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| Joined: | Tue Nov 11th, 2008 |
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| Posts: | 14 |
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Right from the start i noticed a giving way, or buckling in his hind end when out hacking.Some times it would happen 5-10 times on a hack, other times not at all.
His left leg totally locked up about 3 months after having him.
The vet examined him as he had no previous history of locking stifle.
He was sent to an equine hospital to be examined and assesed, i guess because he is icelandic they chose to x ray his hocks for spavin-which he didnt have.
He was sent home with the prognosis of sticky stifles and work on fittening him.
Over the last two and a half years we have worked on lateral exercises, polework, trying to get him working collected and properly ( not easy).
However despite being ultra fit he still is having sticky stifles.He trots well, and tolts for only short periods, his canter is four beat.
Its very difficult to get him to soften in his head and jaw and flex.He has a loose ring snaffle for schooling and mild fat kimblwick(jointed) without holes in d rings for hacking.As he does have a tendency to suddenly shoot forward- head high.
I am getting desperate know as nothing i seem to do is helping the stifle issue -infact the more work we do the worse he gets.
I think the world of him and have done everything in my power to improve my riding, my seat my balance etc
However i am so worried that this repeated buckling is slowly breaking his stifle joint down.
A physio has seen him and we do regular exercises- tail pulls each side, with him stretching right round to get carrot, also hind leg lifted and forward and he stretches right round and down as though scratching is ear.She also said she feels it may be a congenital disorder in that the bone in his stifle joint may not be correctly formed hence the slipping, but she couldnt be sure.
I cant stress how hard ive worked on this to improve his well being and every avenue ive tried.
I also keep getting conflicting advise- ie do work in deep sand and dont work in deep sand?
His paddock is on a very steep hill- as that was thought might help.
Its the fact he is an older horse thats unusual- im well aware that this is very common in younger horses.
Does anyone have any ideas as to what eelse i could try- i will not look at surgery or blistering, the stifle cant be xrayed,and the vets have no answers.
Thanking you all in anticipation
Oh and also one more thing, when he urinates his right hind leg can be stretched out rearwards as is usual, the left hind leg cannot, he bends that slightly and tips it outwards- there is also a pulsing or quivering in his stifle joint when he does this.
Thanks