[RC] Magic's Mystery Malady (Part I) - Jim Holland
Magic and I attempted the
Bluebonnet 100 this past weekend and pulled at 80 miles. This was his 2nd
attempt at a 100. The first was Goethe last December with the same result.
Both are relatively easy, mostly flat rides and we were not going fast at either.
He seems to have some type of rear end problem up high or maybe stifle. A
physical exam and palpation when this has occurred do not show any sensitivity
indicating areas of stiffness, soreness, or swelling. I think a discussion on
possible causes might be worthwhile and informative.
Meanwhile, I hope to set up
an appointment with Dr. Ken Marcella ASAP for some blood work and anything else
he feels might identify the problem.
Here's the background:
Magic is 8 and takes the
best care of himself of any horse I have ever owned. He is very mellow, eats
and drinks anywhere, including on the trail and the trailer. He is also a good
traveler. The most I ever get is a little "happy feet" when a
particularly scary truck goes by. I take him off every 2-3 hours for 15-20
minutes to pee, drink, and eat a little grass when available. He recovers
quickly and gets great vet scores. He has never raced. The fastest 50 we have
ever done was in a little over 7 hours, the longest almost 12 hours. He did 14
rides in 2004, finishing all 14, including two 55's and a 75. He has 740 miles.
At home, he is on lush
pasture (fescue, brome, clover, Bermuda mix)
every day. He is up in a dry paddock every day for some period of time so he
will have hay in his diet as well as green grass. He gets free choice Tift44
Coastal and a tiny handful of Alfafa once a day just as a treat and to get it
in his system. He gets a small slurry of Omolene 100 and beet pulp twice a
day. I don't feed anything at home he doesn't get at rides. I use Perform 'n
Win and LyteNow electrolytes, and preload Perform 'n Win two days prior to and
after a ride. His shots and worming are current and he gets a good physical
exam every 6 months. Shoes every 6-7 weeks. He forges, so his back toes are
rolled slightly and his front shoes are set back a little for early breakover.
I would normally not worry about the forging, since he doesn't yank shoes, but
he strikes the TOP of his rear feet on the bottom of the front shoes, and I was
concerned that this could result in bruising of the hoof wall. His left front
shoulder is slightly larger than his right, not uncommon in Arabians. He is
14.3 and weighs about 850 lbs.
I first saw the problem at
Yellowhammer in fall 2003 when his right hip was sore up high at the first vet
check. Dr. Marcella's camera showed a "hot spot" high on the hip.
I'm not sure this is the same problem, but it may be relevant. It was gone the
next day. About 3 weeks later, he was rear lame off the trailer at Skymont and
I didn't start. The only other incident was at Summer Breeze in 2004, which is
a fairly technical ride. He was "stiff" at the last vet check, but
not off. A couple of miles into the loop, he didn't "feel right", so
I got off and walked the last 12 miles back to camp. He trotted out sound and
got a completion. We did Leatherwood and OD 50's, both tough rides with no
problems and a 75. All was well until the Goethe 100, when the
"stiffness" showed up again. I started the loop at 70 miles, but
quit and trailered him back to camp. Sound the next morning at a trot.
