Twiglet
Well-Known Member
So glad that the forum's back....I was being forced to do lots of horrid work and things.
Also back in work is the equine world's most ginger cancer patient, so yet another update
I brought him back to livery last week, the decision in the end being made for me by finding a very scary lump under his jaw and his feet just not coping with living out, so the aim was to get him back to a stable and seen by the vet and farrier asap.
The feet are pretty foooked. Combination of radiotherapy, compromised immune system, and the result of the multiple general anaesthetics disrupting bloodflow (apparently) means that the horn quality is very poor and we can't keep shoes on. I'm doing Kevin Bacon on hoof wall, Keratex on soles and Farrier's Formula in the feed - is there anything else I can try?? He's lost another shoe today
The lump turned out not to be the secondary lymph tumour I spent a few days imagining (there is always the risk of mestatising which I've been on alert for) but instead more likely to be the mandibular gland which appears to have been killed by the radiotherapy and is now a hard miserable lump. FAR preferable to the alternative, although we're keeping an eye on it.
In the meantime, he's been feeling brilliant. We had to wait for the debris from the Epsom Derby to clear before we could hack back to livery but when we did we paused to take in the finish line, looking a bit different to a few days previously
Once back, we had a few days revelling in an arena and a surface and Buzz basically being drunk on attention - having spent a couple of months barely seeing any people, he demanded constant fuss and feeding. The face is continuing to turn white as the radiotherapy continues to work....I'm going to end up with a coloured soon!
I'm thrilled with how he's working bitless, so despite being given the go ahead by the vet, have kept him in it for the time being. I don't want to fuss with the mouth while i don't need to....there's also the benefit of him not being able to lean on the bit!
His sharer has been back on board, and he's been trying to convince us that we can dressage bitless....
He also managed to play riding school pony....the boyfriend's first time on a horse
And with the aim of our first competition inJuly, we engaged a new dressage instructor this week. Unfortunately Buzz decided this was one of the days when he really couldn't be **s*d. A mood he spent most of his 5 year old year in, and one I'd forgotten about until this week. It wasn't helped by the school resembling Clapham Junction and him not having worked with other horses around in months, so had zero focus. It was like riding a block of wood. So rather frustrating, but as ever, the flipside of a horse who is relaxed about life. Managed mere moments of niceness.
Still, onwards and upwards....countdown of 7 weeks until we can CT and see what the cancer's doing - in the meantime, we plan on having lots of fun, and getting some competitions in.
Also back in work is the equine world's most ginger cancer patient, so yet another update
I brought him back to livery last week, the decision in the end being made for me by finding a very scary lump under his jaw and his feet just not coping with living out, so the aim was to get him back to a stable and seen by the vet and farrier asap. The feet are pretty foooked. Combination of radiotherapy, compromised immune system, and the result of the multiple general anaesthetics disrupting bloodflow (apparently) means that the horn quality is very poor and we can't keep shoes on. I'm doing Kevin Bacon on hoof wall, Keratex on soles and Farrier's Formula in the feed - is there anything else I can try?? He's lost another shoe today
The lump turned out not to be the secondary lymph tumour I spent a few days imagining (there is always the risk of mestatising which I've been on alert for) but instead more likely to be the mandibular gland which appears to have been killed by the radiotherapy and is now a hard miserable lump. FAR preferable to the alternative, although we're keeping an eye on it.
In the meantime, he's been feeling brilliant. We had to wait for the debris from the Epsom Derby to clear before we could hack back to livery but when we did we paused to take in the finish line, looking a bit different to a few days previously
Once back, we had a few days revelling in an arena and a surface and Buzz basically being drunk on attention - having spent a couple of months barely seeing any people, he demanded constant fuss and feeding. The face is continuing to turn white as the radiotherapy continues to work....I'm going to end up with a coloured soon!
I'm thrilled with how he's working bitless, so despite being given the go ahead by the vet, have kept him in it for the time being. I don't want to fuss with the mouth while i don't need to....there's also the benefit of him not being able to lean on the bit!
His sharer has been back on board, and he's been trying to convince us that we can dressage bitless....
He also managed to play riding school pony....the boyfriend's first time on a horse
And with the aim of our first competition inJuly, we engaged a new dressage instructor this week. Unfortunately Buzz decided this was one of the days when he really couldn't be **s*d. A mood he spent most of his 5 year old year in, and one I'd forgotten about until this week. It wasn't helped by the school resembling Clapham Junction and him not having worked with other horses around in months, so had zero focus. It was like riding a block of wood. So rather frustrating, but as ever, the flipside of a horse who is relaxed about life. Managed mere moments of niceness.
Still, onwards and upwards....countdown of 7 weeks until we can CT and see what the cancer's doing - in the meantime, we plan on having lots of fun, and getting some competitions in.
