22/03/2026
Beetle update for all my lovely clients.
As I’m sure many of you are aware Beetle has been undergoing veterinary investigations over the past couple of months. It started as her finding the right rein in the school a little more difficult; she was not as supple on this rein and a little more imbalanced, but this is not completely abnormal for her going into winter as we mostly hack when the weather is nice 🙈 However this has previously resolved very quickly with a little more consistent school work but was unfortunately not the case this winter. After a couple of weeks off for Christmas I was determined to knuckle down with our exercises and give her regular targeted treatments to try and help. Nevertheless it quickly became apparent that she was getting worse and not better; she started to show reluctance to go forward into trot accompanied by a very mild left forelimb lameness on the right rein when lunging. I also noticed a very slight negative shift in her posture. This is very unlike her so I enlisted the help of my vets who agreed that there was a mild lameness but as my concerns had been ongoing for a little while it was worth investigating.
Several lameness work-ups and nerve blocks later we managed to determine that a lower limb issue was unlikely. This took some time due to how intermittent the gait asymmetries on the straight were (with her being sound on occasions) and how mild it was even on the lunge. Neck x-rays were then completed which showed some abnormalities and a referral to the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) was recommended. She spent most of last week there where they completed their own assessment which determined she was 1/10 lame on the straight, sound on the left rein and 1-2/10 lame on the right rein on the lunge, and thankfully the neurological assessment revealed nothing. A CT scan under general anaesthetic was then performed for which there were several findings (trust my horse to be special as always 😂).
1. Moderate arthropathy of multiple neck joints
2. Mild osteoarthritis of the left shoulder joint
3. A bony fragment between T1 and the first rib on the left
We have decided to address the findings regarding her neck first, so the cervical articular processes between C6-7 and the cervical spinal nerve root of the right C6-C7 were medicated as these were the most significant areas. We have now started 4-6 weeks of rehabilitation before re-assessing to see which clinical signs have been resolved 🤞 and if any are persistent, in which case we will discuss investigating the shoulder findings.
I wanted to take this opportunity to reiterate how important it is to always listen to your animal, subtle changes in behaviour and performance should not be ignored. As owners we know them best and should always advocate for them. It’s also why regular musculoskeletal treatments are so beneficial, they help to identify potential issues and subtle changes early and if persistent the appropriate referrals can be made. Just like with my girly, I will never be scared to discuss with you when I think veterinary referral is appropriate or necessary.
❤️ I would just like to say a massive thank you to all of my lovely clients. I can’t thank you all enough for all of your support, understanding, and kind words over the past couple of months whilst I have been worrying about her, it really has meant a lot to me. An extra big thanks to those who re-arranged their appointments without hesitation and those who offered to help with transport. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful group of people surrounding me ❤️
Pictured is a very sleepy Beetle after her GA CT 🥺
(I would also like to thank my fellow practitioner Helen Griggs McTimoney Animal Chiropractor who works part time at the RVC and sent me lots of updates whilst Beetle was staying there in between me visiting. I am very lucky to be apart of such an amazing community through whom I have met such incredible people ).
