Help! Serious thread from me for once 'vids'

mikh

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Jan 3, 2008
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Ok all I really need your help.

Background 3/4weeks ago I had a lesson on Polo, and he just wasn't his responsive forward self, and my RI who sees him regularly noticed he was short on his right hind. I got off she got on and I confirmed yes he was. We trotted him in straight line and he was perfectly sound.

So got osteo out, and she confirmed pulled hamstring, so treated him and advised 6wks of 45minute hacks daily in straight line and no hills.

So anyway on sat he spent the whole day proper hooning apparently, I wasn't there.

Last night I went to ride but he felt off and sure enough I took him in school and trotted him on a circle and defo not right. Then he stopped dead – he would never do that, usually I am the queen of half-halts. I was actually scared to kick him on so OH lead him away from fence and I jumped off. We then trotted him up in straight line, and fine – a little short but not lame as such.

So I got back on and tried again and he was just so dead and behind his own movement so immediately jumped off.

The bit I need your help on!!!

Today, so he had yesterday off, I went to get him in from field this morning, he's on 24/7 turnout.

And he would NOT move, I swear he just wouldn't go anywhere. Almost like he forgot how to use his back legs. So I called my YO and she came over and we had no luck, so she had to actually pick his feet up and move them forward, then after a carrot and some persuasion he started walking!!

So obviously I was concerned so called emergency vet, I was asked if it was really an emergency and I said well yes he'd very off colour and wouldn't actually move.... he had a terrible attitude on the phone and actually said he didn't want to come (amongst a few other things, one related to the fact I called him out on a Saturday for a kick to polo's chin, and was told that I prob wouldn't wait till tomorrow cause I'd probably be at work) I was actually very shocked by his attitude and told him so and he replied with 'oh for goodness sake!'. So I came off the phone a bit teary, which those who know me is totally unlike me, but that conversation combined with worry for Polo, it got to me a bit.

So vet reluctantly agreed to come out.

Vet gets there, tells me he's got 10's of emergencies, that he has a horse rolling with colic and has prioritised polo over them so we better get on.... so I get polo out box and we trot him up, yes he seems sound, cross over, and yes he seems ok, so I suggest lunge and vet says yes I suppose I should, at this point vet is very rude to my YO (including using the F word, and calling her interfering) who tried back me up that polo would not move and was in distress when we tried to get him in.... and then vet says there is nothing wrong and says he's used to dealing with proper horses owners, and I was paranoid, if anything he was only 1/10th lame and that would be infront, nothing wrong with him behind and certainly not an emergency!!!

Then off he went, practically stormed off the yard having a ruck with my YO on the way, shouting how he'd been up all f'ing night and then to come out to this, YO told him not to come back on the yard, he doesn't even know her so why he had go at her I have no idea!!!

So Polo got NO diagnosis, nothing! Was told he was fine.
Vet didn't even physically examine him!!!!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say I was disgusted by his behaviour, shocked and shaken by the whole experience.

Anyway, I go back up around 1pm and polo seems fine, roaming small paddock and eating.

Go back up at 4.30 and there he is standing in the field again, not willing to move, call to OH and YO and we get him going again!!!

I will upload vids asap, please ignore my pleading with polo to walk on.

Any advice? I am getting a 2nd opinion tomor from different vet, from difference practice. But can anyone think what's wrong with Polo, he's my main concern not the vet. I have turned him out in hope he keeps moving and will check on him every 2hrs..... think boxing him would make it worse...

 
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Good God how utterly unprofessional!! I would honestly report him to the RVC, not only for his lack of bedside manner but for the use of abusive language. What a pig!

Will be interested to see the vid of Polo. Sounds like he is 'freezing' - where a horse literally plants his feet and won't move. It's more common under saddle and is sometimes a behavioural problem, but can also be caused by suddenly 'tying up' behind, or spasmodic back pain. You're doing the right thing getting a second opinion. Hope they find the cause.
 
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to be honest a vet should not complain about coming out as you are paying him i would change vets if that happened and put a complaint in
it is totally unprofetional what you said he did and he sould learn how to behave to the people that are paying his wages
he is payed to come help treat horses that are not right and not to complain about it he choose that proffetion becuase he should like helping people and animals
 
Will have a look at vid when they're up -- can you PM me the name of vet pls as I need to know who to avoid!!! Unacceptable behaviour!!!

Could he be tying up? (Azoturia)
 
Will have a look at vid when they're up -- can you PM me the name of vet pls as I need to know who to avoid!!! Unacceptable behaviour!!!

Could he be tying up? (Azoturia)

Sorry folkies, they are taking ages im blaming pb!!

I will PM you, I did think of tying-up but I have no real experience of it! How do you treat it?
 
im still not convinced hes tying up. possibely somethign is out of place. id be thinking pelvis area.

mikh post the ridden video of him the other night and also the older one where hes got a normal action etc.

i know your keepign an eye on him all night, but get on the fone 1st thing to another vet., may even be worth a call to a physio.,

i take it hes still pooing as normal.. still hungry etc.

just do your best to keep him moving.
 
Doesn't look like tying up that I've seen before (although there may be different types of tying up?). Agree with jd with back end discomfort of some type. Pelvis, or maybe even internal - very distressing :(

Consider the vet I named in my PM, as I would trust him with my life, let alone my horse's life!
 
oh no, poor polo!

I was going to say azoturia but it doesn't really look like it from the vid, and doesn't really fit in with the it going back 3/4 weeks.

I hope you find a nicer vet who can find out what is wrong! what a diick.

Love and fuss coming your way :)
 
Have you got a good farrier you trust? I personally would look at his feet.

Try your farrier first - what they don't know about feet and legs is not worth knowing (well, my farrier, anyway!).

My farrier always says look at the feet first, then work your way up if its not in the feet.

Best of luck.
 
id have a physio out, perhaps its his hips?
Alternatively turn him away for a month and see how he gets on.
 
Have you got a good farrier you trust? I personally would look at his feet.

Try your farrier first - what they don't know about feet and legs is not worth knowing (well, my farrier, anyway!).

My farrier always says look at the feet first, then work your way up if its not in the feet.

Best of luck.

Farried saw him on 30th :) He's got no heat or swelling etc

id have a physio out, perhaps its his hips?
Alternatively turn him away for a month and see how he gets on.

He saw our registered osteo 3/4 wks ago, I text her today she's going to try and see me asap. She was already booked for 28th of may. I'm not going to just turn him away, I want to find out whats wrong and make an informed decision.

im still not convinced hes tying up. possibely somethign is out of place. id be thinking pelvis area.

mikh post the ridden video of him the other night and also the older one where hes got a normal action etc.

i know your keepign an eye on him all night, but get on the fone 1st thing to another vet., may even be worth a call to a physio.,

i take it hes still pooing as normal.. still hungry etc.

just do your best to keep him moving.

Just went up to see him he was fine and grazing, bu walked him out in hand anyway, put and extra rug on to keep him warm. Yes still eating etc but gave him some colligon just in case. It's very good for settling/calming the gut just in case.
 
that does not look like any tyeing up that I have seen .
have you seen him wee ? is it normal coloured ?
he does not seem to distressed, may be something as simple as infected sulcus in feet, so try not to panic.
out is ok if you can keep him calm, but otherwise box may be needed.
I know how worrying it is, have been there with Blue.
please pm me the vet as well mikh, just so as I know, probally also trust the same vet as soot, but good to know.
let us know when you get another vets opinion , keeping fingers crossed for you
 
that does not look like any tyeing up that I have seen .
have you seen him wee ? is it normal coloured ?
he does not seem to distressed, may be something as simple as infected sulcus in feet, so try not to panic.
out is ok if you can keep him calm, but otherwise box may be needed.
I know how worrying it is, have been there with Blue.
please pm me the vet as well mikh, just so as I know, probally also trust the same vet as soot, but good to know.
let us know when you get another vets opinion , keeping fingers crossed for you

Thanks for that, yes he is calm when out he's in a paddock on his own and seems more interested in the grass, I havent seen him hooning around in their and tbh its quite small and an odd shape - so is difficult. 2nd opinion vet shall be getting called 830 tomor.
 
Think I would still get the farrier back.

My boy had something similar - could hardly walk and basically wanted me to 'carry' him back to his stable! Fortunately my farrier part owns the yard and was there at the time. He took the shoe off and the relief was immediate. Poultice and a bit of box rest and he was right as rain - turned out to be very deep bruising that had obviously been there a while and having been shod the day before, where the foot had been trimmed back it had exposed the bruise, causing it to come out.

I really thought there was something majorly wrong with him.

If the farrier came on the 30th, it could well be something similar? Just a thought. :)
 
Think I would still get the farrier back.

My boy had something similar - could hardly walk and basically wanted me to 'carry' him back to his stable! Fortunately my farrier part owns the yard and was there at the time. He took the shoe off and the relief was immediate. Poultice and a bit of box rest and he was right as rain - turned out to be very deep bruising that had obviously been there a while and having been shod the day before, where the foot had been trimmed back it had exposed the bruise, causing it to come out.

I really thought there was something majorly wrong with him.

If the farrier came on the 30th, it could well be something similar? Just a thought. :)

interesting and thanks will hit him up tomorrow.
 
After seeing the vid it doesn't look like azoturia. Out of interest, how is his tail? Is he still able to move it and hold it up or is it sort of clamped between his legs?
 
His tail seems fine etc, no clamping. His guts are fine, when I went up about 11pmish and at 6am this morning he walked over to me, we have had no more of the mot being able to move. Vet still coming out though and osteo.

I did pick all his feet up, right hind (the one with diagnosed pulled hamstring) was fine, but his left he streached right out behind him....

But he was freely walking on the yard etc, no reluctance.
 
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