Dear HHOers, Could use some balanced views lameness mgmt (sorry, long)

PucciNPoni

PucciNPoni

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 March 2009
Messages
4,064
Visit site
I could use some unbiased balanced views on what to do with my mare. I have had my mare for four years, have had a fantastic time with her. Training has been long and hard slog - we were ONLY just getting to grips with a canter that wasn't on the forehand and so on....getting out and doing a few shows and dressage was something we were learning together.

However, we've had a rather rough year. Last winter she had a wee bit of time off as she'd hurt her hip/pelvis. She came back to work stronger and better than ever after a slow start and lots of TLC. End of May she came back from a show not quite right, she came in a couple of days later lame - got the vet/farrier up immediately and she was diagnosed with Laminitis. She was box rested for six weeks (she was cleared earlier but Laminitis Clinic recommended 30 days, which we did every minute of plus a week or so). She came back to work carefully and slowly. One vet thinks her lami was perhaps due to hormone levels (her weight a little high, but her management shouldn't have been cause of it). Another vet suggested checking metabolic rate on her.

So a couple of small dressage shows, making progress - still a bit hard work at canter, but coming on. Started jumping to help improve this - but not big and on a sand arena to avoid concussion.

More disaster, suddenly went lame in the back end. Off to the horsepital, scintigraphy, ultrasound, xray etc. Not quite sure but think it's a possible tear in a ligament in the stifle. She came home for three weeks on strict box rest and hand walking. Most of the time she's been really good, but at times she's bungeed me around the arena as she's getting fed up with this off work nonsense! NOw she's coughing (I reckon from being stabled - her hay is being soaked...so not that).

Vet back yesterday to check to see if we could restart work. She's been getting cartrophen, she's had HA injections (no steroid due to lami)....and still lame. Some improvement but not enough (she's sounder at walk now, but def not trot). The next thing is possibly key-hole. I'm now worried about the recovery from arthroscopy being more box rest. The coughing isn't going to be helped certainly with more box rest. One thought certainly might be just to turn her away for a year and see if she comes right (this has been suggested to me and a friend who has land of her own could take her and manage it even during the summer with a starvie, which we haven't got where she's stabled currently.

I haven't got facilities to properly turn her away - but I do have the ability to box rest indefinitely. But as much as I love the horse and I want to do the best for her I don't see a horse as a "pet". They are too large and too expensive to be pets. However, I'm not sure she can cope with much more box rest (for coughing and mentally). I also can't afford another horse to ride, and as much as I love keeping a horse and looking after her, (and I know this is selfish) but it's horrible to not ride as well. My feeling is that she's a horse that loves to have a job, I have a horse to do a job. I owe her the best possible treatment, but what is that - is it just good old rest and recovery or is it throwing all the science at her and finding out exactly what and how long the recovery will be???

Thanks for reading. As it's early, a hot cuppa coffee if you got this far...
 
Hmm, a difficult one.

Have you discussed with your vet your thoughts?
What does he say about turning her away?

I can't tell, if reading between the lines that you are thinking of having her pts. If that is one of your options, then again, I think you need to speak to the vet about the long term prognosis.

In a nutshell, voice your concerns to your vet.
 
First of all sorry to hear you have been having such a tough time with your horse.

I can only tell you what I would do if she were mine and I am sure you will get lots of differing views from OP. If she were mine I would opt for turning away until the spring and take another view then. It sounds like you have a really good option with your friends offer.

My reason is that I have seen many horses just come sound from rest alone where veterinary science has failed. Often box rest seems to lead to more seemingly unrelated problems brewing up.

But I would also talk to your insurance company and get their agreement that that's what you plan to do so that you keep open the option of investigating further next year if you decide you do want to.

Could you loan or share a horse over the winter to 'keep your hand in'?

As I said I am sure you will get many more suggestions from others and good luck with whatever you decide
 
My mare is coming back into work after a stifle injury in April. She had 6 weeks of box rest, then very quiet turnout in a small paddock on her own. I am more than 6 months down the line and now considering some light ridden work. The view of my vet and physio was that she would probably recover with rest and time but that we were looking 6-12 months off and both recommended she be put in foal (AI only and she is a proven broodmare).

I think she is now sound but we haven't really tested it yet and will not do anything challenging with her until autumn 2010 when she has had her foal.

You do need to go through a period of box rest before pasture rest, we minimised the risks of coughing with haylage, hemp bedding and soaking all feeds and Global Herbs do some really good respiratory products that I can definately recommend.
 
We are in a similar situation but have decided to retire our boy due to recurrent multiple problems. He is now 11.

My vet said that he believes if a horse is under the age of 8 it is worth turning away for a year but if it is older than about 10 it is likely to come back with other issues. He does not say dont do it - just dont expect complete recovery.

My farrier and I had this conversation the other week and he had a horse with multiple problems who he brought back into work 5 times - sound each time until pressure was put on - ie. more than hacking in walk. Our boy is the same - sound and happy in the field but breaks every time he is put under any pressure at all.

Not a helpful answer I guess but I think what I am saying is depending on her age I would turn away/rest until the spring and then try again but if she breaks again I think I would accept that she is not going to be ridden. After that? Well then comes the hard decisions - but give yourself and her a little more time.
 
Although you have had a lot go wrong, it doesn't sound as if you have quite exhausted all avenues. Personally I would be tempted to try a long period of field rest, taking advice from the vet on how much further damage she could do if she goes nuts when you put her out.

Definitely sedate her up to the eyeballs, and then leave her alone for several days until she is settled! When I put my boy out in the field after months inside, the first day was great as he was sedated, but he was unhappy to come back in that night (guess he thought he was coming in for a few more months) and went mad in the morning to go out.

Agree that you could loan or share over the winter if you want to keep riding. Mine was diagnosed last December and I bought a young horse in February - as much as anything to stop me rushing the old one back into work because of my own impatience to ride.

Good luck. x
 
Thank you everyone for your replies. I have lots to think about certainly. My mare is only 10. My friend who has the field unfortunately isn't close by - she's north Wales and I'm in Edinburgh - so it'd be a haul and a half. However, I know that there she'd be in the best hands (and a very good judge of whether or not she's either capable of coming back in to work or being put in to foal - she has her own stallion and has always lusted after a foal off my mare by her stallion - but that's only an option if she's able to carry one). The offer is not contingent on her having a foal, but just an option.

I'll be speaking to the vet this week and will hopefully know more then. But from previous conversation, he has suggested keyhole and at first I was all for it. Now I'm not so sure (especially in light of the fact that she's now coughing).

I have had several horses offered to me to loan/have in the mean time and that's at least something to keep my hand in....and I don't really have the money or the desire to go out and buy something else. There is in the back of my mind that if my mare goes away, is able to produce foals that she is still my mare, that I'm still responsible for her and that there's a possibility that if she produces a nice foal with my mate's stally that she might have another....for me. Meanwhile, my RI is desperate to have a foal from her as well, so there might be a queue...and maybe it's her "new career" - but IF and ONLY if she's fit and able.
 
if you take this route then give careful consideration as to how she might be covered. My vet was all for it but ONLY with AI as natural covering could cause more damage to delay recovery
 
With apologies if this sounds negative but
- you mentioned the expense of keeping her as a pet would be an issue for you so please consider that breeding foals can require costly care too
- fit and able are two considerations, you might also want to think about further investigation into the cause of her lameness before breeding from her however much you/the RI/etc like her. You don't want to be facing similar decisions about her offspring down the line, especially as you don't sound as though she has really been doing what you'd hoped competition-wise before her lameness.

Having said that it sounds as though there is heaps more you could be doing before giving up.

On the coughing do consider moving her to somewhere with an outside stable, espec. as you might want a starvation paddock/small turn out area for the summer/later recovery anyway, it can be hugely less dusty than being in a barn. Different bedding options can be played with too of course...
 
I can understand you being fed up - with having one issue after another with your horse.

But - I'm not sure what exactly your looking for advice on at this stage. The horse is several weeks in to box rest for a ligament problem - but you sound ready to throw the towel in?????

You owe it to the mare to see her through this process of rehibilitation - and then field rest, before brining her back in to work.

Think very carefully about putting her in foal next year. That will slow down the her progress with regards the ligament - but will also cost you a fortune. Basically, if you can afford to put the mare in foal, you can afford to buy another horse.

I agree, that for those of us who keep our horses on livery, it's expensive having them as a pet. And I know you are looking at the issue long term. But, you don't know yet if that's the final prognosis.
 
Think very carefully about putting her in foal next year. That will slow down the her progress with regards the ligament

Interestingly my vet didn't take this view, and there is some anecdotal material to suggest that the hormones released during pregnancy can support healing.
 
I'd considered that and IF we go that route, it'd have to be AI all the way. The mare has been covered before and has produced one healthy colt in the past, but in light of her injury, I'd certainly speak to my vet/s about whether or not she'd be sound enough to carry a foal comfortably.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top