Devastating news... what would you do?

kerilli

kerilli

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i have a homebred by Di Maggio out of my old Advanced Event mare by Skyboy. The filly is now 6 and has done nothing (due to being a bit small for me, tweaking a hock in the field last spring, me moving house, etc) other than hack about a bit and do a bit of gentle schooling. i broke her in and no-one else ever rode her.
the plan was for me to start eventing her this year, but every time i did a tiny bit more work, her front tendons filled, or were warm... very erratically, but there just seemed to be something going on. she's 100% sound, never missed a step.
anyway, eventually i took her for ultrasound scans, and sure enough... they scanned terribly. she has "naturally weak tendon fibres", and won't stand up to any hard work at all. they scan almost black all over, like one huge lesion. unbelievable. stem cell therapy etc apparently won't work because there's no injury... the entire tendons are the problem.
obviously she can't be used for breeding as she might pass this on (although she certainly didn't get it from her dam, who was as tough as an old boot!).
i think all i can do is keep her here as a hack, and play with her a bit on the flat. i daren't sell her, as her legs look perfect and she'd probably pass a vetting, so someone unscrupulous could make a nice bit of money on her.
putting her down isn't an option - she is an absolute sweetheart in every way, and it isn't her fault that she's not going to be my Badminton horse... given the choice, i think she'd much rather be going to parties and jumping fences than wandering around the field!
Please, does anyone else have any ideas?
And, has anyone else ever heard of such a thing? my (very very experienced) vet seemed absolutely floored by it.
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my old mare was called Skylarker... i competed her myself and we got placed at a couple of Advanced (not easy, cos she had an old atlas/axis injury and physically couldn't give at the poll... made for some interestingly awful dressage tests.) we did one 3-star, where we fell on the flat but jumped clear. she was an amazing xc horse. unfortunately i only bred this one from her, so i'm extra-devastated. i've waited patiently for 7 years for this one... how big a mug am i.
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trying to find something else now... what a minefield it is out there.
 
no, she was retired from eventing (after i'd finally, finally, managed to qualify for Burghley) due to developing a cataract, and i bred this one, then lent her to a friend who bred one (which she doesn't want to sell), and then the cataract burst and the vet told us we had to have the mare put down. i should have done embryo transfer i guess, as she was so brilliant and so well bred. oh well, too late now. thanks, though.
 
unfortunately the vet who scanned her for me is a tendon specialist... and he said there's nothing that can be done. i suggested stem cell therapy but he said it wouldn't work.
i am totally paranoid about tendons anyway, and that's why i went to him. i'll be even more paranoid now!
thanks though.
 
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2nd opinion maybe? I dunno it's like clutching at straws.
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is it definately hereditary? Could it just be that the stallion and mares gene's didn't mix well and that created the problem? As you say mare was tough and Di Maggio's done lots of hard work, seems odd to me or very unlucky in the least. so sorry and sad to read this.
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yes, it is definitely congenital... she's never done any hard work at all, and the tendons scan as if she's been hammered all her life. i agree, it must be the genes not mixing well... the mare was tough and DiMaggio is too, i know. just one of those things. at least i found out before i tried getting her fit, because if she'd broken down i've have been even more heartbroken.
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i've loaned horses before and won't do so again. in my experience, unfortunately, if someone hasn't paid for it, they don't treat it as if it's worth anything... rather the way people are with company cars. i've loaned horses out about 5 times and they have always come back injured, and cost me a lot of heartache, time and money to put right again.
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i'm sure there are lovely, responsible people out there who would make great borrowers, but i've never found them, unfortunately.
thank you though.
at the moment someone is riding her here for me, just hacking about a bit, so at least she's doing something!
 
I know how you feel I don't think I could loan one too fussy. Another option might be if someone wanted to help exercise but still keep her with you and maybe they could contribute towards her keep. There are a lot of people who cannot afford a horse or simply haven't the time for one full time yet are willing to help.
 
Thats awful ! how devestating
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But I dont understand how the tendons can be cogenetic? Dimaggio and his ancestors have a long history of competing at a high level and staying sound. Most of his progeny are sound. Sky boy competed to a high level and stayed sound as did his offspring. Your mare competed to a high level and stayed sound? So all proven genetics there thus the mix of genes must have been a completly freak occurance? Im wondering wether you could talk to a genetic expert and see just how much of a risk there would be from using her as a broodmare?
 
If you have the land to keep her - then I would just leave her in the field, and not worry about not being able to work her.

We have one like that - he's 14 now. Damaged a leg pretty badly as a three year old. Was broken etc. but was never up to the work. He is quite happy in the field with his mates.

If that's not possible for you, and you are not confident in finding a loan home as a companion then I wouldn't hesitate to have the mare put down.
 
All sounds very unusual, have you tried using Nutri-science's Easoflex? And agree with Doffthe derby, sounds like a one off rather than a hereditary issue. I don't know anything about tendon firing but is this still done and is it an option? What about spa therapy?
 
Although it is congenital it doesnt neccesarily mean that it is inherited from either of the parents.
We had a visiting mare foal last year and the foal had terrible deformaties which could be described as congenital but they happened as a result of something that happened in the early development of the embryo usually they dont survive natures way if you like of stopping these things.
But this one did it can be attributed to things that the mare may have injested or lacked during pregnancy, drugs she may have been given or just a fault as the egg was multiplying or even a missing chromosone.
So not neccesarily either of the parents faults although still classed as congenital.
 
I would also speak to a genetical expert and see how high a percentage is of your mare passing this on to her foals... it could be worth a try. I would first have a stallion in mind then you could compare the two horse's DNA to be more aware of what the outcome could be. It seems a shame that you cannot breed from her as she sounds like she has some fantastic lines.

If, after all of this, she is not suitable for having a foal could you just have her as a companion?
 
Kerilli,

What a pain, you must be devastated. However did the vet tell you your mares tendons were a 'congenital' or 'hereditary' defect? Congential just means a defect that is present from birth and isn't likely to be inherdited (I know this because have a congenital defect myself). If she just has a congenital defect with the tendons I would try breeding from her and getting the foal scanned to see if it's tendons are ok.
 
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