Arthritis in the coffin joint!! What should i do?

[michaelakc]

Hi
I really need help in what to do with my horse Montie he is 18 hands, Dutch warmblood gelding. The Vet has diagnosed him with arthritis of the coffin joint and said I won’t be able to compete with him and he be only be able to do really light work. He’s 13 years old and I have only had him for a year...!!! And he been out of work the whole year I had him because he had an abscess in his front foot!!! We rescue him and he was in such terrible condition when we got him and with loads of TLC we brought him back to health.

I love him so much but it will cost me to way much to in lively fees just to keep as companion horse,
I hate saying this but he is now unfortunately unsuitable for what I want to do e.g. jumping. I want to get another horse so I can compete but I don’t know what to do with Montie as I cant afford 2!!!. I DO NOT want to give him to a dealer as he deserver better than that also I don’t think anyone is going to want to buy an 18 hand horse with arthritis!!!! I don’t care if I get Zero for him All I want for him is to go to a nice home where he can retire and live out the rest of his days happy.
Has anyone got any suggestion???

 

[merlinsquest]

In some cases Irap Therapy can be used for coffin joint arthritis,..... not sure if your boy is beyond treatment... As it needs to be caught relatively early.

Other than that, I wouldnt think that anyone would want to buy a horse with that history..... but could you get a loaner for him???

 

[RachelB]

IMO you can't sell a horse like that. I had my horse for eight months before she tore her tendon, I've had her for nearly two years in total now. I wouldn't dream of selling her despite the fact that I can't really afford another horse, it just wouldn't be right. If the problem was degenerative then I would consider PTS, but as long as my horse is happy and healthy then I owe her a retirement. I didn't buy a horse just to back out at the first problem.
If you sold or loaned your horse, sorry to say this but in all likelihood he will end up buted up and sold on as sound to some poor unsuspecting person, or just buted up and ridden into ruin.
If he's happy living out, grass livery isn't actually that expensive. There are other options, I have recently heard about horsey blood banks - maybe try to research that so you can give him a useful job?

 

[Natassia]

I'm sorry to hear about your horse, after all you've done for him it must be like taking another step back.
Coming from another perspective, I have taken a horse with arthritis on loan, because his owner wanted to event with him and did until he had an injury, and he got arthritic changes in his pastern joint after that, so obviously no more eventing. She didn't want to keep him but she wanted him to go to a good home where he would be looked after well and brought back into light work, and I have had him 4 months and he is back in work and loving it, hopefully he'll be able to do a bit of light dressage when he's fitter. He's only 7 so quite a bit younger than yours, but I'm sure you'll be able to find a solution, whether you loan him out as a companion/light hack or put him on grass livery...there are other people like me out there I'm sure! Pm me if you want to hear more.
Natassia x

 

[Jomanser]

My horse was diagnosed with athritis of his pastern joint at the end of last year. We have done two steroid injections into the joint which havent worked and I was told my only option was surgery. Which on a 19 year old 17hh Irish Draught I wasn't prepared to do. Would be too risky on a horse his size and age. So we put him onto Bute to get him comfortable, but had a big reaction to this and has had to come off it. He is now being gently hacked.

I think Bute has it's place if the horse remains within the same care and everyone understands the injury. Where it fails is if you were to bute him up to sell him on and not inform the new owner of the condition. Some unscrupulous dealers will bute up and carry on riding into the ground.
The reason I gave Bute was purely to make him comfortable and give him quality of life.

I have a sharer for him who is more than happy to just hack about and treat him as a big pet. If he deteriorates, then I will retire him and let him live a long and happy life. He is my baby and would always do what is right by him. Can you not look at getting someone who just wants to 'mooch' about and not do anything too strenuous. Selling him to a dealer is not the answer. Maybe try contacting The Horse Trust, maybe they can help!

 

[Charlie77]

Hi, im so sorry to hear this, im going to be a bit negative as well so im sorry in advance!

My horse was diagnosed last May, he to has it in the Coffin joint (mild case) and was also only 13 years old! I have had Len since a foal my friend bred him for me. Last year he cost £1300 just to be diagnosed & have 3 HA injections, He did stay pretty sound most of last summer just hacking, winter was not to bad, but since Christmas he has been gradually getting worse, He's on a Joint supplement that costs just over £25 a month & he has to be shod every 5 weeks, I have the vet coming back out Next week, He's going to have to be put on Bute permanently, im also looking at steroid injections, so more X rays & potentially another £500, that may be a total waste of money.

To be honest I cant bare to see him as he is, & I don't think it will be long before he is retired totally, I might get another year or so of light hacking out of him not that im bothered about riding him, but he's still a young horse & needs the mental stimulation, & if im really honest I just cant bare to see him as he is & I think I would rather have him PTS sooner rather than latter. I'm going to try every thing I can for my boy, just so that when the time comes I know that I will have tried every thing I could have, but that's more to make me feel better!

To be honest if you cant afford or want to keep him, then I would have the Horse PTS I know that sounds harsh, but its about his quality of life & if any one can afford to keep him on the correct supplements, pain killers & corrective shoeing.. I know I wouldn't want to take on a horse like that? & Its a problem that wont get better it will only get worse, Its not like a tendon were you could turn him away for a year or so & hope for the best.

 

[madmuppet]

Hi, i's sorry to hear about your horse.. My boy has DJD in his coffin joint.. Hes had IRAP treatment and hes on New Market Joint Supplement and Egg Bar shoes.. All very expensive, however he's my life and means the world to me, He was only 6 when he was diagnoised. He's sound just now and will always be with me no matter if he can be ridden or not.. I am not rich and dont have my own place but keep him on DIY livery. If you really cant afford to keep him as well as another horse please be carefull he doesnt get passed from piller to post, If you can find a nice loan home and loan him out with a contract filled out and when the time comes that a decsion has to be made so that hes not in pain or he hasnt got a quality of life then you will have to make that decsion. If you cant be sure of his future then perhaps PTS would be the kindest option. Always the most difficult thing to make the choice to do but kindest in the long run if you truely love him.

 

[anj789]

Hi
I too would say don't give up yet, you really may be able to look at loaning / sharing him longer term. DJD isn't the end of the world, he may not jump again or compete seriously but then he might. My now 17yo mare was diagnosed with DJD at 5 and I was given the same story as you, but she didn't have to go onto long term Bute until last year. She's a big IDx but still just on one a day, and if you pick the ground for her loves a good gallop, even still pops a few fences. Do some research into the anti-inflammatory feed / supplement side - some cheaper things like MSM and Comfrey leaves can and do help both management and recovery to a degree. If you can afford it, skip the hype and find a concentrated Glucosamine supplement plus Bute does do a job, or Equine America's Buteless is twice as concentrated as most and contains Devil's Claw and Yucca, both been used as anti-inflams for a long time.
I know it's tough, but you've stuck with him for a year, I hope you can give him a bit more now you know what's going on.
Good luck!

 

[alexcollins]

Hi,
If you can get him sound (without massive supplement/drugs bill) then a loan home or companion home would be ideal.
If he doesnt come sound it might be worth thinking about PTS.
Even if you find somewhere with grass livery I dont think any horse should be kept as a pet if he is in pain. If a human was permanently lame they can find something else to do and can still do a job, where as part of being a horse is being able to run around pain free.
Dont mean to get all sentimental but sometimes someone has to......
Hope you find a reasonably priced solution!!

 

[Nic]

My horse was diagnosed 2 years ago with arthritis in the coffin joint. He had a steroid injection & has been sound since. The vet has given us the OK to event him again. It's not the end of the world (as I thought when he was diagnosed!)