SpiritualSummers
New User
Looking for sensible suggestions please..
Our horse has just been diagnosed with mild arthritis in both hocks and a fetlock with a current flare in a hock after a short period of lameness on that leg.
Extensive x Ray's taken and it's not severe, early stages. Steroid injections to both hocks and a visit from the physio to start.
He is new to us and completely unfit.
Saw our lovely physio this week and it looks promising, we have a plan to get him under saddle asap for walk work in straight lines a few times a week. To build supporting muscle and in hand walking on his non ridden days. It will be a long road but with regular physio and vet support the prognosis is good for a comfortable ridden life.
Our issue is turnout. We are on a fantastic yard with all the facilities we will need for his fitness program, good hacking with suitable slopes and flats, schools with a great surface, indoor stabling to keep him dry and warm in the cold and wet.
However, our field is on a slope and we are on clay soil. The small area of flat we do have is boggy and wet. Moving yards isnt an option, he is an extremely sensitive horse and moving him at all will send him into a tail spin, he lost so much weight when we bought him trying to settle we wont risk it again now hes settled. That and our local area doesn't have many good yards and they all have really long waiting lists, plus fields on hills!
We are at the moment keeping him off the field, he has 45mins pottering about loose on the outdoor yard area am and pm and added to that will be his daily exercise.
But... we need to keep him moving!
It's a real conundrum.
Added to that is his absolute love of being in. To the point where he will sometimes refuse to go out, when hes tied up outside his stable he will put himself away (still tied up!) and when he has had enough outside he will stand at the door/gate waiting to come back in.
Put him in his stable with his pjs on and he is quite content munching his ad lib hay, playing with his stable toys and getting scratches when people walk by. Everyone comments on how he likes being in much more than out!
We are on a waiting list at the yard for a flatter field but it's a long list and not moving anytime soon.
Come the spring when the ground dries up we will install grass mats on the flat bit so he has a dry area for next winter but not sure what to do for now.
Carry on the way we are?
Fence a small part of his paddock away from the bog and hope he copes with the slope?
Give him the whole field (1 acre) so he can choose where to go but risk him slipping? (He doesnt like it when the others go in and will hoolie).
Please no suggestions to move yards, we will literally be moving to the same problems with less facilities and a very stressed horse, its hilly everywhere in driving distance!
Our horse has just been diagnosed with mild arthritis in both hocks and a fetlock with a current flare in a hock after a short period of lameness on that leg.
Extensive x Ray's taken and it's not severe, early stages. Steroid injections to both hocks and a visit from the physio to start.
He is new to us and completely unfit.
Saw our lovely physio this week and it looks promising, we have a plan to get him under saddle asap for walk work in straight lines a few times a week. To build supporting muscle and in hand walking on his non ridden days. It will be a long road but with regular physio and vet support the prognosis is good for a comfortable ridden life.
Our issue is turnout. We are on a fantastic yard with all the facilities we will need for his fitness program, good hacking with suitable slopes and flats, schools with a great surface, indoor stabling to keep him dry and warm in the cold and wet.
However, our field is on a slope and we are on clay soil. The small area of flat we do have is boggy and wet. Moving yards isnt an option, he is an extremely sensitive horse and moving him at all will send him into a tail spin, he lost so much weight when we bought him trying to settle we wont risk it again now hes settled. That and our local area doesn't have many good yards and they all have really long waiting lists, plus fields on hills!
We are at the moment keeping him off the field, he has 45mins pottering about loose on the outdoor yard area am and pm and added to that will be his daily exercise.
But... we need to keep him moving!
It's a real conundrum.
Added to that is his absolute love of being in. To the point where he will sometimes refuse to go out, when hes tied up outside his stable he will put himself away (still tied up!) and when he has had enough outside he will stand at the door/gate waiting to come back in.
Put him in his stable with his pjs on and he is quite content munching his ad lib hay, playing with his stable toys and getting scratches when people walk by. Everyone comments on how he likes being in much more than out!
We are on a waiting list at the yard for a flatter field but it's a long list and not moving anytime soon.
Come the spring when the ground dries up we will install grass mats on the flat bit so he has a dry area for next winter but not sure what to do for now.
Carry on the way we are?
Fence a small part of his paddock away from the bog and hope he copes with the slope?
Give him the whole field (1 acre) so he can choose where to go but risk him slipping? (He doesnt like it when the others go in and will hoolie).
Please no suggestions to move yards, we will literally be moving to the same problems with less facilities and a very stressed horse, its hilly everywhere in driving distance!
