Broken. Horse

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RhaLoulou

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Can anyone offer me and my poor horse any hope? We have been on a rollercoaster of diagnosis which started with us thinking he had ulcers and ended with arthritis in his neck, kissing spines and inflammation around his sacroiliac joint, he is only 12. He has had steroid injections in all affected places and is on Bute at the moment. I can't bear the thought of him being in pain, am devastated that I may never be able to ride him again and finding it difficult to imagine our future. Has anyone else had a horse with similar issues?
 
Old cob had similar issues but came back sound and happy. He was lame and then a bone scan showed kissing spines and 'hot spots' in a number of areas. He had steroid injections in his spine, Tildren infusion and arthroscopy to remove damaged cartilage in his stifle - this was the actual cause of his lameness. Liphook said to box rest him but following discussion with our usual vet we turned him out in a small paddock for around three months as he hates being indoors and has always lived out. He was probably 18 at the time! He came back into moderate ridden work for about 7 or 8 years before I decided to retire him as he was just starting to struggle a bit. He was not on any medication during this time. We think he is now around 30 and still gallops round the field like a loony and rules his herd with absolute authority.
 
I'm going through a similar experience with my 13 yr old mare at the moment and tbh I'm not very hopeful about her future. She has facet joint degeneration of the neck bone which was diagnosed 14 months ago and she had this injected. She's had physio every 4-6 weeks since, water treadmill therapy and is fed off the floor all the time. She was recently diagnosed with mild arthritic changes in both hocks, and upon re X-ray, was found to have further arthritic changes in her neck. It's not the hocks that worry me as these are more easily managed, but the neck is far trickier to manage. We just get going and then due to her compensating for the discomfort she feels, we uncover further problems, usually muscular. Like you said OP, it's like being on a roller coaster. I am starting to come to terms with the fact we are coming to the end of the road as I have already decided I won't keep her going on bute. We are back to the vet tomorrow following 2 bouts of physio in the last week, so will see what his verdict is. Sorry I can't be more positive, but this is how I see things with my mare, your case may be different. On a positive note though, our other little horse had all the ligaments in his back snipped, both suspensories cut, and has also recently had 1 hock injected and he seems to be fine for now. Back to jumping and seems full of the joys!
 
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Really sorry to hear you're poor horse has been suffering all that! I have a rising 8 yo who is broken (degenerative bone disease) . I hope yours recovers soon
 
chocolategirl said:
I'm going through a similar experience with my 13 yr old mare at the moment and tbh I'm not very hopeful about her future. She has facet joint degeneration of the neck bone which was diagnosed 14 months ago and she had this injected. !
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Sorry to hear about your horse - and OPs horse too - can I ask what symptoms your horse showed that made you realise there was a problem with her neck?
 
SEL said:
Sorry to hear about your horse - and OPs horse too - can I ask what symptoms your horse showed that made you realise there was a problem with her neck?
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I can't answer for the others but my share has been diagnosed (eventually!) with arthritis in the elbow. He ended up going for a bone scan as we just couldn't find the cause and the vets there were very concerned about his neck as all his symptoms (inexplicable front leg lameness and not wanting to canter on one particular leg) apparently pointed towards his neck. Luckily it turned out to be his elbow. It's been treated and he's better than he's been for years.
 
I'm sending my horse for back xrays and know if i find what I think i'm going to find, it will be the end as far as i'm concerned. I see no point of riding a horse in pain and sitting on the affected area seems like madness to me.
 
I have an 11 yo ex-racer who has been treated for KS & ulcers - surgery 2 years ago - and hasn't come right. He looks fine in walk but doesn't want to go any faster. I'm suspecting SI issues, but tbh I've run out of enthusiasm for any more work-ups (done very full bloods x lots, heart, neurological etc etc etc) and I think he now has an exclusion for back issues on the insurance.

At the moment I am half-looking for another horse & half-deciding what to do with him. We potter in walk for 10-20 minutes a day in walk; he looks fine in himself and he's only 11. I am not ready to PTS, but what else do I realistically do? I don't want to shunt him off to a blood bank or retirement home, but at home I don't have the land, time or money for 3... (Also have a Shetland companion.)

I do feel for you, and there are no easy answers :-/

T x
 
Sukistokes2 said:
I'm sending my horse for back xrays and know if i find what I think i'm going to find, it will be the end as far as i'm concerned. I see no point of riding a horse in pain and sitting on the affected area seems like madness to me.
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May I ask why you wouldn't treat the problem with medicating its back or carry out some kind of rehabilitation programme for your horse or even give it some form of pain relief/retire?why does it have to be the end?Not a criticsm just a general ask.
 
Feel your pain. I have not 1 but 2 broken horses with lameness/pain issues that I've been working to try and have diagnosed for 10 and 7 months. I, too, am running out of money, motivation and nerves to keep going.
 
thanks for everyone's responses, I won't be letting him suffer and I know that I will never enjoy riding him again if there was slightest possibility of it causing him pain.
 
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hopscotch bandit said:
May I ask why you wouldn't treat the problem with medicating its back or carry out some kind of rehabilitation programme for your horse or even give it some form of pain relief/retire?why does it have to be the end?Not a criticsm just a general ask.
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f

Because I do not want to pick my broken self off the ground again.
We all have to make decisions based on what the vet says, money available to us and the prognosis. My horse is a Clydesdale , I already have one retired horse. I can not afford two. Especially a horse that eats and costs as much as a Clyde.
Maybe I will be lucky and it's not as bad as I think.
However the most important thing to me is that he is not sold on from pillar to post and put through pain. I will secure his future isn't that the important thing.
 
Sukistokes2 said:
f

Because I do not want to pick my broken self off the ground again.
We all have to make decisions based on what the vet says, money available to us and the prognosis. My horse is a Clydesdale , I already have one retired horse. I can not afford two. Especially a horse that eats and costs as much as a Clyde.
Maybe I will be lucky and it's not as bad as I think.
However the most important thing to me is that he is not sold on from pillar to post and put through pain. I will secure his future isn't that the important thing.
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I think you are being totally realistic but it doesn't make it an easy choice I know that so I totally feel for you, I really hope you don't have to make that decision and will keep fingers crossed that he can be fixed x
 
RhaLoulou said:
thanks for everyone's responses, I won't be letting him suffer and I know that I will never enjoy riding him again if there was slightest possibility of it causing him pain.
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I really hope he starts to improve it may just take time I can't offer you any advice lucky for me I have never had a horse with such problems, but I know what it's like to see them in pain and I really do sympathise with you its a horrible situation to be in.
 
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