Extreme Left Rein Stiffness!

[drummers mum]

Quick history:
Drummer has big scar down left hind cannon from a wire injury at 2.
In April Drummer was trotting up very slightly lame on the left rein.  Had 3 Bowen sessions for his pelvis as it was not in line.
He threw a splint on his left front in July.
He has always been stiff on the left rein and I cannot get left canter lead.

In walk he is fine we get lovely bend, he is using his back and working long and low although not "on the bit"

In trot, he is starting to step under himself but isn't tracking up as I would like.  On a right circle I can get lovely bend and he listens to my leg and stays on the circle but to the left he is completely different.  He kind of swings round the turn, falling through his shoulder and not even bending his neck.  Although he isn't lame he feels wrong, his nose is more in the air, he is not as relaxed and his ears show this.

Any thoughts anyone?  



 

[Shantor]

Hmmm, I'm no expert, but he certainly sounds sore in his pelvis region and maybe further up his back, shoulders and neck.  Horses compensate themselves for injury in all sorts of areas.   Maybe an idea to have him assessed by your vet and a McTimoney trained equine back specialist?   At least that way, you'll get the professional opinion of two qualified people at once?

I had my vet and an equine physiotherapist present together to assess my big boy, Tobie 2 years ago.  Since his fractured coffin joint he'd not looked right or felt right and to top it all he fell down twice in the field whilst galloping about - he was clearly unbalanced.   To cut a long story short, they found he was sore over his shoulders, lower thigh muscles, hamstring area, loins and poll region.  He had a year off work and a lot of physio, massage and laser therapy.   Now he's sound as a bell.   I did try him barefoot but this nearly crippled him and after all he'd been through I wasn't prepared to put him through more pain or discomfort.   Touch wood, he has remained sound.

Let us now how your boy progresses and good luck!  

[Funky MeerKAT]

I would continue with the bowen treatments and also give his saddle a good check as well as his bridle, mouth and teeth.

May also be and idea for you to have a Bowen as well.

[IssyH]

get a chiro or osteo out to him too
 

[drummers mum]

Thanks for your comments.  Think Chiro or Bowen it is again then!!  Whats McTimoney?

I have to say that I really wondered if it was me as I forgot to mention that he is much better on the lunge and when out hacking!

I have a treeless saddle and bitless bridle but he is due a teeth check!

[chapsi]

I'm following this thread with interest, as I experience the same problem with my mare, although her stiffness is on the right side. However, to my knowledge, she has never had an acident.

At the present, her training is back to basics. I only lunge her lightly, practicing  walk and halt transitions, as our idea is to calm her down, so the eventually, one day, I'll be able to ride her. She gets very nervous and spooks a lot more in that rein.

A UK trained vet checked her back recently, but said there was no back problem.
I'm not fully convinced, at least until she is seen by a chiro or an osteopath.
Any ideas? I'd love to have her seen by a back/muscles professional, but they are hardly existant here.
   

[drummers mum]

Chapsi, do I gather you don't ride your mare?

I have to say that I think that Drumers stiffness is connected to the old injury and I am wondering if he will ever truly be ok on that rein.  

I only say this as since we have built up our schooling and got better, I have had a young friend teach him to canter in the school (she is lighter, its easier to balance)  For the first time last week she got him to canter left lead and its since around then that he seemed stiffer on circles.

Last time when he put his pelvis out, my instructor had had me on the lunge a few days before and we had made him canter left lead.

Do you think left canter could be straining something?

[drummers mum]

Hmmm, today, I did some groundwork including a kind of circle game, but adapted to suit us.  He didn't show one dot of stiffness, circles both ways in trot no problems!

He still didn't track up properly but the long grass where we were working made him work long and low, lol!

I have to say, I am still going to get my Bowen lady out for a session but do you think it could be me?  Am I off kilter when I ride?

[Cloud_cirrus]

It may be worth getting the bowen lady to check you out as well as your horse.  I need regular treatment on my lower back, even my swimming coach picked up my asymetry the other day :(

Has dummer got symetrial muscle formation from his spine back to his tail?  It's worth checking his upper thighs as well.

If he is capable of cantering on the lunge and in straight lines he is capable of cantering with you as well, sounds like he just needs to build up a bit more.  I would keep the canters to a few strides and go for lots of transitions rather than long canters in the school.

Tracey

[drummers mum]

It may be worth getting the bowen lady to check you out as well as your horse.  I need regular treatment on my lower back, even my swimming coach picked up my asymetry the other day :(

Has dummer got symetrial muscle formation from his spine back to his tail?  It's worth checking his upper thighs as well.

 

Its funny you should say that!

3 years ago I smashed my left elbow.  When Sue (Bowen lady) came to see Drummer, she looked at my arm and shoulder (bless her she was so lovely, only meant to be giving me an idea of what Drum was going through!), she said I hold my left shoulder alot higher than my right!  I know something in me isn't right because sometimes I ache like crazy down that side!

Although Sue found a few tender spots from Drummer holding himself because of his pelvis, she said his back and everything else were beautifully healthy!

[Cloud_cirrus]

If your left shoulder is higher then it's possible that your left hip is higher as well, ie everything on the left side coming 'up'.  On the left rein is he falling out towards the right?  If your left is up it could be that you are weighting the right and he is interpreting that as 'go right'.  Could you get your partner or a close friend to stand behind you with just your underwear on and see whether you are symetrical?

I'm not an expert by any means I just know that I am out and my boyfriend has a dropped right shoulder which gives him all sorts of problems, if you see him on a horse his stirrups are level but his knees are in totally different places.  If you look at him from behind one shoulder blade is in a different position to the other and face on one side of his chest is more developed than the other, he's a bit of a freak really!

A friend used to ride a horse with a displaced pelvis and now she rides a bit wonky even on a straight horse, she is also having problems with left lead canter and his nose tends to point slightly towards the right on the left rein.

I'd get yourself checked out even if it's just to rule this out, you may feel a lot more comfortable after the treatment anyway so it's probably money well spent.  I've never had a bowen on myself although I use it for all my horses, I go to an osteopath, if you do go down that route I'd be interested to hear how you get on.

[drummers mum]

Thanks Cloud_cirrus!

You have intregued me!  I always have stirrup problems and Chloe said they are level but my knees aren't!.  I think I shall have to investigate this further!

I will ask my partner if I am symetrical too!


 

[vparr]

Hi

I wanted to share my experinces with you, as i have had simular problems. My Pony is now 21 years old.  I have owned him for seven years.  He was brought by the civil service when he was 7 and had splints on both front legs.  Due to allegy with London Traffic, he was sold to  a lady in Devon.  Sometime while he was with her, he had an accident with a tractor and trainer, not sure what exactly happened but he has scars down his back legs and on his neck.  His was purhased by my local stables from whom i purchased him after being with them for about 1 year.  Up to this point no problems had appear.  As he is a vey useful and nice chap, he had everyone riding him.  About a year after i had brought him (i kept him on working livery) he went very lame.  Our local vet came and gave him a course of apperpucture.  Which helped alot.  he went back into work and about a few months it happened again but in his shoulders.  Apperpucture again and back to nomal.  we did have his saddle check and all fine at this point.

After bring him home to live he went lame again.  I decided this was enough.  A friend to me about a McTimopthy person.  Since then things have reaaly gone well.  She found out that his pelvis was out on the left hand side and had been out for a long time (he had just adapted to this and work though it)  But at times it affected him.  (We had always had trouble with canter on the left)  Change his saddle (Saddle 2).  A year later he put his pelvis out again on the right.  It was put back again.  But everytime he put it out he would also put his poll out aswell.
Saddle no 3. He started to work better changed shape and put on condition.  Saddle no 4 Aussie stock saddle as he was very wide.  Could not get gp to fit at the time.  Saddle was very heavy.
Saddle no 4 A lovely GP and he changed shape again and we are now on a treeless.  Saddle sorted and problems have improved.

Touch wood has not put his pelvis out again since then, but due to this he does move funny on his right hind.  he points his foot in more under his body due to his hip moving differently to the other side and likes to take his time down hills.  He is asthertic.  But now is begining to soften more through his left side.  We have more problems in trot and rounding and his lameness always showed up in trot then in it  did in walk.  It is always the same leg that he is stiff on.  He is now beginning to soften from his poll.  But we have to work harder on the left.  I would recommend that you have someone out to check his back.  But if you are concerned that he has put pelvis.  Stand him on a level ground standing square and check to see that his pelvis area is level.  As usually if the pelvis out it will be down on that side.

Lindy (Mctimophy Chiroprature) gave me stretch workout to do with him before I ride, as this reply is long I will post shortly.

It has been a long journey to where we are now, but things do start to get better.  He is now starting to leg yield again and various other movements.  We can now strike off on the right leg in canter.  But some problems were my doing.


Hope this helps

Vicky

[vparr]

Further to above.

Stretch workout


1: Stand behind your horse.  Hold the tail in your hands right at top where it joins to the horses body ( my mind has gone blank to the real name for this part).  Start by moving the tail clockwise then anti clockwise.  Do this a few times.

2: The gently pull the tail back towards you.

3: Taking the front leg left it fowards to stetch it.  Repart for the other one.

4:  Do the same for the hind legs.

Always be careful about your horse kicking you.


 

[vparr]

Hi again

I almost forgot to say that his saddles have always slipped to the left and I always wanted my stirrup leather half a hole shorter on this side.   We found out that his shoulders are unlevel probably from the same accident and problems.  My friend has since had my old saddle and the saddle always slips now to the left as my chap has worn the flocking more on this side.  I think that compensated for this and now that I ride the treeless it is level on him I find that I have work on not letting my hip collapse on left.

Vicky