DD265
Well-Known Member
Sorry this is very long
2007 - 15yo horse suddenly becomes reluctant to work.
2008 - diagnosed and medicated for arthritis in coffin joints and hocks. Not successful if I'm honest, never truly got back into proper happy work.
2010 - diagnosed with arthritis in spine and wobblers after presenting moderately ataxic following a fall when stood on yard.
2013 - no longer appears ataxic, doing some light riding. Again never really get going. Persevere with periods in/out of light work.
2014 - October - fall to knees coming down bridleway for no apparent reason. Rider (me) has concussion for 2 weeks. December - slips on black ice (my fault ) and does the splits. Thought we were going to lose him.
2016 - Spring - doing really well. Hacking out up to 2 hours in walk, a little trot. New saddle (old one too long) = brilliant movement and ready to try some canter. June - reluctance kicks in again = time off. Got vet out = time for long term bute. Also SCENAR which seriously works wonders. Back in work end of July - 2nd short hack and he falls. I wasn't on him this time.
This last fall is the one that's getting me. It was downhill back to the yard and he was rushing. He'd been happy to go out but napping to grass (as opposed to not wanting to go at all) and had a great active walk. I've been thinking that he "broke" in June because I'd been asking him to slow a lot going downhill and he found this very hard. So the plan was let him lengthen and go downhill, whether I stay on or dismount. As he was pulling like a steam train, I stopped him on the road just above the bridleway and dismounted. He wasn't stood well and when we went to walk on, he left a foreleg behind and ended up on the floor. He got up as fast as he went down. No cuts (thank god for knee boots) and I had to run down the bridleway to keep up with his walk, i.e. he seemed quite OK. The impact did go up into his shoulders/back however = more SCENAR.
I am torn over his future. As a 24yo he's bright and happy and comfortable in the field (although I want to try him off the Bute as I'm not convinced it's making a difference). I would so love to ride him again BUT I am starting to think it's not worth the risk. If I'd been on him for this last fall I think it could have been the worst yet for me. I know that there is a risk when you ride any horse but I feel like I'm just waiting for the next silly fall and therefore he isn't safe to be on through no fault of his own. I don't think simply schooling in the arena is an option and we have no access to any other flat land to ride on.
The other thing is that I'm not comfortable financially. I'm meeting bills etc but I've no wriggle room and spending all the extra money is a struggle. If I retired him then as awful as it sounds, I shouldn't need to pour as much into keeping him 100% as I do if I'm riding. Don't get me wrong he's not going to suffer, but in theory the ridden work is aggravating issues so if he's not being ridden he should only need maintenance treatments.
A large part of me is ready to put him to sleep - both head and heart - but I don't think vet and YO are on the same page. I know it'd be sad and that I'd miss him but I can't help but feel like it would be a relief. I've given careful consideration to retirement livery/loaning as a companion and I'm not open to either suggestion. I don't feel like my situation allows me to do any more; I'd need a lottery win and we all know how likely those are. He won't be replaced; I'll be done with horses then for the foreseeable future.
I'm thinking that if I start selling our tack and gear, this will alleviate some of the immediate financial pressure and hopefully the PTS thoughts will then go away for a bit. Once the gear is gone though that's it, I'm not in a position to replace it. I think I know the answer but some unbiased views would definitely help.
I can offer Pimms and ice cream to anybody who read through all that.
2007 - 15yo horse suddenly becomes reluctant to work.
2008 - diagnosed and medicated for arthritis in coffin joints and hocks. Not successful if I'm honest, never truly got back into proper happy work.
2010 - diagnosed with arthritis in spine and wobblers after presenting moderately ataxic following a fall when stood on yard.
2013 - no longer appears ataxic, doing some light riding. Again never really get going. Persevere with periods in/out of light work.
2014 - October - fall to knees coming down bridleway for no apparent reason. Rider (me) has concussion for 2 weeks. December - slips on black ice (my fault ) and does the splits. Thought we were going to lose him.
2016 - Spring - doing really well. Hacking out up to 2 hours in walk, a little trot. New saddle (old one too long) = brilliant movement and ready to try some canter. June - reluctance kicks in again = time off. Got vet out = time for long term bute. Also SCENAR which seriously works wonders. Back in work end of July - 2nd short hack and he falls. I wasn't on him this time.
This last fall is the one that's getting me. It was downhill back to the yard and he was rushing. He'd been happy to go out but napping to grass (as opposed to not wanting to go at all) and had a great active walk. I've been thinking that he "broke" in June because I'd been asking him to slow a lot going downhill and he found this very hard. So the plan was let him lengthen and go downhill, whether I stay on or dismount. As he was pulling like a steam train, I stopped him on the road just above the bridleway and dismounted. He wasn't stood well and when we went to walk on, he left a foreleg behind and ended up on the floor. He got up as fast as he went down. No cuts (thank god for knee boots) and I had to run down the bridleway to keep up with his walk, i.e. he seemed quite OK. The impact did go up into his shoulders/back however = more SCENAR.
I am torn over his future. As a 24yo he's bright and happy and comfortable in the field (although I want to try him off the Bute as I'm not convinced it's making a difference). I would so love to ride him again BUT I am starting to think it's not worth the risk. If I'd been on him for this last fall I think it could have been the worst yet for me. I know that there is a risk when you ride any horse but I feel like I'm just waiting for the next silly fall and therefore he isn't safe to be on through no fault of his own. I don't think simply schooling in the arena is an option and we have no access to any other flat land to ride on.
The other thing is that I'm not comfortable financially. I'm meeting bills etc but I've no wriggle room and spending all the extra money is a struggle. If I retired him then as awful as it sounds, I shouldn't need to pour as much into keeping him 100% as I do if I'm riding. Don't get me wrong he's not going to suffer, but in theory the ridden work is aggravating issues so if he's not being ridden he should only need maintenance treatments.
A large part of me is ready to put him to sleep - both head and heart - but I don't think vet and YO are on the same page. I know it'd be sad and that I'd miss him but I can't help but feel like it would be a relief. I've given careful consideration to retirement livery/loaning as a companion and I'm not open to either suggestion. I don't feel like my situation allows me to do any more; I'd need a lottery win and we all know how likely those are. He won't be replaced; I'll be done with horses then for the foreseeable future.
I'm thinking that if I start selling our tack and gear, this will alleviate some of the immediate financial pressure and hopefully the PTS thoughts will then go away for a bit. Once the gear is gone though that's it, I'm not in a position to replace it. I think I know the answer but some unbiased views would definitely help.
I can offer Pimms and ice cream to anybody who read through all that.