Desperate call for help, is my horse a lost cause??

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eventeranna

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Hi iv had my beloved horse robbie for the past 4years since he was a 4yrold (now 8), he's my absolute pride and joy happiness in my life (im sure all you beloved horse mummys know what im on about!) but basically after having the vet out a few days ago im now faced with a very difficult decision.

He's got degenerative bone disease in his base of neck, an incredibly weak sacryliac, high suspensory damage in both hind legs and a not a terrible but a few bits of kissing spine in his lumbar back. This means my poor man had to have over 10 injections of cortisone all over him. Now the reason we've found all this out is march 2011 he had a very bad rotational fall at tweseldown meaning he had to have 6months off for a hematoma to heal- the vet reckons none of these problems were caused by the fall but more heightend because of the 6months he had off (so it all got stiff etc..) since the accident he isnt the same horse hes never been easy and very nappy argumentive bucks rears etc but has always jumped like a stag but recently has lost all power to his jump. Hence why vet came out and basically pumped him full of cortisone.

So the vet says work him really hard get his back end as strong as you can and you could be eventing in 2months. After that it will be a case of getting regular cortisone injections every year (about £500 per year!)

So here come the million questions -would he really honestly be safe to ever event again? the reason he had the rotational fall is because he cant push off properly behind when in deep to a fence. I understand the cortisone wont cure him but i think in my deepest hearts i would be cruel and selfish to have him go through all those injections just for the sake of me jumping over some jumps. Has anyone had any similar problems? does cortisone work?

He's an incredibly senstive intelligent horse there is no way he can spend his life in a field or be safe enough to be sold as a hack, although it would break my heart would the best thing to do is just put him down? im sure all his behavioural problems have been due to all of this, the vet said he has been in pain. I honestly love that horse so much i just want to do whats best for him- i know the vets wont give me an honest answer as they just want £500 every year for the injections he will have. So please help me i really dont know what to do :(

Final question iv heard a few things about roger meacock? anyone think this would be another option to try?

thanks anna x
 
I had a lovely horse who had high suspensory, sacroiliac problems and navicular. He too jumped like a stag but once diagnosed with the above he had Tildren & steroids injected into his sacroiliac. His navicular was mild and the back end caused more problems than the navicular. I was advised he could be at best a light hack. I kept him to do just that (even though we got him to compete) to be totally honest with you it was a roller coaster of highs and lows :(

He was PTS in August last year after hooning round in the field and nearly crippling himself :( We think he sprained his sacroiliac again, he was lame in both back legs and one front leg. He was only 11 years old and I would have done anything to keep him going but it was horrendous to see this normally happy full of attitude horse walking like an old horse literally dragging his hind legs.

I'm not a vet but, from my personal experience (having tried the work him to get back end strong as advised by vets before they then said light hack only as the work made it worse) I would be very surprised if your horse is eventing in 2 months :(

I'm sorry to be pessamistic (sp) but my boy didn't have as many problems as your horse and just simply hooning round his field caused such catastrophic damage to him I can't see how your horse could stand upto eventing.

I truely hope I am wrong and wish you all the best, it really isn't an experience I would want to go through again.
 
I would not personally ever feel safe to event a horse with that many problems.

I also share your concern about whether it is fair to keep him going with so many problems, particularly as he is not a safe "light hack" and especially because it is affecting his temperament.

Perhaps to give you more support in a difficult decision you could ask for a second opinion from a vet who knows that further revenues will not go to them but to your original vet? They don't need to see him, just his scans and xrays.

On the other hand, having recently faced a similar choice with a "non-retireable" horse. I have also in the past rehomed a horse with a sacroiliac instability and spavins and I ended up having to rescue him from his new owner, who starved him to a point where his life was in danger. If you feel sure enough that it is right for him, then I would completely support your decision to end his life, so that there is no possible chance of him ending up in a bad place in the future.
 
OP sorry to hear about all of the problems you are having with your horse.

With regard to Roger Meacock, what do you have to lose by sending him an email or calling to see what he has to say? I would without doubt go for a second opinion.
 
im sorry for the loss of your horse that must of been awful =[ Its intresting that the vet also told you to work your horse, iv been told to gallop him twice a week and do lots of canter but i really dont know especially since it made yours worse. Ahh vets horses the whole thing is a nightmare i guess the best thing is just to listen the horse if hes still not happy after all these injections then maybe it is best he be PTS.. thankyou for your reply
 
So sorry to hear of the problems your horse has got. I've no experience of the conditions but just wanted to say I feel for you.
 
I am very sad you are in this situation .
I have been in similar situations several times and IME the best the horses did was to downgrade to other job a to a less physical level than what they where doing before I have accepted this now but went though a lot of heartache with the first two.
 
I would think about another opinion, if the horse has had a rotational fall due to a problem then I would not be happy to compete again except maybe at a RC level, and even then I would not be happy with having to inject, in the long run you are probably going to be faced with the same problem again in a few months or years down the line.
The vet has given you a technical solution, but not it seems a professional opinion ie a balanced overview. This seems to be the norm these days, unfortunately.
In my opinion you should do what is best for the horse, I am sure you know that, it is just so difficult to be objective, but there is no desperate hurry.
 
If he were mine, I would retire him. If he really means that much to you and he is comfortable in the field, then retire him. If you cannot retire him then PTS. Having a horse with only half your horses problems, and having had him treated with cortisone injections to the back and hocks, plus major surgery to both, and he is still not right, then I would not even try with a horse that has even more problems. My boy is a sensitive soul too. He is not the type you would think could retire happily. He is full of energy and intelligence. But he is fine now that he has resigned himself to his new life out 24/7 in the summer. He is very happy. In the winter, he becomes quite difficult to handle as he is so full of himself, and so I have to find an outlet for this excess energy. I find clicker training is excellent for this. I think it's a load of rubbish when people say a horse could not happily retire or be a hack. This is OUR feelings about the thought of it, not the horse's.

However, if your horse is in constant pain (and with all his problems, he may be) then PTS would be the kindest option. I am so sorry you find yourself in this situation. You are certainly not alone.
 
Agree with wagtail, most horses will adapt to a laidback 24/7 turnout lifestyle, even if you think they won't. Of course if the horse was in pain for this then pts is the nest option, but a retirement at grass is always one I would try first.

I wouldn't be trying to compete him with those issues, it sounds like he really isn't fit for the job. That said, you never know what a couple of years of field rest may do for him, he may well be suitable for lighter work in the future :) x
 
Roger Meacock is good,certainly worth a try. I would also suggest a really good physio. IMO Mary Bromily is the best.
It might also be worth a careful look at diet. Mineral imbalnaces can cause degenerative conditions. Addressing this will not 'cure' that particular problem but it might arrest progression.
 
Hi,
I personally do not have a lot of experience with the condition your horse has but I have a lot of experience with horses which are "lost causes". My gelding was a lost cause and so was my mare. For both horses the vets advised to put them down. The decision is difficult but I found that the most important thing is that you listen to your horse! My horses always told me what they wanted, they wanted to live. And as absurd at it was at the time I had the feeling that they will come right again. Surprisingly both horses recovered after a few years of rehabilitation and groundwork instead of riding. But at my livery yard we also had lost causes which truly were lost causes and these horses told us very clearly that it was time for them to die. So I would advise you to look at your horse and see what he wants. For example my gleding was extremely depressed, would not eat, had immense back problems. Vets, osteopaths and other therapists were amazed how he could walk with this much pain. but he always tried his best. he loved going for walks with me and he loved to play with his friend. My gelding was only five then. But the worst problem was that his front legs gave way which was very dangerous for him, but he adapted. and when he was nine I started riding him again and he is happy and healthy. No signs of back problems anymore and his frontlegs are strong. My mare had a similar story. She got lame on one hind leg and was so severe lame that she would not even put her foot down at all. she was just holding her leg up in the air. after surgeries and lots of vet bills later we had the option of putting her down or a neurectomy. although I am not a fan of neurectomies I gave it a shot. the neurectomy did not work, but I too my mare home. She was supposed to be at box rest but I went against all advise of the vets and turned her out in a small paddock with her best friend. I gave her herbs and many many treatments, especially matrix rhythm therapy was very helpful. after a week she put her foot down again, another week later she tried to put weight on. her tendons were shortened as she had not used her leg for a long time, her muscles were not where they were supposed to be but after about six months she was nearly completely sound and her tendons were back to normal. Lots of groundwork and rehabilitation later she is now rideable again and enjoys every second of it. I think what I want to say you really need to figure out what your horse wants. My two had so much pain but they also wanted to live. and they did not mind not to be ridden or worked for a while. instead i gave them work for their mind by teaching them tricks etc. Every horse is different so I personally do not want to give any other advise as I do not know your horse and I think only you can decide what to do next. Maybe you could get a second opinion froma different vet?

Regarding diet mentioned above, I can recommend IWEST. The owner of this company is a vet herself and she is absolutely amazing! without her my horses would not have made it! They consult people from all over the world and they analyse the diet of each individual horse and exactly calculate what the horse needs. They have saved many horses lifes and are definately worth a shot in my opinion.

I hope you and your horse can sort things out!
 
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=539528
Apologies if this has already been mentioned but this is a post very similar to yours. And here is my reply.

"To be honest the kissing spines and hind limb lameness (the two often go hand in hand) are the least of your problems - I'm guessing the sacro illiac problems are to do with the KS too. I would be more concerned about the arthritis in his neck. From my own experience of having a horse with CVM/Wobblers due to damaging his neck from falling in the field I thought I would share with you my concern. It is my understanding, (and I may be wrong when I say this) is that if your horse gets calcification in his neck bones due to arthritis and therefore new bone is laid on top of current bone then the spinal column will narrow and this will impinge the nerves and spinal cord. Eventually the horse could become ataxic. This will mean he is wobbly on his legs (as is the case in Wobbler horses hence the name). Sometimes this can mean that the horse has difficulty rising and in some situations can be deemed a danger not only to himself, but to others due to his unbalanced condition. It can also cause recumbency (the horse is unable to rise). If I were you I'd discuss this arthritis in the neck in more detail with your vet. That coupled with the other problems would leave me to think that the horse would be better off for all concerned, not least himself if he was PTS. I feel for you, not an easy decision in all honesty although I would be guided by your vets advice. I am not a vet myself but I had to listen to my horses consultant and had my horse pts at 10 due to the neck problem.

I know that the blood bank/retirement might seem like a way out of the dreadful situation you are now finding yourself in but in reality it could be unfair to your horse long term and a holistic vet is not going to be able to change the situation with your horses conditions, only help to improve what really can't be improved without surgery which isn't a viable option in your horses case."

I agree with MissLToe (for once - lol) and I have to say that I really can't understand your vets approach - work him really hard and he will be eventing in two months. By giving him loads of cortizone injections - I think that is just sweeping things under the carpet and not really coming to terms with the true problems and prognosis of this horse and I think it reeks of un-professionalism (if there is such a word). I was under the impression that vets had to put the horses welfare above appeasing their client. But that is just my humble opinion and I wouldn't blame you for trying this approach, but I don't know if I would be so keen if it were my horse. Who knows unless you are in that situation yourself I suppose.
 
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:) seeking a second opinion cannot hurt, but really I think in your heart of hearts you know the answer to this, not easy I know, but you have to think whats best for the horse, if he is going to be in pain life isn't going to be much fun for him is it, and having to fork out heaps of cash for the vet although you would be happy to do it IF it was going to help him recover completely, but no if he was mine, I would do the decent thing sorry .
 
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