It feels like a weight might have been lifted....torn pec

Flipo's Mum

Flipo's Mum

Heavy owner of a Heavy
Aug 17, 2009
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Perthshire, Scotland
My gut has been telling me there was something else wrong with Flip and his lameness for a while now. I've been gearing up to get the vet back out as despite everyone having said he looks good, is moving fine, I still feel his lameness when I ride. Especially circling left and on hard ground (which thankfully we've not had a lot of lately with the rain!) I had the vet out a couple of months ago and it was agreed that nearer the time when the insurance would start excluding the lameness, we would do one more check. I've been fretting about it as I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place - the lameness could take longer to resolve than we have time on insurance, but what if it wasn't just the medial lateral imbalance causing it?
This is what has preoccupied me for a while now and I've been a bloody mess - my dad had a right go at me the other night for being a worry wart but I can't help it!

Well tonight, thanks to a very lovely back man, we've just added all Flip's symptoms and odd behaviour together to what I hope is the reason and a possible recovery.
You see a year ago, just as he was going lame, we had a few episodes of broncing after the saddle was put on, and on one occasion he even reacted badly to me using a towel to rub him down round his girth - but then two seconds later he was fine with me touching him there. I had his saddle checked and found it was too narrow (weight gain :banghead:) so had his back done and we were fine for a wee while before the lameness set in. I told the vet all of this incase it was related (isn't that what Dr House always says - there's rarely more than one disease attributed to the many symptoms. Its unusual that there would be two simultaneous diseases at one time). Anyway, it was dismissed as just weight gain once the medial lateral imbalance was diagnosed and we treated with shoeing.
The lameness has improved, but not completely, hence my stress of late coming to the end of the insurance and not being sure what to do. Well friend has the back man out regularly to her horse and tonight I decided to get Flipo another treatment and as I was explaining my worry he put his hands between Flip's front legs and discovered a huge lump - he's torn his pec.
Apparently this could have happened around a year ago - which would help explain the girth/ saddle/ towel issues, broncing, is most probably associated with the imbalance (strain) and lameness on left hand circles/ hard ground. I've to do some extra massage, stretching, and most importantly ride him with a sheepskin cover on a padded girth. I could almost cry if this is what it is, it really answers my gut feeling that there was something else and I hope its reparable - the back man said with time and gently work he should be good. He's also happy with us having worked on his back end more - I've been walking him out in hand up hills lately and its doing the trick...but now I know our last broncing attack which happened a month ago, was probably down to me touching the torn pec with my girth when he'd been gassy and blown out. That means I can possibly ride now..Woohoo!!!

So big cheshire grin from me....has anyone experienced this before - any suggestions of stuff I can do? I'm speaking to the vet next week so will get her advice as well but just interested in others experiences. Also, apologies for the length and witteryness of this. I'm on cloud nine now!!:dance:

You can see it just behind his front leg nearest the camera
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This is the other side for comparison - no lump. Now I see it, I can't stop seeing it, but before I didn't notice because he's pretty booby round there anyway.
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Oh wow - what a turn up!! It's amazing what they find, sometimes in a place you're least expecting it!

Puz has an old injury in her groin, a physio found this without me asking them to specifically look at that leg/area. She's always been sticky on that leg and the motion in the stifle is a bit juddery, when she's unfit this always affects her balance and this is one of the reasons that I'm having to do months and months of hacking before even thinking about taking her in the school. But improving her fitness always makes an enormous difference.

I really hope that this is it!!!!!!!! Good on you for trusting your instincts :biggrin:
 
Thanks Jen. I've been hating myself for the last wee while, I've been so worried that I wouldn't like what I might find if I did scratch the surface a bit more - you know what I mean - I felt there was something else going on, but absolutely terrified at what it might be so have been avoiding it like the plague (ashamedly).

Am now looking googling...probably the worst idea but am glad I've found this prior to speaking to the vet. Hopefully she'll give us some advice on what I can be doing but the back man is amazing.
 
I am so pleased that you have found something that can explain all the other issues as well. So time and gentle work it is then.

I have no experience of this so will wait to hear who he heals and behaviors over the couple months.

Can you have a glass of wine to celebrate if not can I have one for you.....:biggrin:
 
Thanks ObC I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight thinking about this, but in a good way. I really want to speak to the vet to see what needs to be done but fingers crossed I can help him now. Will let you know how we go.
 
The pics make an interesting comparison, you can definitely see the bump he's got.

Fingers crossed that the vet agrees with the back man and he'll be on the road to recovery :)
 
Gosh FM, I do hope that you have got to the bottom of things. It sounds promising, doesn't it? Let's hope that this is the start of Flip's complete recovery.

What did the Googling show up?
 
That would explain a lot. As with most things, the biggest challenge is finding out what the problem actually is as its the not knowing that's hard to cope with for us and not knowing means you can't specifically treat.
 
Ugh. After the initial high last night, this morning I'm back down with a thud and worrying!! Now that I see the lump, I'm wondering if its new as I feel I would have noticed it before now. The only thing I'm placating myself with is the fact that it makes sense that this was injuring him, but he's made it worse by straining it again.......or the work the backman did on it last night has made it bigger again. He did say I'd see it tomorrow and when I looked this morning its just huge!! Cue me searching through past photos to see if I can see it.
But yes, hopefully this is still the reason and we can do something about it. He was a bit stiff when I went down to see him this morning, will see what friend thinks when she arrives.
 
You may be noticing it more now because you know it's there?

Or maybe because the back man has poked and manipulated it, it's swollen and sore? You mentioned that the he thought it was an old injury, did he mention why? Like presence of scarring or thickening of the damaged part of the muscle?
 
He said if it had just happened then he would have been much more sore and walking funny. This morning he looks as if he's dragging it a tad, but I can't be sure. Have text mate to have a look when she goes down to see them.
This is what I do. Pick holes in everything, I guess I just have to wait and see, but frantically trying to work out how to treat it, although backman said just massage, stretching and gently work.
 
Hope it goes down soon for him - and you.

I expect now you have seen it, you see it more if you know what I mean. I notice Toby's windgall ALL THE TIME now, yet, I only felt it initially.

Be interesting to see what vet says. Backman sounds very good though.
 
hes such a big boy and you have had so many issues that unless you know what you are looking for and its meaning then I wouldn't beat myself up about missing it - I find that going with your gut is in most cases the right thing to do - sometimes we choose to ignore it worried about what it could mean - I think possibly most of us have been guilty on that score at some point - we learn by these - now you do know you have something positive to work on and a good prognosis - look forward to the updates on his recovery I am sure we are going to be getting some really positive ones.

btw - ts a parents job to get a bit peed off with our childrens worritting - but its generally in my case born out of the fact thats theres nowt I can do to make it all better - thats all we want to do- sure your Dad is the same -
 
Not sure what to say - I'm happy that you may have found the reason for Flip's issues, but not happy that he has an injury. Please don't beat yourself up for not diagnosing it sooner, etc - I think we all do that. You love him, give him the best care, and that's all our horses can ask.
 
Gosh, that's one helluva lump, isn't it? And please don't stress that it might be new.... he may well have still torn his pec ages ago and had less swelling... for all you know he's had a hoon around recently and made it flair up! Take some deep breaths and give him some time. AND STOP PANICKING, WOMAN!!!! :redcarded:
 
Domane, he has been hoollying about in the way only Flipo can....two hours prior to the back man coming, we had a little incident with him and his rug so I was worried this might have caused it but back man suggesting later. But I think you're right, its an old injury that has redeveloped with a vengence after hoollying and some massage. Just can't wait to get to the field tonight so I can spend some time with him and see how he is. Hate that I'm stuck at work not knowing if he's ok. Flamin horses!!!
 
I hope that was it: the pec injury. Fingers crossed. Would be so nice if the diagnosis was spot on and treatment would put it all right again!
I just went through something similar with Minnie. It's so exhilerating to think that there has been an explanation for things. But then you have to wonder if that's really it and if it really will come right the way they say. I guess we can only wait and see...
 
I know just how you feel - I have missed stuff like this in the past.....and when it has been pointed out to me by the vet or whoever, I am mortified with shame for not picking it up earlier.

But unless we go over our horses with a magnifying glass every time we see them we could never pick every little warning sign up could we. I am treating a nasty scabby cut on Dolly's back heel at the moment. My farrier found it, not me!:frown: He did kindly suggest it might be new, when I spluttered out feeble excuses for missing it, but upon closer inspection there isn't a chance in hell it was just done!:eek:

So we all do it at one time or another - and I actually feel that you might well have pinned down exactly what the problem has been with the big boy so that has to be a good thing. Stop beating yourself up he couldn't have a more caring owner!:smile:
 
I bought Arthur with a screamingly obvious sarcoid which I didn't notice for three weeks. (It shrivelled and died so he no longer has it) It took me six weeks to realise that Jack has a splash of white on his belly :redcarded: "Grooming"? What 's that??? :giggle: It took me five months and a chiropracter to point out that Roo's pelvis was asymmetrical by about 6 inches :redface: No wonder he was short on his off-hind! :redcarded: It took me a YEAR and a visit from Pooey-Norm to point out that Cherry's saddle was tilting backwards and she was sore, although she'd never put a hoof wrong... did explain my armchair seat a bit and Chez was (unsurprisingly) MUCH happier when the saddle sat level.

The thing is... we're not all experts at everything. Horse-ownership is a huge learning curve and as vigilant as we think we are being, we still miss things... (OK, I'll admit perhaps the word "vigilant" isn't IN my particularly dictionary in view of ^that^ lot!!!)

Chin up chuck xxxx
 
AND, it probably looks much worse than it really is.

My TB had the MOST MASSIVE oedema where he had been kicked on his front elbow. It made him have an elephant leg and I was HUGELY concerned. Actually, he wasn't very lame with it, although vets insisted on sticking a steroid injection into it. Farrier said it would have cleared up of its own accord and to be frank, I believe it would have done. He wasn't in any particular pain with it.

And if Flip was really suffering, he def would have let you know big time. That is the good thing with horses that tell you.

Really, don't worry. It is very easy to miss things and especially when they live out 24/7. I miss all sorts of small cuts and things on Tobes now he is out most of the time. When they are in at night or in in the day, you seem to go over them more with a fine tooth comb.
 
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