Am I being paranoid - no vet visits for several months - is this bad??

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suej102

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Hi all

Having a bit of a bad day worrying that I don't have the vet out enough to my horse!!

I have just moved to a new yard with three other horses and they are all having the vet out all of the time - literally every week there is a reason, be it a graze, suspected lameness, cut etc.

My boy currently has a grazed hock and I have sorted myself with antiseptic sprays/Sudocrem and a hock bandage. There is barely any heat in it and it doesn't seem right to involve a vet with this - I have now sorted the source of the problem by buying some nice thick rubber matting instead and the graze is healing nicely.

He also had a little nick on his cornet band a few weeks ago, and apart from the usual cleaning etc I didn't call the vet out either. I spoke to my farrier this morning and he said if there would have been anything more sinister with it I would know as the horse has a way of telling me - ie. lameness etc. He is 100% sound and happy.

Also - on days like today (yuck!) I still prefer to have my boy turned out - but these horses are kept in when the weather is bad. My boy is a 18yr old 17.3 pure Irish Draft and had bone spavin when I got him, he needs to be kept moving and I prefer to have him out in most weathers - though of course not when bad snow etc. He had a couple of days in this year due to weather but that has been it. Am I cruel (he is well rugged!) AND neglectful!?!?!?

I am getting the vet out in a couple of weeks for his jabs and a bit of an MOT, so can that be enough
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I only have the vet for injections once a year if I can help it - last year he was diagnosed with bone spavin when out on loan so when I took him back I had the vet come check him again but since then he has been sound. I will get the vet in an emergency but I feel I know him well enough to treat him myself!! He used to be lame more than he was sound due to his terrible feet. I never called the vet as it was always a bruised sole of something silly!!
 
I have only ever had the vet out for jabs...and once for an abcess! My mare has been out 24/7 all winter and is absoloutely fine..she couldnt care less what weather it is!
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Lol,you should be thankful,not worrying
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Unfortunately some people are obcessed,if you are knowledgeable enough most scrapes can be dealt with by yourself with no adverse effect at all!!You will know when it is something beyond your capabilities!Why call a vet out that will be £60 plus when you can clean,cream for a £1,lol
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Turnout,well my lad out whatever the weather,he would not have it any other way
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Wow - you have all made me feel SO much better!! I love this site - it sorts all my horsey aches and pains out. Thanks so much. Was feeling bad (again) cos is raining so hard here and know that my man is out in it - whereas I didn't really used to worry at all.

Think I will hold my head high and pride myself on my tough old boot of a horse (and his owner!!!).

Thanks again and let's hope you all manage to keep the vet away!!!

Sue
 
My last horse never saw the vet other than for her jabs and was out in all weathers at least for a bit. I don't think you are neglectful at all! In fact correct prompt treatment from you for minor grazes is probably better than waiting round for a vet
 
A few years ago I had a vet's horse on loan, and he was confident about my ability to deal with day to day knocks and bangs and didn't particularly want to be bothered unless it was a serious problem.

Over the last few years I have had the vet out out once for colic, and once to extract a thorn that was deeply embedded and needed cutting out and a course of anti-biotic.

The only thing that does affect my judgement though is the knowledge that the horses I have are on loan to me, so I am not only responsible to the welfare of the horse, but also to the owners; I would be more likely to call out the vet in these circumstances than if the horse was my own, I think.
 
I think you are fortunate in not having anything other than routine jabs to get your Vet out for .... long may that continue
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For the 1st 8 years of owning my old boy I only ever had the Vet out for his anually jab .... and I thought that was enough
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( I have owned him for nearly 17 years now!)

Even when I acquired my TB I continued to have their annual jabs at different times of the year so that at least if I had any questions then I had a reason for the Vet to come out.

Then in 2003/4 the problems started to occur, which heralded the 'regular' Vets visits, as my old boy did a DDFT in and then a couple of years later he went down with Cushings induced Laminitis .... then the Vet was a regular Visitor .....
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Today the Vet came out to check my TB to see if he was sound after brusing his foot .... he did exactly the same, to the other front foot, to the week last year
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I also had their jabs done and have now brought those together to try and save at least one call out a year
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I consider myself very lucky not to have an injury prone horse! This has meant the vet is only out to us once a year for jabs. In the seven years i have owned her i've only had the vet out for 4 other incidents, these were all sorted with one vist from the vet each time.
Little grazes and cuts i can confidently deal with myself so wouldn't have the vet out for them.
Also she has never been lame in the time i've owned her, so if she was to be lame, the vet would be out straight away!
 
I don't have the vet out for minor things (simply because we don't seem to do minor things
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), but we are really good at the bigger things. I've had Star for 4 years now and so far the vet has treated recurent conjunctivitis, a tendon injury and then she was referred to Liverpool Vet hospital for the sarcoma which was causing the recurrent conjunctivitis. Thank Goodness for NFU is all I can say.
 
I think you sound like someone who uses her brain to me, horses can cope fine with bad weather provided they have good rugs and a windbreak.
As for minor injuries for many liveries the yard owner is the first port of call to save money on calling their Vet, you seem to be doing everything right to me, minor injuries should be treated then watch and waited, that way if they worsen you know a vet call is needed.
You may just find your fellow liveries start asking your advice!
 
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