Absolutely devastated - I have let my lad down.

Always Henesy

Always Henesy

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I am blessed to have 2 horses, 1 of which is a 17.1hh TB 16 yo ex point to pointer. He is a very talented, kind and gentle soul and happens to have beautiful paces and a flair for dressage. As he is not a happy hacker and because I have 3 children, a job and my other gentle lad I thought it would be lovely for my TB to go and have some fun - maybe do a bit of dressage and enjoy life with someone who could ride him more. I advertised him for loan, found a lovely girl who came and tried him several times. I checked the yard that she wanted to keep him at etc.
Now when she rode him - she didn't quite "get" him...as in you need to get him working long and low and have him properly working from behind. But because she was hoping to have plenty of lessons with him and promised me that she would, I thought it wouldn't hurt for her to have him and see how they got on.
The one and only major condition was that she kept him in traditional double clip shoes, rolled toes and plenty of heel support. NOT under any circumstances was he to have any other shoes....
My reason for this is that when I got him, his previous owner had allowed him to have natural balance shoes, which were not fitted properly, caused his heels to collapse and his toes to become red raw. It took me several hundred pounds of vets fees, my wonderful farrier and 6 weeks of rest for him to come right.
I went to check on him twice in the first 2 months and all seemed well.
I left it nearly 2 months to see him again (Sunday) and imagine my horror when I saw that he had heart bar shoes on, was listless, had lost all of his topline and generally looked really poor.
I knew as soon as she walked him to the school that he was lame in front as he was very short in his stride - so bilaterally lame again. She rode him in the school and straight away I said he is lame (she had no idea).
The farrier put heart bars on him last friday and told her it was because it would help his balance :mad: FFS! he even asked her to trot him up after he had fitted them because he wasn't sure that he had fitted them correctly :eek:
Needless to say I took my trailer down and my lad is now home.
My farrier came up - couldn't believe that he had these shoes on without veterinary assistance (x-rays) and not only that he had nailed 2 nails the OTHER side of the white line and 1 nail just in the white line :eek:
My lad is crippled lame on all four and I am presently syringing bute into him and have him in on a very deep shavings bed . My vet is coming up later today or tomorrow.
He is not eating (probably because he is in so much pain) and I am beside myself with worry. ATM he is barefoot as there is no foot to attach a shoe to and also because his feet need a long rest as the risk of infection is quite high.
I should NEVER have put him out on loan and feel so guilty for letting him go in the first place. My farrier is confident that he will come right again so please keep your fingers crossed.
I have cried and cried this morning and my lovely friend/fellow yard buddy is also devastated as he has almost wasted away. When he left us he was 100% sound, lovely strong topline and great muscle definition, shiny coat and generally tip top - now he is a shadow of his former self.
The farrier who shod my horse will be getting a legal letter. How can he be allowed to get away with causing so much damage to my lads feet?

Sorry for the self indulgent rant.....but I am so upset.

Bacon sarnies for those with the stamina to get this far.
 
I cannot give you any practical advice but wanted to send a massive hug for you and your boy, you did not let him down it sounds to me like you did everything you thought was right and the person who was loaning has let you both down.

Thinking of you both and sending many healing vibes
(((((( )))))))))
 
You didn't let your lad down, the idiots that you sent him to let him and you down, no way to have foreseen that. ((hugs)) I am glad that you got him home and I am sure he will be ok soon x
 
oh no that is awful. please don't beat yourself up though. you did what you thought was best for him and that is all any of us can do.

Sending loads of healing vibes and hugs xx
 
:(

I presume that you had a loan contract in place, specifying the terms? In which case I think I would be taking legal action to recover all the vet fees you are now going to have to shell out.

I'm afraid my fear of things like this is why I would never, ever entertain the idea of a loan away from my own yard.
 
lucky for him you are a good owner who went back to check on him. Hope he improves quickly.
 
You absolutely have not let him down, please please stop blaming yourself, you did everything you could, text book what -to-do-when-loaning. The loaner and farrier are at fault.

Take comfort in knowing that your boy is in the right place now, he's home having tip top care being loved and cherished. I'll keep everything crossed for him, your farrier sounds positive which is definitely a good sign.

Hugs to you and horsey xxxx

Ps. If you do plan on taking legal action I'd move pretty fast, take advice, get photographs, witness statements etc. you may need a second farrier to see him for another opinion ditto vets.

Xx
 
You didn't let him down, how could you have known this would happen? Your boy is probably thank full that you came to check on him when you did and not left it longer. If your farrier is confident then I'm sure he will come right again, sending you big hugs and healing vibes! X
 
Nothing to say, except loans are perilous! So sorry this happened to your boy. One specification of my pony's loan agreement is that she has our farrier shoeing her on a 6 weekly cycle. she is laminitic so changes to feet are very important, so i can get not only feedback from the loaners but also from my farrier too.
Fingers crossed for your boy!
 
Aw thank you for all of the hugs. I really appreciate it.

Yes I had a loan agreement in place.

My farrier is happy to write a statement regarding the state of his feet and I have also taken photos. My vet is wanting to speak to the farrier involved also.

My husband works in the legal business and has already spoken to some lawyers about what we need to do.
My main concern is pain management and making sure he eats - the last thing he needs is impaction colic....

Thank you again for the lovely comments and the get well vibes for my lad.
 
Your post has brought tears to my eyes, I can not offer any practical advice but didnt want to read and run, I shall just send a big hug and wish you and your horse all the best xxx

Ps. You didn't let your horse down, you were only doing what you thought was the best for him.
 
dont take the blame for loaning him out, you did what you thought best for him at the time and unfortunately the loanee has let him down badly by the sounds of it!

fingers crossed you can get him back to tip top shape and happier in himself!

the farrier wantss flogging and so does the girl who loaned him!

I didnt have a great loaning experience when i loaned my lad out, all the things i had asked to be done or not done were gone against!
 
Please do not cry or upset yourself in this way, you did what you thought was best at the time and no one will blame you for that....particularly not your horsie. He will come right and he will start to eat again, he hurts now but that will improve as the days go on and he will get his appetite back.
You have him home now and can make him right again so please just focus on each day and making things right for him at that time and in that moment. Time will tick by and things will improve.
My heart goes out to you as this was how I was when I let my boy get laminitis - he too stopped eating due to the stress of the pain and box rest. But I nursed him round and found ways to get food into him.
I have everything crossed for you, be brave and do what you can for your horse and do not think of blame, it is irrelevant. Take care.
 
So sorry that this has happened but you did the right thing by checking on him regularly and getting him back so quickly.

Can you PM the name of the farrier that the other girl used? I am also in East Sussex and have had some problems with my previous farrier. Interested to know if it is the same guy.
 
I also have no advice just hugs.

I know how bad I would feel if I were in your situation, but please try not to blame yourself, your horse won't be blaming you.

You did all the right things, just be thankful you found out when you did.

Hugs. Xxx
 
YOU didn't let him down SHE did.

He's home now and I bet he feels a whole lot happier. He'll come right.

As everyone has said - get photo's of him NOW and all the other evidence you can on his current condition/unsoundness etc. Hang o nto the remedial shoes, too.
 
Invest in some boots and pads and let him have a break from shoes for 9 months.

You can't get much better heel support than the floor.
 
BlairandAzria said:
You absolutely have not let him down, please please stop blaming yourself, you did everything you could, text book what -to-do-when-loaning. The loaner and farrier are at fault.

Take comfort in knowing that your boy is in the right place now, he's home having tip top care being loved and cherished. I'll keep everything crossed for him, your farrier sounds positive which is definitely a good sign.

Hugs to you and horsey xxxx

Ps. If you do plan on taking legal action I'd move pretty fast, take advice, get photographs, witness statements etc. you may need a second farrier to see him for another opinion ditto vets.

Xx
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^^ all of that ^^ and some more hugs, bless you both - you will get him right again xx
 
Many of us have been there, OP. I was even checking on my boy regularly and it still went wrong, partly because I was letting 'little' things go which turned out to be critical. Hope your boy is back to his former self soon and go get the fekin eedjit who put heart bars on 'for balance'. What the ruddy eck was he on?
 
BlairandAzria said:
You absolutely have not let him down, please please stop blaming yourself, you did everything you could, text book what -to-do-when-loaning. The loaner and farrier are at fault.

Take comfort in knowing that your boy is in the right place now, he's home having tip top care being loved and cherished. I'll keep everything crossed for him, your farrier sounds positive which is definitely a good sign.

Hugs to you and horsey xxxx

Ps. If you do plan on taking legal action I'd move pretty fast, take advice, get photographs, witness statements etc. you may need a second farrier to see him for another opinion ditto vets.

Xx
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Couldn't have put it better myself, so I won't try, hugs to you & Hercs x x
 
Oberon said:
Invest in some boots and pads and let him have a break from shoes for 9 months.

You can't get much better heel support than the floor.
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Thanks Oberon

My farrier suggested that.
Could you recommend some boots that would do the job? Also - any help re sizing etc as I have never had to buy these kind of boots before.
 
i can understand why you feel devastated but no way did you let him down, you visited him and got him back as soon as you saw things weren't right.
Your farrier and vet sound hopeful of a good recovery so don't beat yourself up, save your beating for the farrier who has got your lad into this state.xx
 
I'm sure we would all be feeing the same in your position. But you thought you were doing the best you could for your horse and you did all the right things that loaners are advised to do. You brought him home as soon as you found that there was a problem. The loaner and her farrier are the ones to blame (particularly the farrier). I would be chasing those 2 for your vet bills but think you need to concentrate on the horse atm and let your OH deal with the legal stuff.
I will say, that as farriers are amongst the most pessimistic people I've ever met in general, if yours is optimistic, I bet your horse will come right. Good luck!
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I will say, that as farriers are amongst the most pessimistic people I've ever met in general, if yours is optimistic, I bet your horse will come right. Good luck!
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This is so true, everytime i've heard a farrier the horse is f'd, he's been right, regardless of the efforts of owner/vets!! So an optimistic farrier isn't just trying to make you feel better :)
 
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