First I have to say my TWH mare is 21 years old. I have had her since she was 3, I have kept really good care of her over the years. She is in good flesh and appears healthy although she isn’t as spunky as she once was. She fell and really injured a friend who was riding her. We are having a really hard time diagnosing her. My vet came out and did a lameness exam. Nothing was diagnosed, he suggested I take my mare to the state school vet hospital. They did testing, EPM and other tests were run. Nothing was shown wrong with her. I’ve been riding her but on a soft surface (for my safety and hopefully for her benefit)and at a gentle pace, for about 30 minutes a day, mostly just walking and she has been stumbling. I have been having body work done on her and I see no difference in her movements. I guess her riding days are over. 😞
very sad to hear :(. Does your horse have shoes on? I have found that sometimes they are better at this point without them. Shoes can inhibit blood flow down to the feet, so as she is getting older, perhaps her circulatory system is struggling a little? Just a thought, but good luck
Brilliant video, sums up my tripping horse. Have been very concerned, but my local told me it was just a low action..however I do wonder if its stifle pain..if stifle is problem.can that cause tripping and jerking in joint movement in front?
Sorry for the delay in reponse. Most often if is 'low action' equally both sides, then it alo could well be simply lacking strength of muscle needed to lift the leg high enough
Thank you my horse has increased his tripping after a shoeing job that left his toe too long, now I’m back with my good Farriers’s but I feel like muscle memory has caused some lingering events. What can I do to rectify this? He is a draft cross 15 yr old gelding.
Hi Lisa, It is really important to consider proprioception in recovery from anything. With shoes on the horse will have a reduced blood flow to his feet, so will have less responsiveness to changes under foot. Ideally you set up an area for him that means he must walk on many different surfaces and terrains so that he can build that proprioception back up.
Had a horse that started tripping at about 13 years of age and would even fall to his knees. Ended up being arthritis in his neck. Vet gave injection (steroid I believe) and he was good for a couple years
Fantastic work diagnosing this! So many issues around tripping, and too many owners jumping to the horse being 'lazy' when they are in pain. :) Im happy for your horse :)
My horse started stumbling a lot. Feels like his left back leg slides out from under him, especially during half halts or change from canter to trot or walk. He is only showing signs of soreness on the left side of his back. I have been working him from the ground since it started and he is completely sound, but we'll see a horse chiro next week. I'm fairly certain it's something he's acquired while in the pasture, it started very suddenly and in the almost 3 years I've had him, he never had a problem like this. Any suggestions for what else I can do to help him out?
@@CazedarnesEquestrian 4 days after I wrote this it turned out he'd been hiding a hoofabcess on his left front. His back got sore because he was working overtime to compensate. Abcess has been drained and treated for a week now, he is back to his happy self. No soreness anywhere, not even the abcessed hoof. I wish he could have told me exactly what was wrong. I'm so glad I worked him in hand instead of insisting on riding when I felt something was off. My poor boy.
I have a horse that not only tips in front, usually front left, but also falls out behind. He has been tested for Lymes and EMP, negative to both tests but treated anyhow. No response to the doxy, some response to the Marquis and Rebound. But he was out of work that treatment so not sure if he was muscle sore and with rest that went away. He has now had a bone scan, CT scan and more xrays of neck and back with little reason to believe the neck is causing all this body stumbling and soreness. Any thoughts?
I've had similar problems with my mare. She seems to act like she is itching by her front right ear. Scratches with hind right then collapses down kicks for a second and then shakes it off. And acts like nothings wrong. We've checked her out thoroughly and cant find out what it is. Any suggestions are helpful. I hope your horse gets better too.
Stephanie is he shod? Sometimes the act of shoeing can reduce the circulatory function to the feet? Just a thought if all of the other veterinary things have been covered.
Great question!!! Which gait are you talking about. If canter is 'disorganised' and causes problems there can be different issues associated with that.
First I have to say my TWH mare is 21 years old. I have had her since she was 3, I have kept really good care of her over the years. She is in good flesh and appears healthy although she isn’t as spunky as she once was. She fell and really injured a friend who was riding her. We are having a really hard time diagnosing her. My vet came out and did a lameness exam. Nothing was diagnosed, he suggested I take my mare to the state school vet hospital. They did testing, EPM and other tests were run. Nothing was shown wrong with her. I’ve been riding her but on a soft surface (for my safety and hopefully for her benefit)and at a gentle pace, for about 30 minutes a day, mostly just walking and she has been stumbling. I have been having body work done on her and I see no difference in her movements. I guess her riding days are over. 😞
very sad to hear :(. Does your horse have shoes on? I have found that sometimes they are better at this point without them. Shoes can inhibit blood flow down to the feet, so as she is getting older, perhaps her circulatory system is struggling a little? Just a thought, but good luck
Brilliant video, sums up my tripping horse. Have been very concerned, but my local told me it was just a low action..however I do wonder if its stifle pain..if stifle is problem.can that cause tripping and jerking in joint movement in front?
Sorry for the delay in reponse. Most often if is 'low action' equally both sides, then it alo could well be simply lacking strength of muscle needed to lift the leg high enough
Thank you my horse has increased his tripping after a shoeing job that left his toe too long, now I’m back with my good Farriers’s but I feel like muscle memory has caused some lingering events. What can I do to rectify this? He is a draft cross 15 yr old gelding.
Hi Lisa, It is really important to consider proprioception in recovery from anything. With shoes on the horse will have a reduced blood flow to his feet, so will have less responsiveness to changes under foot. Ideally you set up an area for him that means he must walk on many different surfaces and terrains so that he can build that proprioception back up.
My mare only trips when we are cantering on grass but on the dirt road or arena she canters great!
You may want to look at some of the lameness videos about the differences between lameness on hard or soft ground. Im sure it will give you some hints
Than you for the helpful info
You're welcome :)
Had a horse that started tripping at about 13 years of age and would even fall to his knees. Ended up being arthritis in his neck. Vet gave injection (steroid I believe) and he was good for a couple years
Fantastic work diagnosing this! So many issues around tripping, and too many owners jumping to the horse being 'lazy' when they are in pain. :) Im happy for your horse :)
My horse started stumbling a lot. Feels like his left back leg slides out from under him, especially during half halts or change from canter to trot or walk. He is only showing signs of soreness on the left side of his back. I have been working him from the ground since it started and he is completely sound, but we'll see a horse chiro next week. I'm fairly certain it's something he's acquired while in the pasture, it started very suddenly and in the almost 3 years I've had him, he never had a problem like this. Any suggestions for what else I can do to help him out?
The reasons for this can be many and varied - ideally at this point I would do a full lameness work up with an appropriate vet.
@@CazedarnesEquestrian 4 days after I wrote this it turned out he'd been hiding a hoofabcess on his left front. His back got sore because he was working overtime to compensate. Abcess has been drained and treated for a week now, he is back to his happy self. No soreness anywhere, not even the abcessed hoof. I wish he could have told me exactly what was wrong. I'm so glad I worked him in hand instead of insisting on riding when I felt something was off. My poor boy.
I have a horse that not only tips in front, usually front left, but also falls out behind. He has been tested for Lymes and EMP, negative to both tests but treated anyhow. No response to the doxy, some response to the Marquis and Rebound. But he was out of work that treatment so not sure if he was muscle sore and with rest that went away. He has now had a bone scan, CT scan and more xrays of neck and back with little reason to believe the neck is causing all this body stumbling and soreness. Any thoughts?
I've had similar problems with my mare. She seems to act like she is itching by her front right ear. Scratches with hind right then collapses down kicks for a second and then shakes it off. And acts like nothings wrong. We've checked her out thoroughly and cant find out what it is. Any suggestions are helpful. I hope your horse gets better too.
Stephanie is he shod? Sometimes the act of shoeing can reduce the circulatory function to the feet? Just a thought if all of the other veterinary things have been covered.
I'd love to see a video of that behaviour to see if I have any ideas worth investigating with a vet
What about tripping in a certain gait?
Great question!!! Which gait are you talking about. If canter is 'disorganised' and causes problems there can be different issues associated with that.
@@CazedarnesEquestrian the canter
@@CazedarnesEquestrian I will look at signs of a disorganized canter to see if that might be the issue.