# Strange canter gait -bunny hops



## Leanne1980 (9 June 2013)

My horse has developed a strange movement in canter.  I have been watching him when i turn him out in the field.  He sets off in canter, a bit stiff but corretly, then randomly pushes off with both hind legs and does a bunny hopping motion, as if hes forgotten out to canter.  He does have hock arthritis and is slowly being brought back into work.  

Can anyone advise on this movement?  he is doing it because he is in pain? why its is randomly? will it always continue? could it be something other than his hocks causinf this problem.  He is fine in walk and in trot doesnt fully track up on LH, but does not appear to be uncomfortable.

Any advice?  thanks


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## Auslander (9 June 2013)

My horse does this in the field. He's been off for the best part of a year with hind suspensory problems, and I think it's his way of saving his hind legs when he wants to have a bit of a party, You can see him doing it in this vid - is it the same sort of thing?
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151537797395730&set=vb.674180729&type=3&theater


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## Leanne1980 (9 June 2013)

Yes it is, but not as frequent.  Its like all of a sudden he decides it hurt him 
he is being ridden at the moment and is struggling with canter under saddle.


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## Auslander (9 June 2013)

Sounds like he's not ready to be cantering yet. Just as a guide, my lad has just come back into work, and will be walking for 12 weeks, before we even think about trotting, and then it will be another 12 weeks of walk and trot before we start cantering. Admittedly his problems are mainly ligament related, but he has hock arthritis too, so I know the drill!


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## ester (9 June 2013)

had he had any treatment for the arthritis? I would say that the bunny hopping is likely symptomatic of that.


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## Leanne1980 (9 June 2013)

We have been walking for about 6 weeks, started small bursts of trot 3 weeks ago (5 mins a day, then up to 8 mins, then 10 etc)  We are now doing about 25 mins of walk and trot. I attempted canter last Thursday, but he struggled.  I took him out on a hack on Sat and he was very naughty and bolted with me, but surprisingly moved well with no problems.  I put him out in field this morning and this is when i saw the cantering / bunny hops.  I dont think yesterdays performance helped his legs what so ever! however I have seen him hop before so cant just blaim it on the hack.  

My worry is there is something more going on and the vet is just focusing on the arthritis because we know is there following x rays etc.  He has had a course of Tildren 3 weeks ago.  What are the other symptons to look for in suspensory issues? thanks


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## Leanne1980 (9 June 2013)

Hi Ester, he had a steriod injections 4 weeks ago, and tildren three weeks ago.  Vet is due back Wed.


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## RachelFerd (9 June 2013)

I would definitely suspect something in addition to the arthritis in the hocks, quite possibly proximal suspensory desmitis, that or sacroiliac pain. Your vet is best course of action - you want nerve blocks followed up by an ultrasound scan ideally.


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## pinklilly (9 June 2013)

Mine did this too, he was diagnosed with PSD and reverse angle pedal bones behind, think the skip / bunny hop movement is quite typical of hindlimb suspensory problems .


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## Leanne1980 (9 June 2013)

My horse had a nerve block which he came sound(ish) on, and the X-rays show changes in the hock, if it was PSD would the horse come sound from w nerve block?


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## Auslander (9 June 2013)

You need to get the suspensories nerve blocked separately to get an accurate diagnosis - ie; not on the same day as the hocks are blocked as the results can be misleading.

It certainly sounds like PSD to me,rather than hock pain - spent the last year going through it, so I'm a bit of a PSD geek


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## Leanne1980 (9 June 2013)

I agree, going to speak with the vet on Wednesday, the vet seems happy to jump at the first option of arthritis. My horse is reluctant to bend his hock would that be a common sign?


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## applecart14 (10 June 2013)

Probably shot in the dark, but this could possibly be due to a neuro deficit, not suggesting your horse has wobblers but my horse had compression in his spinal cord in his neck and this made him do a very strange canter which threw you upwards out of the saddle, it was not like a disunited canter at all.  Your horse could have a trapped nerve which impinges on the nerves and thus causes this strange action.  With my horse it was intermittent, not all the time, but 80% of the time.  When you stopped him and reined back and struck off straight away into caner it would release the strange canter for a few minutes.

Maybe do a sway test on your horse (see attached link, 2nd line down in diagnosis paragraph).  http://www.ehow.com/facts_5504921_wobbler-syndrome-horses.html

I have read somewhere that sacroilliac damage can cause this bizarre way of going also.


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## Wagtail (10 June 2013)

Leanne1980 said:



			My horse had a nerve block which he came sound(ish) on, and the X-rays show changes in the hock, if it was PSD would the horse come sound from w nerve block?
		
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Quite often they do, yes, as some of the anaesthetic can disperse into the proximinal suspensory area. This is what happened to a horse here. He had the same bunny hopping in canter you describe. The vet diagnosed bone spavin, but subsequently he was found to have numerous conditions, one of which was PSD. He also had sacroiliac dysfunction, kissing spine and arthritis of the neck. He has had to be retired. 

On the plus side, if it IS PSD and he has no other complicating factors, then the success rate of treatment is very good indeed. Another horse here has not long been operated on and there was a massive improvement, even on his return from hospital. You could see he was using his back legs far more actively. He is 6 weeks into his rehab and the change in him is phenomenal. I would never have expected such a big improvement, and with very little post operative discomfort.


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## Leanne1980 (10 June 2013)

Thanks for your reply wagtail.  I just cant help thinking its something more than his hocks - people are saying im over thinking, but when its your own horse you can just tell.  Hes 15 and hard a hard life jumping before i got him 3 years a go.  He was healthy and fit until about March after the long winter.  He is great in walk and can hack for miles, in trot he doesnt track up on his leg side, but doesnt appear in any discomfort.  I have been suspecting he needs his back checking as something thing feels NQR, but canter is like his front and back dont work together.  I am worried i am doing more harm than good riding, but am following vets orders :/


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## Wagtail (10 June 2013)

Leanne1980 said:



			Thanks for your reply wagtail.  I just cant help thinking its something more than his hocks - people are saying im over thinking, but when its your own horse you can just tell.  Hes 15 and hard a hard life jumping before i got him 3 years a go.  He was healthy and fit until about March after the long winter.  He is great in walk and can hack for miles, in trot he doesnt track up on his leg side, but doesnt appear in any discomfort.  I have been suspecting he needs his back checking as something thing feels NQR, but canter is like his front and back dont work together.  I am worried i am doing more harm than good riding, but am following vets orders :/
		
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The fact that your boy came sound with the nerve block is a REALLY good sign that his problems are probably in the hock area. I would suspect PSD rather than spavin, as spavin does not tend to produce the bunny hopping gait that PSD can. It usually causes toe dragging or similar.


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## Leanne1980 (10 June 2013)

Vets coming Wednesday so fingers crossed he will investigate further!


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## Leanne1980 (12 June 2013)

Hi all, thanks for all your advise.  It appears it could be PSD in the fetlock area.  Awaiting another visit for scans.  Can anyone advise on treatment and prognoisis in hind fetlock?  Thanks


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## muff747 (12 June 2013)

You may find more information on this web site.
Incidentally, I believe DSLD is another name for PSD or a very similar condition, one of the main signs/symptoms is bunny hopping in canter.

http://www.angelfire.com/bc/curlygait/DSLD.html


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## Auslander (13 June 2013)

Leanne1980 said:



			Hi all, thanks for all your advise.  It appears it could be PSD in the fetlock area.  Awaiting another visit for scans.  Can anyone advise on treatment and prognoisis in hind fetlock?  Thanks
		
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If your vet has diagnosed PSD in the fetlock, Id suggest you get another vet! PSD only occurs in the proximal branches of the suspensory ligament, which are at the top!


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## JVB (13 June 2013)

My girl did exactly this, she'd felt big lethargic in work and then when checked her out on the lunge she wasn't tracking up in trot as normal and the canter was almost straight legged and constantly dipping out being disunited.

It was a very mild hind suspensory, bute and rest and she came back right as rain. I had wondered if it was pelvis/ SI related but the physio found nothing, so looks like she just did something either in field or stable


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## muff747 (13 June 2013)

Auslander said:



			If your vet has diagnosed PSD in the fetlock, Id suggest you get another vet! PSD only occurs in the proximal branches of the suspensory ligament, which are at the top!
		
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Ahh so this must be the difference between PSD and DSLD because the latter causes the fetlocks to drop or lower - so check out the symptoms/signs in my last post as it sounds similar I'm afraid ;o(


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