Am I doing the right thing?

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Billie

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Billy has been diagnosed with arthritis in his neck. I have had him on 2 danilon a day but he is still uncomfortable when ridden.

I want to try as many things as possible to help him but even if I find something that relieves the pain I don't know whether I should continue to ride him.

He is fit and healthy in every other way and it breaks my heart to think I will not ride him again but I can not bare the thought of drugging him up for my own pleasure.

Am I right to retire him?

Can anyone recommend any thing that will help him?

He is currently on Cortaflex and has been for years, he has also been on 1 bute a day for a few years for something else. I changed to the danilon as I thought an increased dose of bute would not be good for him long term. As the danilon has not made any difference I have put him back on the bute. Is there much difference between the 2 drugs?
 
No. 1 keep him on the Danillon, it is much kinder on the system, and many vets now only prescribe that rather than the Bute.

No. 2 if you stopped riding him would he still require 2 Danillon/Bute a day?

No. 3 if the answer is yes, and he does not find it uncomfortable to be ridden - then don't stop.

No. 4 Is it such a bad thing to give him the Danillon/Bute in order to be able to ride him? I don't think so as it's not a lameness issue, and providing you still both get pleasure out of it.

No. 5 It's innevitable that our friends eventually retire - and he's done you proud.....

Sorry for all the points, it just seemed the easiest way to put down my thoughts.
 
No worries, points are easier to read!
The only thing is on 2 danilon a day he is no more comfortable. What do I do, increase it to 3 or 4 a day? I thin keven if he is not ridden he would need pain killers as even when grooming him he seems uncomfortable and he fidgets alot.
 
Personally I would draw the line at 2. After that I wonder if there are bigger questions to ask............
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If he is still uncomfortable on 2 x Danilon per day when ridden, then I wouldn't be riding him. If he isn't ridden and kept on the danilon, does he slowly improve and appear more comfortable? Whereabouts in his neck is the arthritis? Have you had an equine physio to have a look at him? Is it possible to use some sort of magnet therapy wrap/blanket on him? I have found magnet wraps brilliant for my mare with arthritis (but she has it in the coffin joint). I definitely wouldn't increase the danilon. It might be that your vet suggests you up it for a couple of days if your horse is severely uncomfortable. Sorry for all the questions - they are probably things you have thought of already.
 
Yes I think you are right to retire him.
I dont really like to horses to be kept in work long-term on bute/danilon and 2 a day is a high dose.
 
I wouldn't ride him.

As you may know, one of my horses broke his neck a few years ago and it really knocked him for six, for years. Obviously the neck is a very important part of the skeleton and we have only now, almost 3 years later seen enough of an improvement in our guy to consider riding him gently.

Pain is not the only thing to worry about, but you need to also consider the mechanical issues.

Is he still able to get about the field okay? And eat from the ground? In relative comfort? If so, then I'd retire him, if not then you know what I am going to say
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<font color="peru">Faced a very similar predicament with my loan mare, Tequila. She's almost 27 now, and had arthritis, mainly in her knees from an old injury (slipped on the road with no knee boots 11 years ago and broke them both).

However, she ADORED being ridden.

She had a stint of retirement, for 5 years or so, as her owner didn't have the time. Together, we decided to bring her back into work two years ago. We took as many precautions as we could - she was on a joint supplement (tried several including Cortaflex, but achieved our best results with Aviform Suppleaze Gold), liquid devil's claw with MSM, and a feed incorporating a high oil concentration as well as anti oxidants - and if she had a bad day she's have half a sachet of bute and we'd take it easy. We brought her back into work very slowly, barefoot so as to decrease the impact on her joints especially during roadwork, she was turned out 24/7 and wore magnetic boots overnight, and she was ridden 6-7 days a week doing everything except jumping.

Her first year in work (she was wintered off as we have no floodlights &amp; I could only ride in the evenings) was fine, but she began suffering this year as the erratic weather was making her arthritis worse - and unfortunately she was always a few straws short of a hay bale so to speak, and so whenever ridden on grass would career about in excitement, which made steady, gentle work very difficult.

I made the decision to put her back into retirement, for good, this spring. Although she adores being worked, because we weren't able to exercise her in a suitable manner it meant that working her was becoming a detriment to her health rather than an aid - and I think that's what clinches the deal really. When you are sacrificing your horses physical health, it's time to question your motives.

Unfortunately, the mind often wants to carry on when the body is unable - and unless your horse is very distressed when out of work, that's the time to think about retirement.

It was a very, very hard decision to make, and it still guts me so to speak when I'm spending time with her and I know we'll never go out for a gallop together again. But, Teq is loving retirement, and spends her days careering about her fields with the permanently-retired 5y/o, and in a way I'd say retirement makes you appreciate your time with them more
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Speak to your vet, and think carefully about all the pros and cons of keeping him in work, and be honest with yourself as to who it's really benefitting. You'll know the right choice.

TNN</font>
 
He seems fine in every way, even when riding except he keeps pulling his head down (like when they want to have a stretch).

He is mobile and active in the field and is bright and happy in himself.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Yes I think you are right to retire him.
I dont really like to horses to be kept in work long-term on bute/danilon and 2 a day is a high dose.

[/ QUOTE ]
My thoughts exactly. Even though I know pole who ride on 2 bute a day and the vet said he knows horses on 3-4 a day. If the 2 a day help him enough I would consider occasional gentle hacking but certainly no more.
 
Thanks for your reply.

That is exactly what makes me feel retirement is the right thing. I can only seeing riding him to be for my own pleasure and not in anyway helping him. He gets more and more uncomfortable during the course of a ride and it breaks my heart. I then think why drug him up so I can still climb aboard? All this for my own amusement. he doesn't deserve that. I haven't ridden him now for weeks and even when I did it was only to see how he was doing.

He is happy and cheeky but certainly not stressed not being ridden.

I think I've answered my own question haven't I?
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I think you have.
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Hey you know your horse better than any of us can possibly know him. Perhaps there will be days when you see he is looking very bright and you may believe it might do his mind good to go out for a gentle ride once in a while. If, when you are out there, he seems uncomfortable then you can just get off and walk home with him.

My horse had no problem with his head going up and down, he was unable to turn his head sideways for a while but after literally years of physio he can now do this almost as good as any other horse.

You know what is best for Billy
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