Back On Board - Rehabilitation Begins 5/6/17

After a week off in the field to relax and unwind from his 2 weeks of box rest Jack was able to start rehab this week.
He's been coming in during the day and having some soaked hay and is out at night in a small paddock which has kept his weight down.  He is always very keen to go out at the end of the day!  He gets like this after a period of box rest, for a good few weeks after he hates being in the stable and even just a few hours in winds him up like he's been in for days!
I rode him for the first time on Saturday afternoon, after he had been in all day, which perhaps wasn't the best plan!  He was very on his toes which wasn't helped by the farmer next door trying to round up his sheep while I was tacking up, all the shouting and dog and sheep running about really wound Jack up.  I could tell it wasn't a good idea to get on him and try to hack out straight away so I put him on the lunge in the school first and let him get it out of his system a bit.  He had a little canter and buck but settled quite quickly.  I was pleased to see he looked completely sound and was moving really well!  When I got on he put his head down and his back came up ready to bronc but I was ready for him and quickly pulled his head up and walked him on.  He felt tense but didn't do anything wrong.  Once I felt him relax we headed out for a short hack with another horse who was very safe and sensible.  He was quite excited to begin with jogging and skipping about but behaved himself and managed to keep a lid on it even when a big tractor and trailer passed us, a train went under the bridge as we rode over it and a noisy motorbike passed us far to fast and close.  We only went round the block about 20mins in walk as advised by the vet but he felt great, no sign of any pain or unlevelness just very keen and forward.
On Sunday I decided riding in the morning when he had been out all night might be a bit easier.  We headed out with 3 friends but Jack was still pretty excitable and strong.  We did the same route as the previous afternoon and with it being a Sunday morning fairly early it was nice and quite so after a while Jack did settle down and we had a nice ride with friends and a bath when we got home. 

I had planned on riding today but I needed to get my little boy to the dr's so I rushed to the farm after work to do Jack's stable and put him out for a bit thinking he could have a hour or 2 in the field to chill out a while then I'd go back and ride after sorting Thomas at the Dr's.  Sadly it poured with rain and so I couldn't ride.  It was really windy too which isn't the best weather to try to ride in on an already very fresh horse so maybe it was for the best and I will try again tomorrow.
  
I will be doing a couple of weeks hacking in walk building up the time everyday and hopefully in 2 weeks he will be ready to start doing a small amount of trot and see how he gets on.  I'm going to take things slowly and carefully doing all I can to keep him healthy and sound.  Fingers crossed rehab goes well and we can begin to enjoy ourselves again with some nice hacks and bit of dressage to begin with.  Hoping in the long run we will be able to jump and event again, the vet doesn't see why not but I have to be honest I am a bit worried with the amount of set backs and injuries he has had that he might not be able to.  Having said that he doesn't need to be super fit to do BE80 level eventing so maybe we can get there given the time and correct rehab.

Jack gets the all clear..... again 25/5/17

After 2weeks of box rest following his steroid injection to treat tenosynovitis in the off fore Jack was due his check up with the vet.  He was coming at 1pm and I finished work at 12.30pm so I rushed down like a bat out of hell from work to give Jack some sedalin and instamag before the vet arrived.  I didn't think I had a snowflake in hells chance of holding on to him for the trot up without it!  To be fair he's been pretty good for the 2weeks really, it was better than I thought but maybe I just wasn't there to see most of his antics.  I know some of the other girls had to give him the instamag when they were turning out so he hasn't been perfect!  The first couple of days of box rest were the worst as poor Jack couldn't understand why he wasn't going out at the end of the day like normal.  Every time I left him he was rearing and spinning round his box and getting pretty upset but luckily that didn't last after the first few days.  He seemed to accept that he wasn't going out after that and was much better whenever I was there at least.  The 2 weeks finally came to an end and so with Jack dosed up with sedalin the vet arrived and had a check of the leg.  He was happy that the swelling was much reduced and while I thought it had actually come back up a bit again in the 2nd week he wasn't concerned.  All his legs were a little puffy anyway from being in so some turnout and gentle exercise should improve things further.  Next up was the moment I had been rather apprehensive about, the trot up!  Even though I'd given him sedalin and some instamag I put a bridle on Jack and hat and gloves on me before I led him out onto the concrete yard!  I walked him away and back first and noticed he was sound on the turns which was a big improvement on pre injection.  I then did the trot up, Jack didn't trot very well so we had to do it twice but he kept it together and was actually very well behaved which was a huge relief!  Even better the vet said he's sound and gave the all clear for him to be turned out.  Hurrah!!!  I was so pleased!  So after a chat about rehab and another check of the leg the vet went on his way and I was able to turn Jack out.  I had already asked our YO to fence off a small paddock for him in anticipation so he was able to go straight out while still dopey from the sedalin.  He was keen to get to the field but as soon as I took his headcollar off his head went down and he set about munching with out a buck or a kick or even a roll.  Perfect!  The last thing he needed was to go tearing round the field and undo all the healing that's taken place over the last 2 weeks so for him to just get his head down and eat was exactly what I wanted.  I stayed a while to be confident he wasn't going to suddenly go nuts but he was so chilled still an hour later I left him too it.  I did go back later and put his grazing muzzle on as having been off grass for 2weeks only getting a hand picked bucket twice a day I didn't want him to gorge too much and give himself an up set tummy! The plan now is for him to have another week off, he will be being turned out at night and in during the day then he can begin some walk work.  Due to his history I'm going to take rehab very slowly and carefully!!  This will mean lots of boring walking for the next few weeks but I don't care, I will just be glad to be back on and determined to do everything I possibly can to get Jack back to full health.  I'm not bothered how long it takes.  The vet is confident we can back competing before the end of the season but I'm not aiming for that, I don't want to push Jack by putting a deadline on his fitness or entering any competitions.  I'm going to rehab according to how he feels.  There is plenty of time for eventing in the future, he's only 11 and he's not going anywhere!

Enjoying some much deserved chill time in the field :0)

My Top Tips for managing Kissing Spines

I thought it would be helpful to others to share what products, exercises, management and therapies etc have worked well for my horse since his Kissing Spines Diagnosis and surgery.
You will need to discuss the best course of action with your vet and taylor your rehab and management to suit your horse but here is rundown whats worked for us:

Therapies:

Hydrotherapy - Jack was able to get the very best start to his rehabilitation by spending a month at a specialist rehabilitation centre with an aqua treadmill which he went on everyday.  This was recommended by our fabulous surgeon.  Even better the rehab costs were cover by our insurance claim although I did have to cover the stabling costs.  Bennett equine were fantastic with Jack and he came back after a month of rehab there fit and ready to begin ridden rehab.  I didn't have to do weeks of endless lunging which is so wearing on a horses joints.  It is also where we met our fabulous physio tamsyn who has been wonderful, an endless source of knowledge and a highly skilled physio.

Physiotherapy - as mentioned above I use a highly qualified and reputable vet physiotherapist who was recommended by both my vet and the rehabilitation centre we used.  She started working with Jack while he was at the therapy centre and we were very lucky that she agreed to continue to treat Jack when he returned home as she is otherwise so busy she isn't able to take on new clients.  There is a huge difference in Jacks work after he's been treated by Tamsyn, he is always more supple, forward and altogether nicer to ride.  He often gets tight in his hamstring and si area which stops him being able to use himself properly and Tamsyn is able to release these muscles so he is comfortable and can work properly again.  I believe we wouldn't be where we are without Bennett's and Tamsyn's help.
Be wary when choosing a physio as they are not all the same, it is best to get one recommended by your vet.

Magnetic therapy - I use a equilibrium magnetic back pad and equine magnetix hock boots on Jack (he was diagnosed with hock arthritis at the same time as KS) and I find they work really well, if he has them on prior to exercise his back is warm and the muscles soft and he works lovely over his back in a soft and relaxed frame with lots of swing.  It is especially noticeable in the colder weather.  The hock boots also seem to make a real difference with Jack more forward and engaged behind when he's been wearing them.  If I ride him when he has not had the back pad and hock boots on I notice a real difference in Jacks ability to work softly forward and it takes me a lot longer to warm him up.

Feed and Supplements:

Feed - It is important that every horse receives a balanced diet suitable for their age, temperament, workload, management, type etc.  Condition scoring is also important as weight gain or loss will have an effect on your horses shape, muscles, energy levels and ability to perform.  Too much weight can lead to many health problems even in otherwise healthy animals and is to be avoided, in a horse with back problems it is only going to add to their discomfort as they have to carry more weight around.
I consulted a nutritional specialist at a leading feed company for advice on what to feed Jack when I was bringing him back into work following surgery and they provided samples for me to try and vouchers for money off my first bags.

Supplements - I try to avoid supplements as a general rule, I think most are full of fillers/sugars that most horses really don't need.  The companies that sell them do a very good job of convincing us that our horses need their products!  When I have used supplements in the past I've not been convinced of their effectiveness. 
The only thing I feed in addition to Jack's usual food is some turmeric, I have only recently begun to use this but have heard some amazing results using it so if it works it is a very cost effective supplement.  I will review it in a few weeks and write a post on the results.

Equipment:

Saddle Pads - I use a thin square saddle pad with high wither clearance under a professionally fitted saddle, I also use a faux lambs wool half pad under the saddle which was checked by my saddle fitter to make sure it didn't affect the fit of the saddle.  Whatever saddle pad/numnah you choose to use it is important that it is checked by a saddle fitter to ensure it is not effecting the fit of your saddle and that your horse is comfy and not restricted.

Lunging aids - I lunge at least once a week in a Pessoa type lunging aid set up on the lowest setting so Jack works in a low, open and relaxed frame over his back.  I often use poles to engage his core further.

Exercises:

Pole work - I love doing pole work whether ground poles, raised poles or little grids.  They get a horses core working so well, keep lunging and flat work more interesting and get Jack thinking quicker about what he is doing with his feet!  I never use the same exercise twice in a row and enjoy thinking up new exercises to try out.  I hardly ever school without poles these days as they really help Jack use himself and without them he gets bored and switches off in the ménage.  Here are a few exercises we use on a regular basis:

Carrot stretches - I do carrot stretches with Jack everyday whether he is ridden or not.  Not always with carrots, I use apple's, lickit mini licks or horse treats to stop him getting bored.  Standing Jack up square I will do 3 stretches each side, the first to his elbow then to half way down his barrel and finally behind each knee holding each for 5seconds. Then we do between his fetlocks, between his knees and to his chest.

Hill work and hacking - I get out of the arena as much as possible and even in the Winter try to never school 2 days in a row.  Jack really still disliked the ménage when he first started ridden rehab so we just did lots of long slow hacks building up a little at a time.  He worked much better this way and it is easily the best way of getting a horse fit.  As he became fitter we introduced trot and then canter work on hacks first before asking him to trot and canter in the arena.  I try to vary the terrain and ground so all his bones, tendons and ligaments become strong.  Hill work was also introduced gradually to build fitness. 

Management - regular turn out is really important for both body and mind, the gentle exercise helps loosen their muscles and grazing with the head down stretches their back.  Jack is turned out daily, in the summer he is out at night and in the winter he is turned out during the day.  When the grass is at its richest in the spring and Autumn I often muzzle him when he is out to restrict his grass in take as he puts on weight very easily.
I feed from the ground in buckets too.

Time - My biggest tip is to take your time and listen to your horse.  Rehabbing successfully from Kissing Spines is a marathon not a sprint!  One size certainly does not fit all and it is very common to have problems along the way, there is no harm in taking a step back and doing more walking, hacking, lunging etc if your horse is still not happy going faster.  A 12 week fittening program is a good guide but don't be disheartened if it takes 16, 24, 38 weeks or even longer.  As long as you and your horse are happy!

 

Finally a diagnosis 15/5/17

It's been over 6 weeks now since Jack first went lame.
Following 2 vet visits and numerous x-rays last month we were unsuccessful in identifying the cause of his lameness.  It was very frustrating as I had a similar experience last time he was lame, and it took 3 visits wasting weeks and £££ before we got a diagnosis and the correct treatment.  I really didn't want to be in the same position again but there didn't seem to be anything more I could do so once again he was prescribed 2 weeks off on bute and then see how he was.  As we didn't know the cause, along with the fact that being stabled made the lameness worse, the vet agreed he could do the 2 weeks rest in the paddock rather than being stuck on box rest.
Jack at this point had been barefoot for about a week as the farrier had been due just after Jack had gone lame so when he came we decided to leave his shoes off until he was right again and back in work, no point wasting money on shoes that wouldn't get used!  Sadly this ended up causing a bit of a problem as he became so footsore on hard ground in all 4 feet while he was on rest that it became impossible to tell if he was actually still lame!  He seemed ok in the ménage but on the yard he was very uncomfortable.  After discussion with my vet they requested his shoes go back on before we did anything else, unfortunately my farrier couldn't come for over a week so this ended up delaying his reassessment and hopeful return to work and he had 3 weeks off rather then the 2 in the end but I reasoned the extra rest would be better for him, at any rate it certainly wouldn't do any harm.  He got the shoes back on last week and the next day I lunged and rode him in the ménage and on the car park.  I was so pleased to find Jack looked and felt good.  I updated our vet and they were happy for me to begin bringing him back into work however we did book an appointment for them to come back as wanted to try to get a diagnosis for insurance claim purposes as much as anything and for my own peace of mind as there was still some swelling to his fetlock which was bothering me a bit.
The vet said it would be ok to start riding him for short hacks, in walk only, until they saw him later that week so I hacked him out for 20minutes the first day and he felt great, very keen and forward and most importantly sound!  I continued to take him for hacks the following few days building up to 30 mins while waiting for the vet visit on Friday but as the week went on I started to feel the odd bit of unlevelness from Jack, mostly while on a turn, and wasn't sure if I was just imagining it or if he really was still not right.  I didn't worry too much as the vet was coming anyway.  On the Friday 2 vets came, the original vet who gave him the nerve blocks and x-rays, plus a lameness specialist.  They looked at him trotting up and turned on a tight circle where the lameness I had been feeling showed.  They then performed flexion tests which made it much more obvious.  At this point it was decided to scan the ligaments and tendons as he still had the swelling above his fetlock which has been there from the start, its not got any worse but not improved either.  First job was to clip the area to be scanned around this fetlock and pastern, the vet asked me if he was ok to clip to which I replied "yes he's fine" (He has always been easy to clip and I clipped all his legs myself a few weeks ago when he first went lame to be able to see any swelling more easily).  Jack was not fine, he wouldn't hold still even when I held up the other leg to stop him snatching the foot up!  As he was clearly agitated even just by the clippers he was sedated.  I don't think he has in anyway forgiven or forgotten the last vet visit when they tried to block the coffin joint.  Once sleepy they began to scan the leg finding a lot of fluid in the synovial capsule and after a very thorough scan, which meant more sedation as Jack still wouldn't hold still, of all the ligaments and tendons in the area finally we had a diagnosis of Tenosynovitis. 
At this point the vets wanted to nerve block again to see if he responded completely but despite the 2 lots of sedation Jack was not co-operating at all and after a couple of attempts this plan was abandoned.  Instead they decided to just go straight for steroid injections into the affected area.  As this involved another needle and needed to be in a specific area they gave poor Jack yet another dose of sedation!  I was holding his head, one vet holding up the good leg and the 2nd vet administering the injection and we still struggled despite him being doped to the eyeballs feisty little monkey!  They were quick though and managed to get it done without too much drama.  Jack was then bandaged up and prescribed 2 weeks of strict box rest before they return to reassess him.  I hate box resting him and he hates it too but at least now I know it is the best thing for him so I can justify doing it to him.
As he was so heavily sedated he couldn't have any food until he was properly awake again so I had to stay with him for a while.  The vet advised soaking his hay to help avoid impactions and he is allowed some hand picked grass.  I am also to keep up carrot stretches twice a day to help keep his back supple.  That night when I left Jack in his stable on his own he was not happy and as I walked away I could see him rearing in the stable - naughty pony!  He was the same the next night then on the Sunday a new pony arrived which caused some excitement so I have been using my instamag instant spray on calmer to help keep him from getting too loopy.  It's been working well and the other girls at the yard give him a spray on his neck just behind his ears before they turn out their horses and he does calm down - I have to say I am impressed with this product and so are they having seen the results so one or two of them are thinking of purchasing a bottle themselves!
It has been 3 days now since their visit and I am pleased that Jack has settled down, the swelling has also gone down so it looks like the injection is working.
I'm looking forward to the vets returning when, hopefully, if Jack responds as well as he did last time to the injections he can begin to be brought back into work - keeping everything crossed! 

In the meant time he's been getting lots of cuddles from his biggest fan 😍

24/4/17 Make the most of what you've got!

I think having a horse who has had a condition like kissing spines really opens your eyes and makes you much more aware of their physical and mental needs, potential issues and frailties and how important it is to do everything you can to keep them in the best possible condition in order to make the most of them.
Though rehabbing Jack from Kissing spines surgery 2 years ago and then his Palmer Annular Ligament injury last I have become acutely aware of all the factors which may affect him, I now give much more consideration to his fitness level, ground conditions, weather, warm up and cool down, inclines etc.  I also research far more into things like diet, supplements, alternative therapies, tack and the equipment I use.
I am much more critical and will assess things like conformation and gait far more closely.
It has made me appreciate and be far more careful about what I do with my horse and make sure I have done everything in my power to avoid any problems which are under my control like not Cantering/Galloping on hard ground, being sure he is fit enough, regular checks of saddle, teeth etc, keeping his weight down, soaking hay.....the list goes on and on!
Of course as much as you do your best to keep them safe and healthy there are things that are out of our control and there is not much you can do about it once they are out in the field playing the fool with their friends!
It would seem this is what Jack has been doing lately, the vet wanted me to ideally box rest him for 2 weeks following his xrays last week but as we had no diagnosis I said no, I wouldn't put him though it unless I knew for sure it was the right thing to do.  I also said as he is nice and quiet in the field and doesn't mess about or run around as long as he goes out everyday he would be fine and getting rest.  Just to prove me wrong Jack galloped off down the field Saturday night and again Sunday night when I put him out!  As being kept in during the day on his own and not doing any work seemed to be winding him up I decided it would be better to leave him out 24/7.  The grass is well eaten down now so I wasn't so worried about his weight.  He then must have been messing about or upsetting one of him field mates because he came in with a cut and fat knee Tuesday having received a good boot to his already bad leg!  Seriously Jack could you cause anymore grief!?!
This horse needs to work, he just gets himself in so much bother when he isn't occupied!  At the moment because he is board when he is tied up on the yard he thinks is hilarious to get hold of anything he can reach and throw it about, untie himself and go off for a walk! 
Anyway, I cleaned up the cut and cold hosed the knee to try to bring the swelling down, fortunately it doesn't seem too bad.  It's hard to say if he is any better for the rest so far as the bute he is on twice a day will be masking any pain but I will be trying him Wednesday afternoon to see how he looks and giving the vet a ring to update them and see what they say to do next.  He does seem sound at the moment but the swelling is still around the fetlock so I'm not convinced whatever it is is actually any better but I will wait and see.  Obviously it will be clearer once he finishes the bute.

With Jack out of action lately I have been busying myself riding friends horses when I can and was lucky enough to jump my best friend Lucy's lovely pony Jay at the weekend.  He really is a cracking pony, very different to Jack, and he loves to jump!  Lucy hired a big nearby indoor school with a full set of show jumps and fillers as the ménage at her livery yard is not great, the surface gets very deep and its quite small.  We hacked up to the ménage and wow the place was breath taking!  There was an immaculate drive flanked by manicured lawns leading up to a huge house.  When you reached the top of the drive you took a right and went through a gate into the yard, the stables and 20 x 60m ménage were all housed in a huge barn complete with wash down box, hot horse shower, solarium etc it was beautiful!  It was also so neat and tidy and quiet!  Having something like that at home would just be the ultimate dream!  Anyway back to reality, while I warmed up Jay Lucy set us up some jumps.  Jay was quite strong but very settled to say he had only been in the ménage once before.  Jumping the warm up cross pole he was very keen and really taking a hold.  I did wonder if he needed something a bit stronger than a snaffle as he towed me round!  Once we started stringing a few jumps together he was better after the fence but was still really pulling us in the last few strides and getting himself a bit deep to the jumps.  We both felt that the jumps were just too small and he wasn't giving them enough respect so while I gave him a rest and a long rein Lucy put a couple of the jumps up. They were now around 80cm and with fillers under too gave him something to back him off a bit and wait, it worked a treat and he jumped beautifully hitting the right spot and clearing the jumps with ease.  We then put them up again and finished buy jumping a decent 95cm fence the biggest Jay has ever jumped - clever boy, he waited, sat up and then flew with his little ginger ears pricked, a great note to finish on a real high!!

I've also been riding one of the horses on the yard who is very different again, she's a very hot little mare who has a high head carriage, gets very tight and fast and is very sharp!  Sooo different to Jack!!  I've had a couple of schooling sessions on her helping her to relax and take the contact more forward and down and to step forward in walk rather than jog, by the end of the 2nd session I felt she had made some good improvements despite nearly decking me when a duck flew out of the ditch next to the ménage just as we were passing.  Using lots of changes of direction and small circles during/straight after the downward transition she was doing much clearer trot to walk transitions with hardly a jog in sight so we definitely made progress!  She is shortly going to be sold but hopefully being ridden by someone new a few times will help when potential owners come to try her.  When she is relaxed and calm she has lovely paces and is very comfortable to ride.

I'm enjoying riding different horses and it is doing my riding the world of good but I cant wait to get back on my number 1 boy!  Hopefully he is sound at the end of the rest and bute and I can start to bring him back into work.

I've also been busying myself with lots of mundane jobs with the spare time I've currently got, my stable and rubber mats have been scrubbed, tack all cleaned, brushes washed, rugs sorted etc!  All rather boring but its nice to get these jobs done that are usually neglected! 

12/4/17 X-rays

I had been looking forward to Wednesday afternoon since the vet visit on Monday morning hoping that x-rays would give us the answer to Jacks current issue.
I got up extra early Wednesday morning in order to get Jack in before starting work an hour early to enable me to finish in time for the vet visit at 3.15pm!  It was a bit of a rush but I made it!  As usual the vet wasn't on time so while I waited I set about mucking out, filling hay-nets and water buckets and then gave Jack a good brush. 
When the vet arrived we started by trotting Jack up again just to be sure there was no change from when he had seen him Monday, which there wasn't.  Next he asked if it would be ok to block out just the coffin joint and see if this made any difference before carrying out the x-rays.  I agreed and he set about blocking out the coffin joint, however Jack did NOT like this one bit and put up quite a fight breaking 3 needles and throwing me across the stable numerous times as I tried in vain to hold up the other leg in an attempt to assist and keep him still.  He was clearly not going to stand quietly and let the vet get a needle into the joint, even with a humane twitch, so we made the decision to abandon that idea and just do the x-rays.
Unfortunately by this point Jack was pretty agitated and would not even stand still for the x-rays so he had to be sedated to get them done.  Once he was safely in the land of nod we were able to get images of both front legs from the fetlock down and from front, side and back.  The vet took images of the good leg too for comparison.

X-ray image of the fetlock                                  Jack on the blocks

Once he had taken good images of all angles and both legs he had a thorough look at them and then showed me.  Sadly it was not the news I wanted to hear....there was absolutely nothing so see on any of them!!  All the bones and joints looked perfectly healthy, no chips, no fuzzy edges, no whitening, no dark areas just plain old healthy joints and bones.  Now I know this is good news in a way but I really, really, really wanted answers and sadly we didn't get any, not even a hint of what might be going on.  The vet was as dismayed as me and after discussing the options the only thing he could really advise me was to give Jack bute, rest him and see how he is in a weeks time.  This all sounds horribly similar to last time :0(
As Jack was still under sedation the vet wanted to try the coffin joint block again so he got another needle and once again tried to get the needle into the front of the joint.  Well that woke Jack up and having broken another needle and nearly flatten us both we decided to knock that idea on the head again.
He did say he would take the x-ray images back to the office and look through them with the head vet to see if he could identify anything he may have missed but having seen them myself they were so clear I can't imagine that he will find anything different.  Still you never know!

He still feels the issue is not soft tissue and checking the ligaments and tendons again said they all felt smooth and normal.

If in 2 weeks times there is no improvement he did say they could perform an ultra sound or maybe even an MRI to see if that reveals anything but he doesn't feel this is worth doing at the moment as the lameness and response to nerve blocks do not point to ligament or tendon damage.

Feeling very deflated I popped Jack back out and went home to have a good old sob to my other half.  My poor horse doesn't deserve this, he's been though enough and it's time his luck changed.

I have kindly been offered other horses to ride while Jack is out of action which is nice but it's not quite the same, I want my boy back, he was doing so well! 

I discussed my management of Jack with the vet to see if he thought there was anything I could have done differently but he assured me I'm doing everything right and I was just incredibly bad luck.

He still feels confident Jack can make a full recovery despite not being able to pin point the issue so I will put my faith in them and hope for the best over the coming 2 weeks.

Please everyone keep your fingers crossed for Jack!

Yet more bad luck for Jack 10/4/17

Argh!  I am gutted to have to write this update but poor Jack is lame again :0(
It all started 10 days ago, following a gallop the night before (which went without issue) Jack came in a little bit unsound in his off fore (opposite leg to last time!).  He wasn't really lame and whilst it was concerning I wasn't too worried initially, there was no heat or swelling and no sign of injury.  Not wanting to jump to conclusions I decided I'd just give him a few days rest to see if there was any improvement, it was a Friday anyway and he had worked hard for the last few weeks so he had the weekend off.  He comes in during the day and is out at night anyway to keep him off too much of the spring grass that's coming through and stop him getting too porky!  As he seemed no better on the Monday I contacted my farrier, who was due to shoe him later that week, to see if he could fit us in any earlier.  He came on the Wednesday afternoon and removed the shoe with me watching on carefully, hoping to see an abscess was bubbling under the surface!  No such luck and the hoof looked perfectly healthy, Dave my farrier had a good look and found nothing and no reaction to hoof testers, he felt it was a joint.  So with anything simple like a hoof abscess ruled out (it never seems to be simple when it comes to Jack!) and no improvement in the lameness I rang the vets.  They were coming to the yard the following Monday 10th April for routine vaccinations anyway so I added Jack onto that visit.  I then set about clipping out his hairy legs to see if there was anything the feather was hiding.  I did notice a little swelling just above the fetlock so in addition to putting his magnetic back pad and hock boots on during the day I started cold hosing the leg and then bandaging while he was in.  Having booked the vet he then seemed to come sound on the Thursday and I gave him a little lunge in walk and trot in the ménage and on the concrete and he looked fine!  I didn't want to cancel the vet visit yet as when he injured his palmer annular ligament last autumn he had days were he looked sound and other days being lame so I decided I would ride him on the Friday but still get the vet to check him over on the Monday, even if he seems sound.  When I tried him on the Friday he felt fine in walk but still not sound in trot.  I also noticed that he seemed much more comfortable when he had been out over night, he was walking in from the field sound but in the afternoons when he has been stood in all day he is markedly worse.  The first few steps he takes when he comes out the stable are quite startling with him barely weight bearing and looks like he might have an abscess but within 3/4 steps he is walking almost normally. 
With the vet coming at 9am Monday morning I was at the farm at 6am to bring Jack in so that he would have been stood in for a few hours before they arrived and I could show the vet the lameness at its worse.
The Vet that came was the original vet that came out to Jack 3 years ago, diagnosed him with Kissing Spines and did the post op visits following his surgery so he knew jacks history pretty well and was very interested in how well his back has healed and what rehab I had done with him.
We discussed Jacks current issues and his recent Palmer annular ligament injury then the vet had a good look at the affected leg and hoof.  He then asked me to walk him out the stable and Jack demonstrated his dramatic lameness for the first couple of strides before walking it off and walking almost normally again.  The vet then watched me walk and trot him up in a straight line on hard ground and on a tight circle.  After this he suggested nerve blocks to narrow down the area affected.  He started at the bottom blocking out only the hoof to start with, this made no improvement so he went on to block from the fetlock down and this resulted in Jack trotted up sound.  Armed with this information plus the swelling of the fetlock and reaction to palpitation the vet feels the problem is in either the fetlock, pastern or coffin joint but x-rays would be needed to confirm this and identify the exact issue.  X-rays are booked in for 2 days time.  He is confident it is not another soft tissue injury.
Whilst I was pretty gutted the vet was very encouraging, he said Jack's back and near fore have both healed so well and I have rehabbed him fully from both successfully there is no reason to think at the moment that I cannot do the same again.  He commented how strong his back is now.  I asked him about the near fore and if he felt there were any remaining issues in that leg or if it was suffering from being put under additional strain now so soon after already having its own injury.  He advised that leg is fine now and showing no ill effects, if there was any issue in the near fore it would have shown up when he nerve blocked the off fore and it didn't so we can be confident that is fully healed and back to full, normal function.
I am now looking forward to Wednesday afternoon when we will get x-rays images taken and should know more about what we are dealing with and be able to formulate a plan to get Jack better.
Keeping everything crossed it's something that we can come back from fairly quickly.

Waiting for the Vet 10.4.17