Movement problems in horses can occur for many different reasons
Tendon-injuries, hoof cysts, changes in the throat or neck, kissing spine, arthritis of various joints, and movement issues can occur if the sacroiliac joint is out of alignment.
The problem could occur from one day to the next, and a typical situation could be as described as below:
You put your horse back and let it rest for some days. It slowly gets better, but is never quite the same again. If your horse continues to be out of step, then you might take it to the vet, but the vet does not find anything wrong. You continue riding, but your horse protests even more; it turns up at a gallop, will not go forward and perhaps kicks after your legs. The vet is contacted again. A thorough examination is carried out – unsuccessfully” What is wrong with the horse?
The Sacroiliac joint is misaligned!
Denmark has become more aware of the issues that a misaligned sacroiliac joint can cause. But in my experience, it is difficult for many veterinarians and other animal healthcare providers to diagnose and correct. It requires pressing (manipulating) in various specific places on the horse.
Watch the video at the bottom of this page, where the horse are corrected and having several check-ups following to insure, that the joint is back in place.
Many imbalances and disparities in a horse stem from the sacroiliac joint
The sacroiliac joint is not a real joint, like the knee joint or the pastern joint. On each side of the sacroiliac joint is a joint plate that connects the sacrum. The two joint plates transmit the movement between the horse’s hind legs and back. If the sacroiliac joint is not aligned, the horse cannot move correctly or support the weight of the back or lift the back and carry the torso correctly.
Injuries in the sacroiliac joint are common and can easily occur when the horse is out in the paddock or stables, a wrong step out of the trailer, when they get up wrong in the box or land wrong after a jump.
When a horse sustains an injury in the sacroiliac joint, it is misaligned, much like when a car is hit from the side and becomes warped so that the wheel tracks are going in opposite direction. The symptoms from an injury in the SI joint can vary and it is often difficult to diagnose where a horse’s issues comes from.
Symptoms of a misaligned SI joint
- The joint is crooked and muscles feel different
- Front hooves are dissimilar
- The horse is hard to shoe in the back
- The horse seems to have “front-wheel drive”
- Does not gain muscles
- The horse does not suck on the bit
- Is lame alternately front and rear
- The horse bows, rears or tries to throw the rider off
- The horse is rigid / hard to make stand on one side, while the other is limber
- Movement out of order tempo
- The horse has back pain
- Problems with changes of counter or canter pirouettes to one side
- The horse does not use the back properly over an obstacle, throws back legs to the side
- Islandic horse does not want to toelte or fit in toelt or vice versa
There may be many more symptoms than those mentioned above. If the sacroiliac joint is misaligned and is corrected, the horse will move with far greater ease and freedom and exercises previously a problem become much easier to perform.
Call me at +45 20 64 80 00 if you have any questions.
The video is in Danish but English subtitles is available.