Am I Being a Worrywort!

[Tadah]

Hi,
I just need to know I am not being to over precious with my boy!
He has just been diagnosed with DJD in his coffin joints, last month he had his joints medicated and was then given a lameness work up last week and he is now 100% sound. As he has been out of work for 5 months the vet and his pysio made a plan for him to be built up slowly over a month before being brought into full work.
I am abroad at the moment, but I have found out that he has already been ridden and lunged on hard standing for 5 minutes on each rein, this is in the first two days of being declared sound. The plan I discussed was to long rein for first week, include walking over poles towards end of first week, then trotting over poles in second week, ridden over poles in third week etc everything done slowly.
I am so worried that by doing to much to soon that he could have damaged himself or the good work done by vet and farrier could have been spoiled by this.
I have told yard how unhappy I am, I get impression they think I am being over protective though, so my question is am I being silly to worry so much.
My gut is saying, to do to much on hard ground on a horse with DJD is a bad thing as illness is only masked not cured with these injections. He is only 6 so I want to give him the best chance of being pain free for as long as possible.
Am I being silly to worry, awful being so far away :-(
Thanks

 

[Tonks]

Putting the DJD to one side...........why on earth are they lungeing on hard standing?

I wouldn't recommend this for a 100% sound horse let alone one with bilateral lameness, other than to assess lameness.

In addition, I wouldn't recommend lungeing as a starting point for a weak, unfit horse either!

Were they perhaps assessing him for lameness? However, I too would be concerned as it is not their job to assess - it's the vets.

I am guessing that you're in full livery or such like, where they are also exercising him.

As a livery yard owner myself I wouldn't do anything without the consent of the owner - especially one with lameness issues. If you already had agreed a plan of action, I do find it strange that they are lungeing on hard standing!!!!

No matter how wrong they think your exercise programme is, they should follow your instructions. If they are concerned about your instructions, they should consult you first to discuss their concerns as any professional would.

I would be concerned about lungeing in the first instance, never mind on a hard standing, because bio-mechanically lungeing does place specific demands upon the body that is different from 'going' in a straight line. And, I would say that given his condition, these concussive forces [made even worse by hard standing] would not do him any favours at this stage or perhaps never [given his condition].

You would need to speak to your vet, though as he would know more about the specific characteristics of your horse's DJD to be sure of this.

However, to sum up - I'd be hopping mad for many reasons and to be honest, they don't appear to know what they're doing.

 

[Tadah]

Thanks for your reply.

I am glad it's not just me being over protective. He is on full livery, but I am paying a lot extra for this rehab programme to be done. They weren't checking for any lameness, the vet put him through his paces last week to check if there was still any lameness issues after medicating him. He has piled a lot of weight on while he has been out of action, he has had issues with his back and shoulder because of his problems, so he has been put on a very strict diet, they said he is getting stressed because he is hungry and in their opinion a tired horse is a happy horse so they lunged him to stop him being stressed in his stable :-(
I feel quite sick, I am away for another two weeks, I have put it in an email that they must stick to the agreed plan, which is to build him up slowly and absolutely no lunging him at all or riding him. I have had no response to this though. I was on the phone to the vet while he was at the yard checking him and this treatment plan was discussed with them by the vet at the time.
Thanks for your reply, it was very helpful.

 

[be positive]

I agree with the comments re lunging, they should be following an agreed rehab plan. Also starving him and getting stressed will not do him much good there are other ways of cutting back on his calories, soaked hay, double netting, small regular meals and the gradual increase in work will all help, the weight loss needs to be steady not rushed.
I would be sending a stern email laying out what you expect to be done with no excuses, do you have someone nearby that could pop in once in a while to see how he is.

 

[Tadah]

Well I have emailed the yard owner and the employee that I am paying to rehab him. I have made it very clear that if they feel unable to follow the agreed plan, then they must leave him alone and just turn him in and out until I get home. I haven't got anyone to check on him :-( Though I am tempted to ask my vet to go and just give him the once over.
Thanks everyone, roll on two weeks !

 

[Tonks]

Oh my goodness....poor you being so far away.

I totally agree with your frustration.

They sound like total idiots to me, I'm afraid.

Firstly, were they in charge of his diet? If so, I am pretty astonished that they have allowed him to put on the weight. They should have a) known this would happened & b) monitored his weight more closely and reacted quicker.

It sounds to me, reading between the lines that they are struggling to deal with him and incorrectly trying to 'knacker' the poor animal out, in order for them to handle him. May be wrong!

Unfortunately, however, a tired horse is.................a tired horse - not necessarily a happy horse, especially if that work is not appropriate!

Why is he stressed in his stable? - Is he on some kind of box rest? If not, why haven't they increased his turnout with a companion on bare ground, to combat some of this stress? And then, fed low calorie forage - of which they are a number on the market?

But, I think you've hit on it yourself....increase his turnout, feed low calorie forage and ask them not to do anything with him until you return.

However, as stated, I do think they're just trying to make him tired, so they can deal with him.

Good luck.

PS. Do they routinely lunge on hard standing......please tell me what they're explanation is, for this? I'm curious!!!

 

[Tadah]

Hi,
I had a reply, they say the vet said he would like to see him back in ridden work in a months time, so they took that as ride him straight away :-S
He has been turned away for a while now, lots of niggly problems which I can now put down to the DJD, he wasn't obviously lame though just lots of things easily explained by something else.
He is a fairly stressy boy, he has an extremely strong attachment to me, which while flattering isn't good when I have four others and he doesn't like me going near any of them ! If i leave his sight when at the yard, he kicks his stable door and walls and box walks. He needs a routine and gets anxious in his stable and is very food possessive, so he isn't the easiest of horses to deal with from their point of view in the stable as he is a bit "special", but on the ground he has the most impeccable manners and is a total sweetheart.
He is a big lad 16.3 IDX, I have been concerned about his weight for some time, I have questioned the need for hard feed, but because of his anxiety around feeding time they say its mean not to feed him.....I have asked if mine can have their food already in the stable so he knows no different but that hasn't happened. My horses are all stabled in the same barn, no others there so it shouldn't be to hard !
On the whole it's a lovely yard, quiet and my horses are happy, but as a mere owner I am not sure my opinions are really heard in the routine of the yard ;-)
I have had apologies from them both, they said they won't do anything until I get back now.
I did say that I never ever want to see or hear of him being lunged anywhere ever again. I still don't know what possessed them to do that.
I have been very ill for most of this year and hubby has taken me away for rest and relaxation hmmph that's not really happening !!

 

[Tonks]

Oh gosh, poor you.

I think that if you have told them what they should do.....they will respect that.

Probably good idea that they'll leave him until you return.

So, on that note, I think you should try to relax in the knowledge they won't do anything until your return and try to enjoy your hols and get better.

Where are you, out of interest? I'm thoroughly jealous as we're never able to get away!!

Enjoy!!