Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: When Their Hind End Is Sore
“Whether the horses are coming off the track or they are coming back into my life after they’ve been tried and tested in second careers, dealing with hind end issues is more common than I’d like.”
Welcome to the next installment of Thoroughbred Logic. In this weekly series, Anthropologist and trainer Aubrey Graham, of Kivu Sport Horses, offers insight and training experience when it comes to working with Thoroughbreds (although much will apply to all breeds). This week ride along as Aubrey shares her logic on how to address hind end soreness.
In the past month, two horses have returned to my barn due in part to hind end issues. Each of their stories is unique (one had been with his owner two-plus years, the other, about a year), but the situations are pretty similar: The owners have aspirations, their horse seems to not be staying sound, they call a vet out, invest in some treatment, and when it doesn’t work/doesn’t fully work/doesn’t hold and they’re at the end of their line emotionally or financially, the horse finds himself needing a soft landing and they get to come home.
Each situation is more complicated than that of course, but before diving further into this article, let me stop the Negative Nancies: they’re not bad folks for sending them back (in fact, that’s a huge evidence of doing right by their horse). While I could dive into the “good for the horse, bad for the business” aspect of this whole situation, I’d rather focus on the process of figuring them out.
Tetris (Not A Game) arrived on Sunday morning this week. I’m excited to have him back in the barn and to begin the process of getting him right again. Photo by author.
Whether the horses are coming off the track or they are coming back into my life after they’ve been tried and tested in second careers, dealing with hind end issues is more common than I’d like. The upside is that with the commonality, there are certain patterns that occur and therefore certain paths to treatment. There’s never a guarantee of a fix, but there is usually a way to help them feel better and go better. This article walks through my process of assessing these cases and working to figure them out. It is by no means the only way to do things
Please keep in mind, I am not a vet. I probably should have been, but I decided to waltz around central and east Africa with a camera around the time my vet friends were learning to suture and castrate. So… take the following for what it is (advice from a trainer), and if you’re worried about lameness, call your vet to make a plan to go forward.
*A couple of quick notes on vets. A) Please, for the love of all things, be nice to them. Their jobs are damn hard enough. B) Find a vet you trust and build a relationship with them. C) All the better if they have experience in the breed you ride and knowledge of their former careers. I understand that equine vets are few and far between in the country and becoming fewer. Working productively with your vets is essential (and an article in and of itself), but my common-sense piece of advice there is to find one you trust and build a standing relationship that will address your horse over time not just as a one-off visit.
A very chilly ultrasound day for Fig (Ekati’s Verve) with lameness specialist Dr. Christy Cable and her team. Photo by author.
So, vet work aside for a second, here’s how things go here when horses come in and are sore:
The first thing to figure out is what type of sore or lame they might be. If they’re right off the track, or in the period of “letting down” (usually within six or so months from their last track workout, with some wiggle room if they have been stalled at the track and not turned out in the meantime), I expect that they’re probably going to be tight behind and potentially a bit sore. That soreness will often come up from their hind limbs and may show up as significant sensitivity in their Lumbosacral or Sacroiliac areas. It will also produce an overall tight, reactive back. Before anyone goes jumping on the kissing spines bandwagon here, hold tight. Soreness, tightness and sensitivity is so commonly produced from below, with the pain/reactivity in the back being a compensation not necessarily a cause. In my opinion (this will vary widely by trainer and vet), it is worth aiming to address those hind end issues and working bottom up before radiographing the back and trying to work top down.
So unless they’re actively limping, I turn them out. (Actively limping? Assess for an abscess, foot soreness, anything obvious, put them in a stall, and then call a vet.) Movement loosens up the tight muscles and helps to build new ones made for roaming and sport horse life rather than just those for going very fast for short periods of time. When a horse is tight, moving around is literally the best thing that can happen. So while their body softens and lets down, I’ll not worry about the choppy stride or the high hock movement. I should caveat to note that turning them out in my world means they get a stall for part of the day and get to roam around in a herd for the other part (ideally on a 12 hours in, 12 hours out cycle). If one has the set up to have them out longer and also ensure they get access to their food and rest from flies and cold, all the better.
Current view of the turnouts (yes, New York has mud…) with the outdoor-at-night boys snoozing in the sun. Photo by author.
During this time I work to get their nutrition dialed in and their teeth addressed by a proper equine vet/dentist. Dental hooks and ulcers or just poor mouth alignment can not only keep horses from eating well, but also keeps them from coming onto the bit and holding their hind legs up under them. So, when they arrive with rear end issues, I also check their mouth and then move to nutrition. Do they have topline? How is their body condition? Quality forage, quality grain, quality supplements and enough of all of it helps to fill them out and give their body the nutrients to build muscle productively and overall start to feel better.
Sometimes this whole tightness and potential soreness thing takes months to resolve just as a part of letdown. It doesn’t mean that I don’t ride during this period though. I just use those rides as rehab. I allow the horses to be choppy, but ask them to find a way to be straight, comfortable and stretch (sometimes easier said than done with a fresh off-trackers). I allow them to have a good side and a bad side and to struggle more in one direction. That’s OK. The goal is to support them not force perfection and let them build the appropriate muscles. Rides are generally not super long and not particularly intense. I like to incorporate walking and trotting over poles and potentially, if safe, walking and trotting up and down hills. The hills and pole work strengthens the muscles in the hind end and helps support the joints — especially the stifles. Basically, the healthier and fitter they are, the more they can hold their body where it needs to be to be comfortable.
Classy Cowboy getting his hill work in. Photo by Lily Drew.
Turnout and riding rehab help a lot of horses get stronger, but it won’t solve all of the problems. So right when they get here, I call my farrier out and we look at the hoof angles. And, if it is hard to say what needs to be done, I’ll call the vet and grab basic “farrier rads” — a lateral view and a DP (dorsal-palmer view shot from the front of the hoof). Even without radiographs, we’re looking for a few sometimes obvious things — is the foot adequately supported? Are they foot sore? Are their angles positive or negative? If the foot has a bull nose shape to it, it is pretty much guaranteed to have negative palmar/plantar angles. I’ll make a plan with my farrier, make sure they have ample heel support, and work to bring the toe back and encourage more heel growth, making the angle more positive each time. If they’re foot sore (especially across the whole sole), we add to the plan the potential of supportive pads. It is crazy how many issues start to resolve (or at least clarify) once the horse’s foot is supported and growing correctly. And if nothing else, if they’re sore in their hind end/over their back, I make sure they’re in front and hind shoes and getting the support they need from the base.
Recent farrier rads of Indy’s (Star Player) right front and right hind pastern. Radiographs courtesy of Early Winter Equine.
And then I give them some time, ample turnout and light work. And for many, with proper support, they start to come sounder and more relaxed in a matter of months. Of course, for some others though, there is more to be done. Once the muscles are relaxed and getting strong in their new job with proper hoof support, any bigger issues will rise to the surface. That’s when I like to have my vet out to see what needs to happen next. The best case (and most disposable income route) means a lameness exam and flexions or nerve blocking to find the problem area, followed by radiographs or ultrasounds to pinpoint the issues. If the problem is simple arthritis or synovitis, a vet might recommend injections and/or supportive care.
Keep in mind that horses with hind end issues very likely were injected on the track. So while I have heard folks panic about steroids, just keep in mind that many of the ex racers have had legal racing doses in the needed joints for potentially a number of years before retiring. They’re used to a maintenance routine that is rarely shared with new owners, but is likely helpful in some way, shape, or form. On the plus side, there are so many newer forms of joint injections that can provide specialized assistance both on the biological side (Pro-stride, IRAP, etc.) or the synthetic side (Noltrex, Arthramid, etc.) that can do more than just target inflammation in a joint, but rather respectively actively help support the synovial fluid, provide cushion or help increase regional healing. Ultimately, a good lameness vet (*if you have access to one who specializes in lameness, bring them on board even if they’re not who does your shots and Coggins) can help guide you towards what would be best for your horse.
Nope (No Surrender) during his first ride at Kivu Sporthorses. Like most off trackers, he’s a little tight through his back, but I expect that with time, nutrition and turnout the vast majority of it will resolve. Photo by Lily Drew.
And from there, I plan a rehab and maintenance routine for the horse and also shape my goals accordingly. Of course, it is always a “ride the horse not the radiographs” situation, but if there are significant injuries or severe arthritis, I’ll make plans for regular maintenance, angle the horses’ careers accordingly, with an eye to preserving their joints/ligaments/tendons. I have seen some horses come back from gnarly injuries and arthritis and have fantastic careers both over fences and on the flat, so there’s no need to panic. Really, panic is never a good option with horses. But ticking away at what really is causing the issues and getting and keeping them fit and healthy makes a world of difference.
I mean, if Major Spin and this knee can be sound enough for flat riding, many horses with lesser issues should have some productive options going forward. Radiograph by Farmington Equine Associates.
So in short, my tactics for addressing hind end soreness/issues runs approximately like this: Proper nutrition/dental/hoof angles/shoes –> Turnout –> Rehab ride –> Build topline and get them fitter –> Address specific joint/soft tissue issues –> Make a plan for maintenance and bringing them along into a career where they can succeed and be healthy.
So go ride, folks — and appreciate all the sound days they give you. I’m off to the barn to meet the farrier, turn out the new guys and keep chipping away at my plans for getting them all healthy, happy, sound and fit.
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