anguscat
Well-Known Member
How old was he there?Can you believe this was one of his sale photos though. What would make anyone buy that furry odd looking thing. But I just knew from his expression in a blurry video!
View attachment 117454
Boggle- USA bound!
- Thread starter Michen
- Start date
Michen
Well-Known Member
Michen
Well-Known Member
I hope not too many but I’ll definitely report back!!
anguscat
Well-Known Member
He ‘spoke’ to you
Michen
Well-Known Member
He ‘spoke’ to you
Honestly he did! I must have looked at 100 adverts of Connemaras and the minute I saw a video of him looking at the person filming him and flaring his nostrils I knew that was my horse
Michen
Well-Known Member
Hmmm, less good news from the radiographer review of his neck. The arthritis is fairly apparent, lower down in his neck C4/5/6.
They said given the clinical signs (bar the clicking) are non existent it's not really something they are hugely concerned about, as that is a much more important picture than the scans. But it's probably worth treating at some point (not now, they don't want to add steroids when he's still fighting the infection).
She said she had plenty of horses with similar and worse still out doing their job and living a full life. But of course there is a risk it could cause neurological problems at some point though they think given his lack of symptoms it's more likely on the outside and away from the spinal cord. She said that given she was watching him so intently for a long time whilst he was hospitalized, she didn't see any indication whatsoever of a neuro issue.
So a little disappointing I guess for the long term, but not entirely surprising. Feel like maybe I could have done more to prevent it, he's such a buzzy horse and out hacking he does have his head up high. I do make the effort to "school" whilst I hack at times but mostly I just leave him alone on a loose rein. He's always been so easy to ride "round" when schooling though, if anything it's an effort to stop him being too deep. I guess he's just always held a lot of tension there and despite regular physio etc he kind of is what he is.
And I'm still very relieved there are no fractures etc which was my worst fear. Anyway here he is enjoying his stable fan yesterday!
They said given the clinical signs (bar the clicking) are non existent it's not really something they are hugely concerned about, as that is a much more important picture than the scans. But it's probably worth treating at some point (not now, they don't want to add steroids when he's still fighting the infection).
She said she had plenty of horses with similar and worse still out doing their job and living a full life. But of course there is a risk it could cause neurological problems at some point though they think given his lack of symptoms it's more likely on the outside and away from the spinal cord. She said that given she was watching him so intently for a long time whilst he was hospitalized, she didn't see any indication whatsoever of a neuro issue.
So a little disappointing I guess for the long term, but not entirely surprising. Feel like maybe I could have done more to prevent it, he's such a buzzy horse and out hacking he does have his head up high. I do make the effort to "school" whilst I hack at times but mostly I just leave him alone on a loose rein. He's always been so easy to ride "round" when schooling though, if anything it's an effort to stop him being too deep. I guess he's just always held a lot of tension there and despite regular physio etc he kind of is what he is.
And I'm still very relieved there are no fractures etc which was my worst fear. Anyway here he is enjoying his stable fan yesterday!
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SEL
Well-Known Member
One more thing for you to worry about 
But if it doesn't seem to be affecting him then hopefully manageable
But if it doesn't seem to be affecting him then hopefully manageable
Michen
Well-Known Member
One more thing for you to worry about
I know, it's a bummer. But it's kind of good news that it's very much there and not affecting him I guess. His carrot stretches and flexibility are way better than any other horses's that I've seen!
As with any x ray, the clinical signs are what actually matters.
I'm hopeful I can get him back to his former glory given he was in such superb condition and form before this happened.
BBP
Well-Known Member
Honestly sometimes it’s just one of those things/luck of the draw. BBP spends his whole life with his head in the area looking for monsters and did show neuro issues to some degree and his back and neck X-rays were perfect. So I wouldn’t beat yourself up about him enjoying a bit of tourist sightseeing whilst out hacking.
I think I am learning with my horses that you really just have to enjoy each individual moment with them, and not let yourself go mad thinking of the what ifs (both things you could have done and things that could happen in the future). It took a bit of mindfulness and meditation type efforts to get me to this point though as last spring I was a total wreck catastrophising about every possible eventuality with a wrecked 2yo as well as BBP.
I think I am learning with my horses that you really just have to enjoy each individual moment with them, and not let yourself go mad thinking of the what ifs (both things you could have done and things that could happen in the future). It took a bit of mindfulness and meditation type efforts to get me to this point though as last spring I was a total wreck catastrophising about every possible eventuality with a wrecked 2yo as well as BBP.
Floofball
Well-Known Member
Top marks for following your gut and getting it checked, sorry your suspicions have been confirmed but glad the vets are not concerned. Hopefully it won’t cause any issues and it sounds like there are treatment options to try if it does in the future. Can you send x-rays to your friendly UK vet for a look? He certainly doesn’t look to have any neck issues in that pic 
Widgeon
Well-Known Member
My personal hunch is that if you x-rayed a huge sample of more or less asymptomatic horses, many of them would turn out to have arthritic changes that aren't actually causing a problem. I would love for someone to do that study, but I can't see where the funding would come from.
hollyandivy123
Well-Known Member
no human or horse has the perfect skeleton, if you x-rayed large groups of either we will all have an unusual niggles, which at the end of the day may or may not have a negative impact
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Kunoichi73
Well-Known Member
Not horse related but this blog sums up the human side of scans and, I suspect, also related to animals too.
Treat the Player, Not the Scan | Combat Sports Clinic
www.combatsportsclinic.net
As we age, we all get degeneration of discs etc. If it's not causing a problem, it isn't a problem. If it is causing a problem then, in many cases, rehab can help.
Sometimes having a scan showing obvious issues is more stressful than it's worth. If the vets aren't worried at the moment, then you shouldn't be. However, if you start to see problems in the future, you have a good place to start to get them fixed/reduced.
tda
Well-Known Member
I agree. Park the knowledge Michen and carry on as before x
Michen
Well-Known Member
Thank you everyone that's what my vet said, though she does think medicating would be worthwhile (maybe it'll eliminate the clicking which would be nice haha!) before he comes back into full work... she said full work guys!!! I can't believe we are even thinking this way after he was so sick. She said I should expect to be getting back on him in the next 4-8 weeks which seems crazy. He seems to have managed to rebuild a lot of his topline too, I don't see how as I thought he'd need work for that though I've been doing tons of carrot stretches. But he looks, I'd say, 75% normal now.
And I haven't heard him cough for nearly a week.
I was just reading a study about jumping horses and the "majority" shows arthritic changes in the neck. Interesting- exactly as you said @Widgeon.
And I haven't heard him cough for nearly a week.
I was just reading a study about jumping horses and the "majority" shows arthritic changes in the neck. Interesting- exactly as you said @Widgeon.
Michen
Well-Known Member
Haha sightseeing! That's exactly what it is. He's not actually a spooky horse he is just always really keen to see where we end up
SEL
Well-Known Member
^^^^
The vets went completely over board IMO last year with the microcob who went in feeling NQR after crashing into a fence playing in the field. They found wonky bones in her feet, kissing spine in two places, a probable pelvic issue, dodgy annular ligaments and then I told them to stop because the bill was plenty big enough and that was obviously all old stuff that hadn't been bothering her before she misjudged her brakes. They were talking about a tonne of surgery for a 13h happy hacker. I said no.
I haven't treated any of it apart from putting her on bozmerix and popping a set of shoes on her hinds which the farrier and I were debating anyway.
The KS x rays were useful to guide saddle fitting but tbh the most helpful stuff has been regular bodywork. Apart from a tweaked check ligament the general bodywork consensus was she'd got something similar to whiplash from her fence crash and needed rest, TLC and then a slow steady return to ridden work. I needed the vet work up for the bodyworker but I do wish they'd been a bit more pragmatic rather than getting over enthusiastic with the x ray and ultrasound machines!
Michen
Well-Known Member
It's hard isn't it, and when you write it all down you wonder whether we should be riding them at all
Boggle has been treated for/found to have in the time I've had him-
- Seedy toe that needed a resection 2k
- Random lump on neck that needed removing 500
- Sarcoid that I got rid of with bloodroot 100
- Bruised/inflamed front feet 3000
- Straight sesamoid ligament injury 5000
- Bruised feet again years later 500
- Hock arthritis 5000
- Raised liver enzymes 500
- Ulcers 4500
- Pneumonia 28000 (pounds, ish)
- Neck arthritis 1000
Now that looks like the most broken horse there ever was, yet he's evented happily season after season and before this happened looked an absolute picture. Edited to add, thought I'd add it up too, roughly. Or what I expect some of it to be..50k ish in vet bills over 7 years.
tda
Well-Known Member
And he's still worth it 
bouncing_ball
Well-Known Member
How did hock arthritis come to £5K?
Michen
Well-Known Member
Diagnostics and treatment over the years! Tilden, steroids and very regular check ups.
Morganfan
Well-Known Member
Hello, can we have a weekly update on boggle please
Michen
Well-Known Member
Absolutely!! He has another scan tomorrow so I will update after that (evening UK time).
I have done a couple of sessions (10 mins) or walk with a few poles. He found it extremely exciting to begin with then settled very quickly, not sure if it’s because he’s tiring fast or just realised it was dull. Haven’t heard him cough for I think nearly two weeks now. That includes when he has a good canter/gallop up and a bronc. The only thing I’ve noticed is when he does his sharp piercing snort when he’s fired up, it sounds ever so slightly deeper/more hoarse.
He is in a lovely big paddock but is noticeably bored, being a bit of a pain. Being out of work must make a huge difference as usually he’s in a smaller turnout and absolutely fine.
For such a good looking horse he sure can look like a donkey
I have done a couple of sessions (10 mins) or walk with a few poles. He found it extremely exciting to begin with then settled very quickly, not sure if it’s because he’s tiring fast or just realised it was dull. Haven’t heard him cough for I think nearly two weeks now. That includes when he has a good canter/gallop up and a bronc. The only thing I’ve noticed is when he does his sharp piercing snort when he’s fired up, it sounds ever so slightly deeper/more hoarse.
He is in a lovely big paddock but is noticeably bored, being a bit of a pain. Being out of work must make a huge difference as usually he’s in a smaller turnout and absolutely fine.
For such a good looking horse he sure can look like a donkey
Peregrine Falcon
Looking forward to cooler days
Have you been showing him pics of BB?Absolutely!! He has another scan tomorrow so I will update after that (evening UK time).
I have done a couple of sessions (10 mins) or walk with a few poles. He found it extremely exciting to begin with then settled very quickly, not sure if it’s because he’s tiring fast or just realised it was dull. Haven’t heard him cough for I think nearly two weeks now. That includes when he has a good canter/gallop up and a bronc. The only thing I’ve noticed is when he does his sharp piercing snort when he’s fired up, it sounds ever so slightly deeper/more hoarse.
He is in a lovely big paddock but is noticeably bored, being a bit of a pain. Being out of work must make a huge difference as usually he’s in a smaller turnout and absolutely fine.
For such a good looking horse he sure can look like a donkey
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Michen
Well-Known Member
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
You would never believe he was at deaths door a month ago, would you? What a horse!
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Bernster
Well-Known Member
That top photo is 
Slightlyconfused
Go away, I'm reading
I had one who was needle phobic and had to be twitched to inject in his neck otherwise he would go up and at 16:3 that wasnt fun.....but when he went in for his keratoma op with the warning from me and my vet about it they sent us a video of him stood like a lamb being injected in his neck....since then no problem whatsnso ever
Michen
Well-Known Member
Gosh there is a crazy electrical storm here that I’m not keen to tow in! He really needs a scan though as can’t do tomorrow and then I’m heading to Arizona most of next week. We need to see whether to discontinue antibiotics or not. Argh!
Hopefully it’s gone in an hour
Hopefully it’s gone in an hour
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
Those storms usually don't last that long.