Leg giving way / buckling

ladywiththebaby

ladywiththebaby

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Mar 6, 2007
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I'm continuing with Tango's shorter walks out on the road and I think I am getting him working better as it's taking less time to do the same hack. This time I introduced 2 very short trots. When we were nearly home I was just mentally thinking how brilliant he'd been that hack as he hadn't tripped once.

STOOPID thought! He, of course, stumbled - and a big one :eek: A proper, makes you gasp and think "we're going down!" one. But we didn't hit the deck, he regained himself and carried on as if nothing had happened. But the difference being (and I've been noticing this slightly more the last few weeks / months) that this was not a trip. There was absolutely nothing to trip over or catch his toe on. There was no sound of his foot hitting anything untoward. It felt much more like his leg kind of buckled underneath him.

I appreciate none of you are vets who have examined Tango but I just wondered if you thought that maybe this was part of the sore feet thing and I'd overdone the trotting, or if it sounds like there may be something else at play here too??

Much as I love him, I'm fairly sure I've aged 10 years since having Tango! But on the plus side, I have a new RI coming to start exercising him for me once a week, and I'm looking forward to having someone elses thoughts on what it feels like when he's ridden.
 
Well done you for sitting to it, it's not easy!

What shoes is he wearing now? How often would you say it's happening?
 
He's just been switched from egg bar to rollers (on Saturday), but still with the wedges underneath.

Since doing our half hour road only walks, its usually once or twice in that half hour. Mostly smaller than this though - this was the first biggie :frown: But it does make me wonder how many of his trips off road are actually buckles but I'm assuming he tripped on something?
 
I hate to worry you but that doesn't sound good actually. I would be phoning the vet if it was me. Do you think it's got worse in the time that you've had him?
 
Oh :poop: What does it sound like it could be Domane?

And I have no idea if its got worse coz if we're out on grass its hard to tell if its a trip or a buckle??
 
It just all sounds so strange and I hate the not knowing if it'll come good or lead to something more sinister. Fingers crossed as ever mrs. I certainly have a few more grey hairs of late!!
 
It won't hurt to give the vet a ring to discuss it, but it's fairly possible that this is what he has been doing all along and that the actual movement is becoming more obvious now he's only on the roads.

Do you think it's got worse since the change in shoes at the weekend?
 
Oh goodness, I hate to be scare-mongering because I really, REALLY hope it's nothing serious but worst-case scenario it could possibly be something neurological... or maybe just a trapped or impinged nerve. It is a front leg? Do you have access to a school? Does it happen in there? Jack is lazy and doesn't pick his feet up when we're riding over uneven terrain and I know it's just laziness because when I ride him in the school he never, ever trips.
 
They did the basic neurological tests when he was in the hospital (I.e. Crossed his legs to see if he knew where they were and he immediately put them back where they should be)

I've only had one lesson in a school (nearest one is half hour hack away) and he didn't trip once in there. Lessons in the field he occasionally trips but often once he's accustomed himself to the fact that we ARE going to be working (or he's just warmed up) and usually once we start doing slightly more taxing stuff, he stops.

Gut feeling is that on the whole he trips, but there are definitely the odd leg buckles thrown in.
 
Oh and I have a RI coming to work him out on a hack (gentley of course and I have told her all about his tripping and arthritis etc) just to make sure it's not the way I ride. The vet is due out any day now anyway but I just want to get a couple more rides under my belt on the grass first so I can accurately describe what he's doing. Will call them on Friday or Monday.
 
I loaned a pony years ago who had dodgy knees. When he placed each leg on the ground, his whole knee would tremor/shake. He never tripped, but one day when i was riding him in the arena in canter, he completely fell over onto his side. I'm not sure if his leg gave way or if was just one of these things. After that we rested him (the owner refused to call the vet!) and it got slightly better in time, although we decided not to do fast work or road work with him.

My advice would be to try and get it on video if you can and then discuss with your vet. My concern is that you could have a nasty accident if he did this at speed.
 
Gosh LWTB - have you been cursed???:unsure: Cant believe how unlucky you are with all things horsey. Firstly - are you using knee boots on him? If not I would get some before you ride him again - a hard whack on the ground straight on his knees could easily be the finish of him - has finished many horses so just not worth the risk IMO.

I have nothing knowledgeable to add about reasoning but 2 things occur to me. In Sollys last months of riding his front leg occasionally just 'gave way' out on a ride - I never had it investigated as by that time, I was aware he had worsening navicular and arthritis in several areas so he was headed for the retirement meadow anyway. For me it was just one more sign that the old chap was ready for retirement. That is NOT to say this is the case with Tango.

Secondly - now this is daft, but I also have my right leg sometimes just totally collapse on me - I could be walking along and next thing I know the ground is coming up to meet me because the bloody thing has given way again!:giggle: In my case it is caused by nerve damage to the lower part of my back. I wonder if this might be a case with a horse as well - if he has nerve damage somewhere like neck or back might it cause this?

Sorry - Im sure none of the above is of any help whatsoever, but definitely think another rider trying him is a good idea, although I am suspecting less and less that this is all an issue with you riding. Hope it all gets sorted for you - such a shame he is such a little saint for you isnt he?
 
Does he tremble the leg at all when standing, and does it lock properly at the knee? I would definitely call the vet, sounds like my horse's symptoms from a torn check ligament, leg giving way underneath us, felt like it was just dropping, and he would stumble and trip.
 
Urgh Cortrasna - I am fairly sure I have been cursed when it comes to horses. I not sure what I did to deserve not to have healthy pone :cry:

I have had his back checked twice by the McTimoney person since I've had him and neither time have they found anything wrong there?

Ginger thing - no it doesn't tremble ever but I'm not sure how I'd know if it didn't lock properly? I've never seen it happen in the field or in hand - only when ridden.

Will be getting the vets back next week anyway so will be letting them know about all this.

And yes - he is such a saint C. That's why this is all just so unfair. :cry:
 
Am sure you will get to the bottom of it. Having someone else ride him is a good idea just in case, colleague at the yard has an older horse who is a lovely good boy and he trips a lot. I often take him up the field in the morning to keep Tobes company and he is very careful coming out down the step into the yard because I think he is a bit arthiriticy till he gets moving. He trips a lot she says riding out but she thinks it is because she doesn't keep him up together.

And then Tobes last weekend nearly did the splits along the road with his front legs - really thought we were coming down but he righted himself - and he is only 7 and pretty nimble really, but lazy sometimes with those legs. And sometimes those legs at the back don't always seem to go in the right order if he is tired.

So I don't know and wouldn't like to say because I have no idea. Mum says her leg goes sometimes for no particular reason, so perhaps it is being older??? Would turmeric help? Lots of people use that for mobility for horses?
 
Oh I really hope it's just that he's getting older sjp! I have been using turmeric pretty much since day 1 having heard about it in here! My friend thinks I'm mental! And as to whether we'll get the bottom of it, I'm feeling less sure. My farrier told me it could be 20 different things and I may never know. And the fact that my vet always seems so stumped doesn't help. I may have to switch hospitals to Rossdales in Newmarket.

I know you didn't mean it to C but that paragraph you wrote ...

"In Sollys last months of riding his front leg occasionally just 'gave way' out on a ride - I never had it investigated as by that time, I was aware he had worsening navicular and arthritis in several areas so he was headed for the retirement meadow anyway. For me it was just one more sign that the old chap was ready for retirement...."

is my worst fear and it's what keeps me awake at night. What if I bought a horse who really should be retired? :cry: What do I do then? :cry:
 
Even your farrier has said there could be lots of reasons, and really there could and it needn't be awful ones!!

Swapping vets sounds good, not to say there is anything wrong with your current vets, but always useful to get a another perspective.

Am sure he doesn't need to be retired. Am surprised that your back lady has not given you any exercises to do with him for any areas. Perhaps after second vet opinion, second back lady opinion - perhaps specialising in a different type of therapy?
 
The first horse I bought had worked in the riding school where I learnt to ride, you couldn't go far without someone asking is that Jack, and being told 'I learnt to ride on him!' He was a lovely gentle soul (still is, only now owned by a friend)

He was 15 when I got him, and is 22 now and is still going very strong! However, this pone couldn't take two steps without tripping up, he did it all the time! He was just naturally clumsy, the yard owner had bought him as a two year old and backed him herself, and said he had never been any different! Twice he fell to his kness, for no apparent reason, the first time my 7 year old son was on board and I was walking at the side, pone righted himself straight away, but did skin his knee, so I did get knee boots.

He's done beach rides, and cross country clinics at Sommerford Park, it bothered me cos I'm a nervous rider, but my friend just pats him n gets on with it.
 
Aw thanks T - that helps. I do have a habit of being very pessimistic so maybe that's what I'm doing now. Thats the thing with Tango - he was being used to do 3 hour beach rides, hacking and lessons - all sorts before I got him! He did trip twice when I hacked him out when trying him but thought nothing of it. But nothing when I rode him in the school.

However, when I spoke to old owner and casually mentioned the tripping she reckoned he never tripped when they had him - which makes me wonder how trustworthy she is? Or maybe she just never got to hear about any trips?

Urgh - I just hate not knowing whats going on! Ha!
 
I think I have said before horse are very unlikely to trip in sand as if they are not picking their legs up properly they can drag a toe through the sand, several of my RS horses do this with riders that do not really motivate them. Big giveaway is the dust cloud when the school is in need of watering

I agree with Cortrasna about kneeboots, having had a horse go down on the road when I was a teenager I never hack out without them.
 
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