Daffy's stiffness - Vets diagnosis

[Daffy Dilly]

Daffy's stiffness - Full diagnosis

Daffy saw the vet this morning. His teeth were ok, just a little too rough, so as the vet knew I was trying to find the cause of the stiffness, he suggested that I trotted him up before we sedated him to do his teeth.

Flexion tests on his off-hind showed Daffy to have some arthritis in that leg, most likely the hock. He was reluctant to take his weight on it and trot, but after a few strides came sound. His near-hind wasn't nearly as bad.

The vet has told me to see what the physio says tomorrow, but he suspects that any back problems will be a secondary affect of this arthritis. Once we have the physio's verdict, I'll work with the vet and physio to see if we can do something about it. He was pretty hopeful that it's the kind of arthritis that will be better with work and the odd sachet of bute, so I'll get my instructors opinions too, and fingers crossed we'll be able to carry on jumping and showing, and trying to find that illusive outline.

 

[Mehitabel]

well, that's pretty positive - you've found a cause and the vet thinks it is treatable.

 

[teabiscuit]

what a morning!
poor Daffy, fingers crossed for a return to full Daffyness soon
xx

 

[Daffy Dilly]

It may well not be arthritis after all. Fingers crossed.

Basically his pelvis and neck are slightly twisted, resulting in the stiffness, and one hind leg being held higher than the other, which probably caused the stiffness in that hock. She did a bit of work on realigning him, (either he hated it, or didn't want it to stop) and then also me, as I'm also a bit off the mark. I certainly felt instant benefits, and noticed my rucksack straps were most definately not the same length, and she's coming back on the 30th to do both of us again. So as far as we know, wonky-pony can be fixed.

Not so good news; his saddle is twisted, only slightly, and hopefully that will right itself after a couple of times on him with no rider, or thats another £700 - meaning three saddles in as many years.

He's having tomorrow off in his stable as the ground is a bit iffy, and then walking inhand for a few days, before long reining on Monday. Must learn how to do that. She's optimistic that I'll still get him out hunting this winter (most likely at the end of the season) and that we'll get him working correctly after all this.

It's so nice to know what's up with him, and also that it can be treated. Daffy did choose to like her again, after several treats. Definately got his personality back.