possible kissing spine, something else or behaviour? thoughts please

[torijo]

I bought my mare about 18 months ago aged 5, we had a few issues to begin with on the ground really, and she was a lot more temperamental than I expected. I worked with a ground work trainer on some techniques which really helped, and had an ovuplant injection to stop her seasons which worked really well. Ridden she was very green having not long been broken in and she threw the odd buck in a canter transition, but after about 4 months she started with a real reluctance to go forwards, the more you asked and put more pressure on she threatened to buck and had ears flat back.

I decided to have her scoped for Ulcers which diagnosed grade 2-3 ulcers, we had a month of gastroguard, slowly started back riding and last summer we had a really good summer. Riding most days and she did some lovely work, still not fully trustworthy but I enjoyed riding again and was really proud of her. September I had the saddle fitter for a routine check and all of a sudden I was back to the same reluctance to go forwards. Again had her scoped, the ulcers had returned, grade 3. A month of gastroguard failed and on rescope they were now grade 4, so followed with a months treatment of omeprazole injections. The injections caused a large swelling in her neck and she struggled to put her head down. After the treatment I went back to trying to ride, she was not as reactive with threatening behaviour but wouldn't walk forwards without a lot of effort, and I was only just about getting her to walk. I continued with just sitting on, on a lunge line and walking round. During this time I had a physio out to her, and Rob Jackson (the horseback vet), the physio found no issues and Rob said she had a locked lumbar sacral region which seems a common diagnosis from him, but he released and said that should fix it. She has also had a full lameness work up including using the lameness locator which all showed no lameness issues.

Suddenly end of January she started to kick out when mounting and very quickly the behaviour was deteriorating and getting worse to bucks which become more aggressive. She was fine on a lunge so I concluded that it must be the reaction to weight. I had her back x rayed, it showed good spacing on her withers but as we go further back there is some narrowing, and possibly a small bone spur on one vertebrae. The vet said it could be the issue so has steroid injected the area and has also prescribed methocarbamol for a month. He has said to do as much long reining as I can to try and build the top line which I have been doing, but this week I tried to see the reaction to weight on her back again. I lay over her and the bucks were worse, I slipped off a few times but every now and then for no reason she would just have a very aggressive buck, this was all still done with just being leant over the saddle and being lead at a walk.

During this time she has now also started with locking stifles, which at now aged 8 I think isn't right, but the vets opinion is that this is from not doing any work. She is on alternative days turnout as livery yard rules.

The vet has suggested the next step is a bone scan on her back, and I am waiting on an appointment with Tom Beech (the osteopathic vet). I am at a real loss now the steroid injection has shown no effect and wonder where to go next. If I have the Bone scan, and it shows the same as the x ray, the indication to me from the failed steroid injection is that surgery wouldn't work. I asked the vet about scanning for PSD but he seemed reluctant and said most horses would show some level of suspensory damage, and I also asked about looking at other areas such as hocks or SI but he dismissed given no lameness.

I already have a retired horse so I cant keep another, I really don't want to give up on her but I also don't want to just keep throwing good money after bad. I had bought this mare just to have a bit of fun with and now I cant do anything where I am being careful that this behaviour doesn't completely knock my confidence or put me off horses for life!

She is up to date with saddle fitting & dentist.

 

[carthorse]

What a nightmare. From personal experience I know ulcers can be very difficult to fix, in the end I had to keep mine on a low dose of omeprazole to stop them recurring and as you know that's expensive.

Have the vets said that because the steroids haven't helped the back problem then the surgery is unlikely to, or is that your take on it? My understanding is that the steroid would hopefully act by damping down inflammation whereas hopefully surgery could physically remove the bone spur and maybe also widen the narrow area slightly. If that's the case then I see no reason why surgery shouldn't succeed where steroids have failed, but the person you really need to talk it over with is your vet.

Locking stifles can occur at any age and will normally rectify with exercise, I think these are the least of your problems.

Ultimately with this many problems and possibly limited finances I could understand if you decided to pts.

 

[Jessey]

I was basically going to say exactly what @carthorse already said.

If you can afford to/insurance will cover it then a bone scan should give some good indication as to where the problem is.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I hesitate to say this, but a very good friend has a mare who was diagnosed with ulcers, grade 5 and above, at 7 years old. She was homebred and had never been stabled or experienced any trauma, so Heaven knows where the ulcers came from, but they went a long way to explaining her utterly vile temper and wild mood swings - all pain related. Poor mare, but if she had not been my friend's homebred darling she would have been PTS without a doubt. She was filthy-tempered, aggressive and dangerous.

She did respond to treatment and is on a constant course of anti-ulcer medication and supplements, and at 10 years old is now rideable and handleable - by my friend at least. She is still not safe for others to handle and probably never will be: her pain-created behaviour has become a habit.

I so sympathise with you having got this horse to be your riding horse and instead being presented with a whole raft of difficulties, and I too would understand if you decided to pts.