# Hock lameness, only in canter.... :S!



## DeeSmith (Dec 8, 2010)

Hi there

i have a 7 year old TB mare whose has had a bad back previously, she had a year off work and lately she's been brought back into work slowly but this last few weeks she's been very disunited in canter in her off side hind leg, pretty much canter with a straight leg, so immediately pull her from all ridden activities and have been lunging her every 3 days to see if there's any improvement which there hasn't been...

I got my equine touch therapist out for her once every couple of weeks massage for my mares back (she's been having it the last year) who said it's very stiff in the hock and stifle area and to call the vet (which i have done)


She's not lame in walk and trot, maybe a bit under herself in trot but not stiff to watch .... but she's sensitive to touch but theres no heat.....


any ideas?! should i put her on box rest or keep her on turnout during the days.... any advice please!


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Well her sore back is probably the result of bad hocks....

If you want a riding horse then call your vet to do an evaluation. I highly doubt she shows no other signs in other gait and would bet her toes in the hind are severely worn down. Her back soreness is also a huge red arrow pointing towards hocks.
If you aren't interested in spending money, put her down now or bute her every day and let her live her life out in a field, but based on your description of how bad she is I don't know how long she'll make it until she's down and can't get up. Your vet can do an evaluation and let you know about her prognosis and treatments.

Good luck.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DeeSmith (Dec 8, 2010)

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> Well her sore back is probably the result of bad hocks....
> 
> If you want a riding horse then call your vet to do an evaluation. I highly doubt she shows no other signs in other gait and would bet her toes in the hind are severely worn down. Her back soreness is also a huge red arrow pointing towards hocks.
> If you aren't interested in spending money, put her down now or bute her every day and let her live her life out in a field, but based on your description of how bad she is I don't know how long she'll make it until she's down and can't get up. Your vet can do an evaluation and let you know about her prognosis and treatments.
> ...


Hi, her back injuries were case but a number of things due to poor ownership of her last owners, she was very malnourished, had no farrier attention other than having shoes two sizes to small nailed to her so called 'hoofs'... she'd be ridden in a poor fitting saddle of long periods of times and worked very hard (galloped/jumped ect) aswell as signs of being flipped over (she's a rearer so it's very likely someones pulled her over whilst she was rearing)

the vet comfirmed this as she, the farrier and the saddler were my first port of call, she had badly formed muscles threw her back from her poll to her tail and a raised vertabrae, it took months to correct her poor shoeing... and to get her back in order for her to just walked happily and free from pain....

this was a year ago and it's taken that long to correct all of this... and in this time she has grown a hand as she was so malnourished it had stunned her growth....

the vet gave me the go ahead to bring her back into ridden work slowly and she's been wonderful up to three weeks ago when she started her funny cantering which was when i stopped her being ridden as it was unfair to her when i was unsure of what was wrong as she didn't show any sign of hock stiffness then within the last week i've narrowed it down to the hock/stifle. which was confirmed by my equine touch therapist (that was wonderful helping maisie get her muscles back) 

the vet and the farrier are coming out to us ASAP....

I don't mind retiring her as she's my baby not a riding horse (as i'm not a confident rider so i doubt i'd be riding her any time soon!!) and she wasn't bought for riding (she's my little rescue case... lol!)

i just wanted advice on the subject as i've never had a horse/pony with hock/stifle issues.... 

So would box rest be best for her till the vet comes or just a small paddock so she can't charge about....??


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## DeeSmith (Dec 8, 2010)

i will stress the most important thing is her well being, if she can live a happy life with out pain, either ridden or not that fine by me....


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

I think honestly with her history it's not going to matter if you put her in a box or in a field for a few days. Wherever she will be happiest because IMO I don't think, with the extent of her previous injuries, that this is going to be something small. 
Good luck.


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## DeeSmith (Dec 8, 2010)

Had the vet out, good news! Its nothing serious, just muscle stiffness, they nerve blocked the hoof she wasn't doing it anymore, which I guessed as I had the farrier out the day before and her sole is thin on that hoof only... So I've been given some keratex hoof hardener to be use once a day for a week, and then I'm allowed to lunge her to see if its working or not... 

The vet said that she's most likely carrying her self funny in the hock to keep off her sole in canter, so fingers crossed!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

I have also heard that back soreness is related to hock injuries. I'm dealing with that now  I also had a vet tell me that the canter was a great gait to see lameness. I always thought the trot was best, guess I was wrong! lol Hope she gets better soon! Did your vet give you any bute? I'd give her a little, stall her over night and turn her out for a few days.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I hope your vet is right..


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Hmmmmm I'd consider a second opinion on that. Not wanting to bend the hock in canter is a very odd symptom of foot soreness. I'm glad I got a second opinion on my also 7 year old tb, who showed most symptoms in canter and was just stiff in other gaits - who ended up having arthritis and bone spurs in one hock, and development of these in the other hock. Didn't show fully until it was xrayed.


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## Squishy (Aug 11, 2012)

Personally I'd get a second opinion .. I feel that there might be more going on (Sticky stifle, or something going on in the hips).


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

That's good news. Would shoes & pads help her?


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## DeeSmith (Dec 8, 2010)

Hey everyone, 

Maisie's doing very well seems to be cured, I tried out some keratex on her soles which worked surprisingly well, I was skeptical about her hock issues but wanted to try this before getting a second vet out, the farrier said that she's just a wimp, which being a tb is very true...

She's working lovely now her soles are a bit stronger, I'm defiantly keeping a eye on her though, cause although she seems to be doing well its all touch and go because of her past... We shall see!


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

One can be related or cause the other. Pain in one area in a horse will often make the horse try to compensate/reduce the pain by changing the way they go, which make them go unnaturally and can then cause other areas to have problems.

I think you should have both her back and hind end checked out by someone specializing in lameness. She could have back soreness causing her to move out oddly, or leg issues causing her to try to compensate with her back.

Or it could be some other area altogether!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I was skeptical too, but since the vet blocked the foot and she went sound, that would indicate that is the location of lameness. 

I too am surprised that the keratex worked this well. I would consider pads on one hand. On the other hand, pads add more stuff to the bottom of the foot and with a thin walled Thoroughbred foot that can spell trouble. PAds also can retain moisture and make a thin walled hoof a bit soft. 

If she it going well now, just keep up the good work. Do you have pictures of her?


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