Advice please

[Bec26]

I would like people's advice and opinions on my mare as I am struggling to make a decision.
The back ground is I bought my little 13 year old TB mare last summer and was aware that she cribbed when in the stable although was told never in the field, initially I had no problems however when the clocks changed her behaviour became bizarre and very hard work to manage. She ended up having to live in 24/7 as she basically had a break down when turned out and would panic and bolt and refuse to eat or drink. She was however always 100% to ride and at all times a lovely kind natured girl. When spring came she slowly started going out for a few hours until she could be out all day.
I started to notice that she was becoming reluctant to go forward in the school and felt like she kept slipping behind, she was always fine and very forward out hacking and at no point was she ever lame so I had my physio out every 4-6 weeks.
Any way I decided to get the vet out as she didn't feel right and she went for scans which confirmed Sacroiliac disease in both joints and changes in her hocks.
My concerns are that she will be very hard to rehab after injections as she is easily distressed through any change in routine which could be a new horses on the yard, or seeing the horses galloping around in fields etc... and if im honest I don't know if I can go through another winter of 24/7 stabling which I realise is selfish.
She is destroying the fencing in her field and even if I fence it off she will lean over to get to it and will Crib on any surface in her stable - if she cant find something to crib on she drags her teeth down the wall.
I would happily retire her and turn her away but she cant cope with being out. I know she raced for a long time and her behaviour problems stem from being used to living in with a strict routine but as I don't have my own yard I cant dictate what other people do around her.
I really don't know what to do, my instructor and mother advised me to give her till the end of the summer and PTS but I have never had to make a decision like that for a horse that isn't old.

 

[be positive]

The first step would be, if you haven't already, to look into whether she also has ulcers which would explain the cribbing and may account for some of her more stresssy behaviour, then if you can start to look for a more settled small yard where there will be minimal comings and goings, not always easy but they do exist, I suspect once she is pain free, has a strict but relaxed routine she will start to chill, as she is or was 100% to ride I think it worth really trying to get her through this by making any changes that will help her, although I do appreciate it is not always easy to move yards.

Is her turnout individual? if so that is probably not suiting her and my priority would be to get her into a small stable group that come in and go out at the same time especially in the winter. If she raced NH she would probably have been turned out all summer in a herd so although she was in all winter some turnout with company should be within her experience.

 

[Casey76]

Would you/she cope better if she wasn't constantly cribbing?

Have you scoped/treated for ulcers? She sounds like a prime candidate.

 

[Damnation]

Second this - my first thought would be ulcers.

My second thought would be regarding the turnout situation, as someone has asked above is it individual or herd turnout that she gets? Some horses can't cope on their own even with others just over the fence.

My last mare was an ex racer, you could bring everything in leave her out and she didn't care. Current mare would be "ok" in individual turnout but she wouldn't settle properly, she much prefers herd turnout.

 

[Bec26]

The first step would be, if you haven't already, to look into whether she also has ulcers which would explain the cribbing and may account for some of her more stresssy behaviour, then if you can start to look for a more settled small yard where there will be minimal comings and goings, not always easy but they do exist, I suspect once she is pain free, has a strict but relaxed routine she will start to chill, as she is or was 100% to ride I think it worth really trying to get her through this by making any changes that will help her, although I do appreciate it is not always easy to move yards.

Is her turnout individual? if so that is probably not suiting her and my priority would be to get her into a small stable group that come in and go out at the same time especially in the winter. If she raced NH she would probably have been turned out all summer in a herd so although she was in all winter some turnout with company should be within her experience.

I emailed the previous owners when the turnout problems started and they said she was institutionalised from being on big racing yards (she was a hurdler) and that they had been keeping her in all year round with just a couple of hours turnout in the summer.
I have moved her to a much smaller yard and the cribbing has got worse all though she outwardly seems relaxed, she has a Shetland in with her for company.
The problem is most people don't want their horses in with a cribber.

Ive been feeding her as if she has ulcers and have had her on equishure. I have spoken to friends that have scoped and then used Gastroguard and no one had a very positive out come from it.

When she gets distressed in the field she will go through the mains fencing to get back to her stable.