Re: What do you think?

["Sue Turriaga" <easycare@primenet.com>]

Suzanne,

I owned a half-Arab mare years ago who repeatedly pulled her stifle "out of
joint" - would often come into the barn in the morning and find her with her
hind leg pointing at the back wall.  It may have been a conformation fault
of some sort to begin with, but the repeated events caused the tendon (or
whatever it is called) that locks around the joint to stretch, resulting in
more occurences.

Our vet came out and did a simple "clip" job with local anesthetic - just
went in and severed that little ligament or tendon or whatever it is, and
stitched her back up.  The only problem she ever had after that was that she
couldn't sleep standing up!  I showed  and rode her, and eventually sold her
to a mounted patrol unit up in Portland.

Sue
-----Original Message-----
From: Suzanne Kelly <suzannekel@earthlink.net>
To: Ridecamp <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Thursday, October 28, 1999 12:09 PM
Subject: RC: What do you think?


>Hi All
>
>I have a friend that has a pony that is having a problem. I'm kind of
>stumped. Does anyone have any suggestions for this. I wonder if
>corrective shoeing would help.
>This is what she wrote to me.
>
>1. History: Pony is 13.1 hands, 14ish years old, used in lesson program 3-4
>days a week with mostly flat work and some low crossrails. He has back legs
>that are somewhat straight. He has a Napoleon complex with pasture buddies,
>but is mostly well-behaved under-saddle/driving/handling. The problem is
>that his back left stifle occaisionally locks up. When this happens we back
>him up a few steps to unlock the leg, and walk him slowly for a bit and he
>works out of it. Do not know history before purchased at age 13 a year and
>a half ago--he was a little underweight and in need of supplements to get
>his coat in shape.
>2. Over the course of the first year with this pony, he wore down the front
>of his hoofs (front and hind end) and seemed very stiff. The vet took
>xrays, and said to give bute and lay him off for a week. (Pony lives out
>24/7 and gets 1/2 scoop pellets 1xday and 1-2 flakes of hay along with
>other pasture buddies.) This didn't seem to change the shuffling/stiffness.
>Vet did the following: took xrays of hocks, and recommended the farrier
>check angles (but friend boards at  facility where farrier is hesitant to
>"do ponys" as the barn goddess feels ponies should just wear their feet
>down naturally-- so this pony is barefoot);  the xrays showed only minor
>arthritic(?) changes, vet prescribed one month round of Adequan injections
>and Cosequin 1x day, after loading with Cosequin 2x/day for the first three
>weeks of therapy, and after one week of rest--back to consistent exercise,
>with hill work to strengthen the hind end.
>3. The pony gets massaged twice a month-- massage therapist finds that the
>pony seems ok other than in the muscles he stiffens to protect his back
>legs. She has prescribed some stretching exercises to be done before and
>after each ride.
>4. Ponys hooves are improving, doesn't shuffle as much, still a little
>stiff though. Would like to get rid of stifle prob if poss. Is surgery a
>viable alternative? The vet here seems to think that people are moving away
>from stifle surgery as it has a high failure rate.
>
>Thanks for the input.
>
>Suzanne
>MA
>
>
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Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
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