Cushings; Are your horses being ridden again?

[Kellys Heroes]

Hi all,
As you know, my part loan mare got diagnosed with Cushings at Christmas and has been out of work for a total of approx 15 months now including times between diagnosis (she was back ridden for a short period of time; we had just started to canter again when she had a relapse). She's going out in the field every day; still seems quite sore on the concrete but had no problem dragging me along at the end of the leadrope yesterday in the field good job I love her!

Was just talking to owners daughter this morning, who obviously knows Kelly inside out and I mentioned how I thought we would be lucky to ride her this year with her at this stage. She then said she thinks we'd be lucky to ever ride her again she said she's not sure Kelly could mentally handle the stress.

Now of course, I'm not just in this for the riding, I've become so attached to this horse and never known one like her and if she could never be ridden again, as long as her quality of life is good etc etc (and I have NO doubts her owner would decide when its not) I'm sticking by her, but I can't help feeling disappointed as she's such a character to ride.

We've said all along that we'd be back on her 2011/2012 and give her a good few years of hacking and maybe the odd in hand show for a day out and the farrier is positive, the vet just said we'd have to see how it went.

I watched her in the field today and her ears are always pricked, she had a few spooks and a shout at a pheasant and was quite happily walking round the paddock - she only started to on a go slow when it was time to come in, so I can't help feeling I'm being taken for a bit of a ride!! (she's been known to fake lameness before!)

Have your horses come back to riding again? I'm so very chuffed (we all are) with the speed of her recovery and how much of a recovery she has made so far - its only been 4-5 months since she was put on her meds and she's got most of her spirit back already! I don't want to give up hope yet.
K x

 

[welshness]

My horse has had Cushings for years and I have ridden her most of the time when she hasn't been laminitic. I think if your horse is sound there is no reason why you can't ride again. You just have to judge it on a day to day basis and if the horse is enjoying itself.

 

[bensababy]

Mine was diagnosed back in March last year, due to a bad Laminitis bout his recovery took a while, decided to give him some time off as his general condition was not 100%, changed his diet and meds and is now back to being lightly worked 30mins around twice a week - mainly gentle hacking, but given the choice i think he would be off like a racehorse. I also have the Old Mac boots i put on him to ride.

Its hard to know, i tend to mollycoddle mine a bit and worry about pushing too far, is she looks happy enough and doesnt struggle - do it.

 

[Kellys Heroes]

Thanks.
Yes it was the severe lami that set her back again last year I think about Nov or Dec (we got back on her again after the first lot in July).

She's definitely happy and getting her spirit back ten fold! Yesterday she reared in the field when I was walking her all because she didn't want to come in! She's very vocal, loves her food and is always trying to escape.

We've got EasyBoots for her but she can't wear them at the minute as she's managed to rip one of them in half so we're on the lookout for more.
She seems sore on the concrete as I say and doesn't look sound without her boots on (psychological???) but looks fully sound in the field where it is soft and has had a few mini trots (cue us having breakdowns!!) in the field, seemingly sound.

As I say, I'm with her no matter what, but I think it would be a shame if she is never ridden again, as she loves to go hacking. I'm sure once we are able to get her walking out with the other mare hacking something will 'click' in her brain and if we have hoof boots on, there should be no pain for her. (she's coping on no bute now)

She is due her feet done again next week so fingers crossed we have no more bone movement (which there shouldn't be).
K x

ETA she is quite a stressy horse, sometimes you can almost see the cogs whirring round in her brain and can tell theres thousands of thoughts going on in there! I think part of it is us not wanting to push her and not stress her out and part of it is us being very paranoid

 

[timefort]

My old loan mare was diagnosed with mild cushings when she was about 20 - I continued riding her for about another 5-6 years -- walk, trot, canter (gallop if I wasn't concentrating and she thought she could get away with it). We had to be super careful as she was rather laminitus prone anyway and obviously if she looked sore then we took it carefully or she walked out in hand. I think keeping them out and about keeps their minds stimulated, and may be especially worth doing if you say she's a bit of a thinker. I only stopped riding when she started to get a bit stumbly and I worried that she'd trip and fall.

She died last year at the grand old age of 34 having collected more-or-less every -itus under the sun (ironically, it wasn't these that directly killed her, but an allergic reaction to something in the field).

 

[Kellys Heroes]

Thanks timefort - sorry for the loss of your mare
Kel is very much a thinker and I think rather than stress her out, it might even help? At the minute she isn't able enough to go out for walks as to get out anywhere, our yard is cobbled and stony so quite difficult for her without the boots!
Her Cushings is moderate but she is controlled on 1mg a day.
We will be getting her out asap I just don't want to give up hope of riding her yet.
K x

 

[LadyRascasse]

my lad was off all winter because of the depression, he was hardly eating anything and although he maintain a decent weight i didn't want to ride him incase anything else was going on. he was back in work in feb and this was him on sunday

 

[goldypops]

Hi I was wondering the other day how you were getting on with your mare. Mine is doing fab. I have now got her out 14hrs a day on the bare grass track and have decreased her pergolide to 3/4 of a tablet. She was coming in with pulses that disappeared by morning and I began to think that they were just "hard ground pulses." I got some magnetic boots like you suggested and these seem to have helped.
My blacksmith came out last week and had a look at her and we decided to put front shoes on her to see what difference that made (she has flat soles so can get a bit foot sore anyway especially with the ground being like concrete). After she had shoed her caroline said she was glad she had done it due to having to cut her toes back and the pulses probably were just due to hard ground as there was no reaction from my mare when doing the nailing on. Also the laminitic line has grown down now (she came down with laminitis in Jan) and she said its only a faint line so she only ever had a mild attack (or we caught it in time). Anyhow she is now striding out over the yard and galloping round the field fine and dandy and no pulses so I am aiming to get back on her and keep her ticking over with gentle work.
Our little pony who has had bad laminitis before and has flat feet has got it into his head that his feet will always hurt on hard ground! So it can be a bit psycological!
Hope this gives you some hope that you will be able to ride yours again.