Tieing up

OK, now we've got on to talking about tieing up, perhaps you guys could give me some input on this one. I'll try and keep it as brief as possible.

10 yr purebread arabian mare on loan (since Mar 99) to do endurance. Prior to endurance shown in-hand and under saddle and had one foal age 4 yrs.

Not a big mare but quite heavily muscled, more so since starting endurance training. Strong character but not mareish. Cycles like clock-work and shows readily when in- season. Back more sensitive when in-season but no evidence of serious discomfort.

"Stop-start" season with little achieved. Started work April (legging up), stopped mid-May due to very minor soft tissue inflammation (right fore). No lameness and you had to look very hard to see the problem. No treatment other than rest. Repetition of the same problem mid-June. Antalgic (Algivet) locally plus rest.

Back to work July. Legging up plus in August a one-day "randonee" (trek??) of approx 7hrs at walk. Two quite large patches of white hair appeared after this trek. Bad management on my part, wrong rider (too heavy) for the horse. No real evidence since then of back discomfort and much of the white hair is gone.

OK, where are we? Oh yes. No problems from this point on. Training continued OK. First 40kms ride mid-Oct done at around 13.5-14kmh. Good recoveries. No leg problems the day after. Second 40kms ride end-Oct. 15kmh flat course, great recoveries (32pbm at final vetting). No problems the next day.

From Oct to mid-Jan 2000 intermittent work mostly walk and trot. Proper training started mid-Jan. No obvious probs since except mare getting "strong". Settled at the start of the training session, getting stronger and stronger and very unsettled in walk toward the end. Put this down to mare getting fitter and keener. Changed bits and ultimately rider as normal rider getting irritated by the mare's attitude. Started riding her myself about 3 weeks ago.

Generally 3 training sessions a week. One long and two short of mostly trot and canter for about 2-3 hours. Very limited opportunities for training here at the moment, terrain very muddy so a lot of pavement work. In-between times she's at pasture (large pasture but mostly mud at the moment) from 9am-5pm and in a 10mx10m pen at nights.

Meadow hay ad-lib. Feed base is beet-pulp and chaff (chopped straw & alfalfa mix 50/50) plus cooked flaked barley (2lbs daily) and unmollassed cereal balancer (2.5lbs daily).

VSL (VitE/Sel), salt (in feed), Hoof-Aid, corn-oil, per day 300g EdyaForm (probiotic on sprouted barley carrier).

Very sensitive tissues, ie a minor knock and the whole leg blows up sort of thing. Won't travel with another horse unless the head-board is in otherwise sweats heavily and kicks continually.

Last Monday (14th) set off to do moderate training ride, last training session prior to 60kms planned for this Sunday (20th). Going up the first hill she seemed not quite so onward bound as normal. No sweating. Continued in walk, seemed fine. Trotting down-hill she slowed to walk of her own accord. Carried on walking (I honestly didn't immediately think tieing up). She picked up OK so we started up the next hill, half-way she started blowing and the hr monitor showed high 160's (we were in trot).

Stopped straight away. NO sweating, NO stiffness, NO obvious pain. Stupidly found myself a way from home with no money and no mobile. Walked home. She walked out fine, no stiffness, no sweating.

Got home and took blood and turned mare out in field. (Big mistake, I know). Still wasn't seriously thinking azoturia.

25 L Ringers plus injectable aspirin plus anti-inflammatories locally (vets advice). Corral rest, no grain, for one week initially, blood test scheduled for next Tues.

So there you go guys. What do you think? I can see easily the mistakes I made once the attack actually happened. What I can't see so easily is WHY it happened.

- Are heavily muscled horses more prone to this sort of problem (I know this sounds like a dumb question......)

- I possibly didn't warm her up sufficiently on this occasions, normally I walk for 15-20 mins. Could this have caused the attack?

- Have been experimenting with 4-point shoeing which doesn't seem really to be working for this mare. Puffy feltock joints after training. Now re-shod normally but this could anticipation of continual joint discomfort have caused an attack?

Can't think of anything else. If anybody wants to know more detail or has specific questions ask away.

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