Rear End Soreness

Beverley Fields (elammal@erols.com)
Tue, 8 Oct 1996 07:55:26 -0400 (EDT)

Although you and your Veterinarian have diagnosed hock lameness in your
horse, it sounds like he is also exhibiting symptoms of pelvic or lower back
soreness. Traveling wide behind is more often an expression of this type of
soreness, whereas horses with hock lameness will usually feel like you have
a flat tire. It is possible that in attempting to keep weight off the hocks
he contracted the muscles through the back; on the other hand it is
possible that if he became sore in the pelvic area he stiffened the hocks to
avoid using those muscles, thus adding to the concussion of the hocks.
Since many Arabs tend to travel wide behind, using extended trot instead of
a canter may cause severe soreness in the hindquarters.