I’m so sorry to read about the bad news AE, look after yourself!
In response to the above quote, my previous 6 year old was given almost an identical diagnosis as Amber, extensive changes, soft tissue damage and no return to work, however was only ever 1-2/10ths lame at the worst; I think this makes it all the more of a shock as you don’t think the results will be so damning.
Similarly I had vets to my horse for a very slight lameness and they both (the partners) told me I was imagining it. She was seen by a third vet at a second practice due to moving area for livery and went to vet hospital for a work up based on nonsense that vet came out with about spavins and KS. She got a clean bill of health from horspital March 2010.
Should also say at this point I contacted previous practice re third vet saying KS etc and they thought that little of my requests for them to watch her trot up that they had made no note or record of it at all.
I moved back to old yard and previous practice (yes I'm an idiot but these were "experts" at an equine practice). Had them back out June, took her into their clinic a week later for xrays and diagnosed with severe navic (could see the bones myself straight away on xray) that he told me would have been underlying at least 7mths. You know all those times I trotted her for them, for second practice and for vet school...
I asked about BF and was firmly told no, that it wouldnt work because her hoof balance isnt the issue. The only option they gave me was permanently denerving her or temp denerving with some sort of injection. I personally didnt agree with either option so pts to save her degrading and suffering more (working on the theory she was suffering as moving lamely despite having been a field ornament for this duration).
With hindsight I can see that vets were totally wrong as her hoof balance was awful. She had previously had surgery in a pastern; that hoof became smaller and upright and "good" hoof bigger and flatter. I dont have good enough photos to see if hooves were balanced to themselves, although I doubt it, but they definitely weren't balanced to each other.
I was using vet recommended farrier and even paid for vets to attend shoeing to ensure they were done correctly. I should point out mum bought an unvetted QH against my advice and she turned out to have navic and was doped at viewing. I tried bf after reading about it on here. This was 2009 so it was still an "out there" thing for weirdo hippies or cobs and natives only. At this point I moved to equine practice and they shut down BF straight away and told me to get eggbar wedges. Hence changing to their farrier and having them attend shoeings. As an aside that mare was pts crippled 5-6 months after putting her in wedges...
I am an idiot and I cant believe I let myself be blinded with "well broughtupness" to respect people like vets who know more than a pleb like me over my own eyes and gut. It still took me another 3yrs to leave them after that but that's another epic story about them screwing me in a different way.The penny clearly drops very slowly with me...
Anyway it was June 2010 I lost TPO to navic and I'm still consumed with guilt for listening to the vet. Made even worse because I posted on here about it an a long standing member tore absolute shreds off me and told me I'd killed her for no reason. I honestly wanted to die, I've never had losing a horse affect me as badly as TPO did, before or after, and still even writing this has me in floods of tears.
What I'm trying to say is I know how you feel about awful diagnoses and prognosis, I know about not having vet backing, I know about thinking you've already tried bf and I know about others online sharing unwanted opinions. To say it majorly sucks is an understatement.
I am genuinely so sorry to hear of the bad news you've received and I know whatever you decide it will be in Amber's best interest. TPO was my ginger girl and I know how they get under your skin and into your heart.
Please be kind to yourself too. $%*! happens and theres not always a reason for it.