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[RC] tight rear muscles and hindend lameness - Donna DeYoung

I have a question on tight hindquarter muscles/hind end lameness. What usually causes it? How much time is needed off? My horse did 50 miles on flat terrain w/ some mud on Mar 28 (prior he did one LD and one hard hill 50 in Feb/Mar w/ lt conditioning on weekends and prior to first ride, had been in training/being ridden before I got him). He is still fairly new into conditioning and new on trail riding in general. Tends to overwork himself. He was pulled at the finish at the Mar 28 ride for tightness and slight hind end lameness - he was short stepping. Did not have any other problems. Recovered quickly at home. Gave him a week off, did one day of light pasture riding the following weekend (didn't see/feel any problems), and then a week later took him to a two day ride this past weekend. He did the first day, lots of sand, fairly flat, as a 25 mile LD and slow time avg 5 mph (this is the horse that has problems at the start, he was much better, but still overworks himself). Finished fine.  Eating, drinking, happy.
 
We tried another slow LD on the second day, but it was raining and the trails became difficult. He was easy to ride and went on a loose rein after 5 miles (at least that was positive!). At 15 miles the vet could see something "very subtle" in hind end movement and was tighter on rt hind. had the option for a re-ck but decided to pull. I suspect I may have asked more of him than he can handle and will go back to LDs until I see a lot of improvement. So do you think he is just muscle sore and is over-doing it? I ck his muscles daily, he just seems to be the sort that might have tight strung rear muscles? On trail he pulls a lot, jigs, and sometimes I do one-reins tops and reinbacks to get a better handle on him. This last ride I made sure to put a cooler and sheet on him as soon as we came into camp - but it had been raining and would have been easy for his muscles to get cold even while out on trail.
thanks,
Donna