for a few miuntes in the school, and do one trot if im lucky efore he roots all four feet to the ground and refuses to move. I have tried turning him round, everything and he just stops and refuses to budge. Using a whip has no effect what so ever and only makes him worse. The only way to get him to move is to have some one lead him or *** mount him and lead him myself.

So for a change today i took him out on a hack for the first time since he has been back in work because he enjoys hacks a lot. However after 5 mins he did the same thing on a hack. Stopped and refused to move and in the end i had to *** mount and lead him back to the yard.

I have tried everything i can think of anf it has no effect. He wont hack or be scholled and im running out of options for him. He also will not lunge (something he has never done) so that is not an option.

Im losing hope any ideas?

Thanks Sam x

julia gulia
8th Oct 2006, 10:23 PM
I'd have a different vet out for a second opinion if I were you. Something is obviously wrong.

TackRoomGang
10th Oct 2006, 05:45 PM
Well the vet come and took a blood test today and has just rang with the results.
2 of his levels are wrong. ONe indicates an inflammation and one a worm infection (although he is wormed reguarlly)
So He is on ten days of bute to see if there is an improvment on the pain (for the inflammation side) if there is no improvment he need sot run more tests. After the bute he is on a 5 day wormer (double the dose) to combat the worms.
We will have to see how it goes from now. Bute starts on thursday and i can ride him from friday.
Sam x

Giveitago
12th Oct 2006, 07:30 PM
"He was brough straight in to full work (before he occasionally hacked). I planned to show jump him so we did quite a bit of work. He managed 4ft easily and for the forst 4 weeks we did a mixture of jumping, schooling and hacking and he was a dream."


I think this is where your issues lie.

I'm going to stick my neck on the line here- I think you over faced him and he either has been really hurt or he's simply said b.gg.r off, no more hard work! I'm sure he enjoyed the leisurely, occasional hacking he used to do.

On the plus side, can you start doing some ground work with him to rebuild your bond?

And, do you really need to ride him Friday- give the bloke a chance to mend.

TackRoomGang
13th Oct 2006, 09:12 PM
I'm going to stick my neck on the line here- I think you over faced him and he either has been really hurt or he's simply said b.gg.r off, no more hard work! I'm sure he enjoyed the leisurely, occasional hacking he used to do.

On the plus side, can you start doing some ground work with him to rebuild your bond?

And, do you really need to ride him Friday- give the bloke a chance to mend.


WOW, that really was close to the mark. :o

OK i need to say several things. Firstly Darcy enjoyed the work he was put into. He loves working and loved jumping. He would gallop happily over jumps. And he has not been really hurt (the atheritus had been developing for some time). He was treated badly in his previouls home and is SO much more relaxed and happy here. Our vet and farrier say he is a different horse. Its not a case of him saying b.u.rr.e.r off!

We still have a good bond on the ground.

Finally i have 'given the bloke a chance to mend'. It is on the vets orders that he is ridden after 24 hours of bute. THe internal inflammation reading could indicator a tumor etc. We need ot asses this possibility as soon as possible. Im following the vets orders. And im only doing 10 mins and building it up.

Desipite that i rode him today and he just refused to move as normal so after 10 mins called it quits. We are considering retiring him altogether. He is completely miserable at the moment.

Giveitago
14th Oct 2006, 09:19 AM
ok.

have you tried Gavin Scolfield, he's an equine postural trainer that comes highly recommended. He's based in Kidderminster but travels the UK and the world. He's very good, a bit 'spooky' but sure gets the job sorted.

Get in touch with his secretary, with a piccy of your neddy at carol@farforest.com

Afellpony
14th Oct 2006, 10:13 AM
Apologees if this has already been mentioned but I'm in a rush. Have you had his back checked, p'haps this is the problem! Trouble in one part of the body, can led to trouble in another!

TackRoomGang
20th Oct 2006, 09:14 PM
Apologees if this has already been mentioned but I'm in a rush. Have you had his back checked, p'haps this is the problem! Trouble in one part of the body, can led to trouble in another!

Thanks for that idea yes the vet did a complete examination to discover why he wouldnt work and although he siad he was slightly tight through his back he said it was nothing serious and wasnt bad enough to justify recommending a physiotherapist.