3 years of problems!

[Natalie_H]

I re-homed a 4-y-o ex racehorse 3 years ago. He was very underweight when I first got him & went lame straight away due to accidentally kicking a fence. Started riding him 4 weeks later. Then found him in the field one day with urticarial lumps all over his body. They came & went frequently & dramatically all summer with no apparent reason.

Then one morning we found a 4 inch deep hole in his shoulder as he had run into a solid oak concreted in gatepost in the night, snapped it clean in half, & the metal piece that holds the gate had gone into his shoulder. He was stabled & the wound flushed out until it healed.

Then the urticaria came back. Vet did blood tests, we eliminated the problem stimuli & he was okay. Then his feet fell apart in the summer & shoes came off for 3 months - too foot sore to be ridden. When they went back on in September, the rash came back for the winter.

Summer 2005 was okay, but then the urticaria returned with a venegance & after 3 months the vet finally gave me anti-histamines which cleared it up (hardly any riding that winter due to severity of the lumps).

This summer the shoes came off again for 2 months due to rubbish hooves. Changed farrier - shoes went back on. A week later he was lame in the near hind. That cleared up within a week (sprain). Then the week after his front shoe became a little loose. Had it sorted, but by the end of the week he was lame in his near fore. Called up the vet, shoe came off - he has an abscess. Poultice went on thursday (this week). He seemed better Friday, but went up today & he was absolutely hopping lame on this foot & clearly distressed. Vet came out again & found second abscess pocket in same hoof next to the other one.

In between these major incidents, we have a huge number of lost or loose shoes (no riding), a period of very aggressive behaviour when I first got him (biting & kicking - but he is great now). Plus dreadful behaviour (bucking, rearing, bolting) when initial schooling began.

So - here's my question - is it just me or are there many of you out there who have this number of problems with their horses?!!! Many have asked me how I remain so patient & tolerant & say they would have given up by now!!!

 

[YorksG]

We have had our oldest mare for 22 years, she is now fully retired. The first summer she was horrid, wouldn't school, wouldn't ride out without another horse or a walker! Feet fell apart all the time, and behaved very badly for the farrier, who was brilliantly patient with her, ate giant hogweed and made her mouth and nose all burnt and sore. Opened stable doors and let herself out, was and still is frightened of large vehicles and umbrellas if held by any one but her family. She barged and shoved and wouldn't tie up, she thought it was really funny to throw anything put within reach on the floor and also to pick me up by my plait! We once went to a show and ended up with me in a ditch, with her on top of me cause a trailer got too close to us. Her saving grace over all the years was that she was the most affectionate horse in the world and was and is always thrilled to see us. She once got out of her field and was rescued by strangers who let us know where she was, as we approached their yard we knew she was there as she called when she heard our voices, we'd only had her six weeks! We now live where the horses are with us and she comes and stands by the wall so that she can see us through the living room window. She's been a pain and difficult but I would never have been without her, she is probably my best friend!

 

[Natalie_H]

LMAO!! That is great to hear! I feel exactly the same about him. He is seven now, & despite all the expense I have been put to, & the long term lack of riding as a result of some of these incidents, I love him to pieces. It's a case of when he is good he is very very good, & when he is bad he's a monster!!!

I have a blind faith that the patience, time, & care that I devote to him will one day be rewarded. Some people have asked me why I don't get another horse, but he's the one I want I'm afraid.

Hearing your story just shows it can all be worth it. Thanks!

 

[summer]

Hi Natalie!
I can totally sympathise with your situation. I too own a TB who for the past year and a quarter has increased my veterinary knowledge dramatically!
When I got her she too was underweight and proceeded to have one problem after another. Losing shoes, runny nose, encysted small redworm, non specific viral infection...amongst others. She was very very unhappy in her field and we moved her, which panicked her more and she jumped out and ended up galloping three miles along the road to the nearest town. Then to cap it all she badly injured the ligament in her achilles tendon and has been on box rest/laid up for the past 8 months. So all in all riding her has been a rarity!
I haven't had the misfortune of having these problems for as long as you have but I know exactly how you feel. I too have been very patient and I think others wondered why on earth I bothered.
However the good news is that we are now really getting it together. I have moved her to a new yard with excellent grazing, a smaller & less busy atmosphere and had her shoes off now for 7 months or so. She has blossomed! We had our first riding lesson today in over a year and it felt great to actually be riding my horse properly!
TBs do tend to be very sensitive by nature but by the same token have a lot to give. Good for you for sticking with him, he's a lucky horse!

 

[Natalie_H]

Hi Summer,
Thanks for your lovely post. You are so right in that they do have a lot to give when you get them right. I am over the moon for you that you are getting things together as I know how absolutely fantastic it feels when you finally get to have that decent ride! If nothing else, it teaches you not to take horse riding for granted!

You are also spot on about the veterinary knowledge! I had a 13.2HH arab x dartmoor mare for 13 years before him, but have learnt more in the last 3 years than anytime previous!

Good luck with your TB - keep me posted with how she blossoms - it's encouraging to hear. She too is a lucky horse!

 

[Happytohack]

I think we all go through it at some stage or other with our horses - not just TBs either. I have an Icelandic (supposed to be one of the toughest breeds on earth) - he has taken more looking after than the Arab I owned for 19 years. I love him to bits though. Then we thought we would buy a gypsy cob just to hack about on - beautiful mare but we didn't realise she was in foal when we bought her! She had the foal, but sadly we lost her and had to hand-rear the foal. (Tilly is now 3 and a half and I probably could have bought a race horse with what she has cost!). So you are not alone - why do we do it? Because we love em!

 

[vicijp]

My horse is allergic to dust, pollen and his own sweat. Result of these is runny eyes, coughs, and huge bacterial infections on various parts of his body.
Last week he finally had a good blood count after 3 yrs of trying. Next week im keeping my fingers crossed for his first clean scope.
Besides all that, never so much as a scrape or tiny bit of mud fever - he is as sound as a pound.