From: Sarah
Dear Jessica I have owned my horse BLue for a little more than 2 years. Although when I bought him he was a little bit of a wild thing I have trained him enough that he is capable of getting around a course without bolting or taking off with me. About 10 months ago I began to teach him to collect. He had no neck or butt muscles at the time but he developed quickly (with protest from him). We had been using a chiropractor for his back since we bought him but due to a family tragdey she unfortunatly moved back to the East coast. After that we never really found anouther one so we just stopped because his back seemed to be holding up fine. But suddenly he came up lame right before we moved barns. SO we moved him and kept him laid up for 6 weeks. After that time he was fine for about a week until he caught a cold which laid him up for anouther month. Finally he was sound and healthy and after getting him into shape we took him to a show. THe first show he was fine but the second his back was so sore (a day after he had gone perfectly on problem) that he wouldn't even get off the ground. The vet on call felt his back and he nearly buckled and so she gave him a shot of pain killer and then used some massage thing on his back. He is 12 y/o and seems very healthy my question is (finally) do you think that it is the shows that are making him lame or is it just bad luck. His hocks are injected every three or four months and we are thinking of injecting his back. I would love to hear your imput (sorry the letter was so long) Sarah and Blue
I'm concerned about your description of teaching Blue to "collect" -- collection comes comparatively late in training, and it must come AFTER the horse has learned to move forward reliably, stretch through the topline, and work on the bit. This takes months of systematic work -- sometimes years. You can't develop a topline correctly by forcing a horse into a short frame, which is what happens when you try to teach a horse to "collect" before he is ready. You have to develop the topline FIRST, through correct forward movement and stretching, and THEN collected work can begin, but only a little at a time, and slowly.
What you've described is an unfit horse that's been asked to do a job he isn't at all ready, physically or mentally, to do. The key elements are the fact that he had no muscles when he began, and that he worked under protest -- he was trying to tell you something. Horses don't mind working; they DO mind doing things that hurt. And -- this may not surprise you -- one of the reliable results of trying to "collect" a horse before it's able to do it correctly is, guess what? BACK trouble and HOCK trouble!
Hock injections aren't always the best thing for the horse -- any time you put a needle into a joint, you're asking for an infection. I suggest you see an equine specialist veterinarian and find out whether it might not be better to stop injecting Blue's hocks and allow them to fuse.
Back injections are usually a VERY bad idea -- they are used to mask the pain, not to make the horse better. I think that Blue probably should visit a good equine clinic, perhaps a university teaching veterinary hospital, and you should talk to some specialists there. If Blue's back is THAT sore, he shouldn't be ridden. It's cruel to him, and it's also dangerous for the rider, on the flat AND over fences -- a horse in great pain isn't especially predictable, and you don't want to end up in the middle of a jump with Blue on top of you if he collapses.
Please take him to a good equine specialist vet -- perhaps the vet who was on call at that show could help you find a good veterinary hospital. You could probably get her name from the program, and ask directory assistance for her telephone number. It's important for you to talk to someone competent SOON. You may need to have his back and his hocks x-rayed and scanned so that you can find out what the problem is and whether it can be cured or not. Don't worry about offending your own vet -- NO good vet will object if you want to consult with a specialist or even just get a second opinion, and for Blue's sake you really need to do BOTH.
I know it's frustrating when horses LOOK shiny and healthy but go lame when you ride them, but they don't do it on purpose. That lameness comes from somewhere, and until you know what the problem is and what is causing it, you won't be able to fix it -- or even know if it CAN be fixed. You must find out what's wrong with Blue and then do what's best for him. He sounds like a sweet horse, to have tried so hard for you at a show when his back was hurting; the fact that he couldn't even TRY the next time when he hurt even more should have told you that something was very wrong. I don't think that this is a matter of luck, and I don't think it's just the shows, although Blue certainly isn't physically able to deal with the demands of the show ring.
If you can't find a good veterinary hospital, let me know, and I will try to find one near you. It's important. Blue is in pain, which is bad for him, and you can't ride him, which is bad for you... let's do something about this situation, okay? There are professionals who can help if you ask them, and it's definitely time to ask for that help.
- Jessica
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