Dilema

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not_with_it

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What would you do with your competition horses if you could no longer ride them?

Gin started having problems around May last year after she was jumped on in the field by another horse causing damage to her sacroiliac. Most months since then she has been back to the vets for treatment. My vet was very optomistic about it all and said he saw no reason why she shouldnt make a full recovery. She had time off then did lots of walking before being brought back into work around September. Her back began to swell up after exercise and so off she went back to the vets which is when she had a steroid injection. She was great for about 4 weeks after that then started getting grumpy when asked to bend left and got quite tense through her back.
I spoke to my vet in great length and he suggested trying a new treatment which had been very successful with suspensory problems but had never been used in sacroiliac problems. It wasnt cheap but I am willing to pay or do anything to have my little star back. Since then she has had a month off work and a month walking and over the past couple of days she has started with gentle trotting. She is around her 4th/5th day of trotting and she has got really narky, more so than usual. She just doest want to bend left and just isnt herself. I put her in the stable after work and noticed her back was quite swollen above the joint.
Its really starting to get to me to the point where I nearly cry and im not an emotional person by any means!

I just really dont know what to do anymore. She doest hack and can be a real hot head at times. I really have spoilt her to the point where she wont eat hay that has been left on the floor, she has a paddy if she isnt brought in when she wants to come in but other than that she is really sweet, you can do anything to her on the ground.

Right now I cant see any light at the end of the tunnel. Do I go back to having steroid injectios everymonth? but surely that cant be good for her and will just cover things up. Or the other option would be to let her have a foal and have a year off, but then I would be stuck with 3 horses next year and very little time.

I have the physio coming next tues to see if there is anything she can do. Does anyone know if you can claim off your insurance for the physio after an injury? I am going to speak to the vet in the morning to see what he says and Im sorry for rambling on and on.

Nat
x-x
 
Has the swelling come back hun???

If not, I would say some of this behaviour has become habit because she 'remembers' that it hurt when she flexed left. If you remember when Grace first came back into work I had real teary moments because she just was not moving like she was prior to the injury
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I spoke in length (and I do mean in length... I think I have the most understanding and patient vet in the world
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) to Peter about this and he said most of this is now down to me being firm, making her use the hind legs correctly and making her realise she can do it now!

I have to say, it has not been an easy time getting her to work again, and there were times (sorry peter) that I doubted this was the reason she was refusing to really use her hinds. But now, after almost 7 months of being back in work and giving myself a good kick up the backside, I can now say her hinds are actually working better than they ever have done!

We do still have the sticky steps on the left rein (it was her left hind that was injured) but I push her through to the right to make her stretch through the left side and she soon realises she can do it and after that we have no more fuss.

Could it be worth sending her to someone for a few weeks to bring her back into work? I (as many people on here know) am very emotional about Grace, and it sounds as though you are now going through the same thing with Gin. Every strange step, refusing to flex left etc etc you back off her because you start believing there is something pain related there. By all means have her checked, but if there is truly no pain there now and it is just memory, I cannot recommend sending her away for a few weeks enough. Someone who was completely emotionally detatched from Grace got her working through and forwards because she ignored the refusal and the sticky-ness and just worked her (this was of course with a FULL clearance from the vet... she would never have worked her through the sticky bits if she thought there was some discomfort).
 
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What would you do with your competition horses if you could no longer ride them?

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Personally, I would have them PTS, which, whilst a LOT of people will be horrified, is my honest answer.

If you own your own land and can afford a field ornament, then each to their own, but I livery my horses so that is where my decision would stem from, especially a younger horse.
 
I think in your situation I would probably turn away in a field for six months and then bring back into work - if that hadn't fixed it and I couldn't afford retirement livery then I am afraid I am with Weezy on this one
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I had one that had also damaged his sacroilliac and he was pts. He wouldn't stay in the field nor was he happy in the stable and although horrible it was the kindest thing to do. He was only 7.
 
[ QUOTE ]
What would you do with your competition horses if you could no longer ride them?

[/ QUOTE ]

Im currently going through this at the moment with my 12 year old who (to cut a long story short) was referred to Newmarket last September following several weeks of intermittent lameness. He was diagnosed with having a large keratoma in his near fore and had it operated on there and then and everything seemed a success. Sadly he suffered complications nearer christmas and has spent the majority of this month down at Rossdales for further treatment.

We have been warned by the experts down there that he may never come sound enough to ride again and may only be useful as a field ornament but luckily i have my own land and 3 other workable horses (plus one other retired one) so this isn't a problem for me. If he comes sound enough to be a light hack that would be ideal as he could help nanny my youngsters but if not he will be kept in eactly the same way as before with the only difference being no work/competing.

He is the sweetest horse i have ever had the pleasure of knowing and has given me endless amounts of fun in the 5.5 years we have spent together, so i feel the least i can do for him is give him a nice retirement/quiet life for the rest of his days. I realise i am in a fortunate position and if he wasn't as easy and as nice as he is or my circumstances were very different then i would have to have a rethink but thankfully they are not.

Im sorry to hear about your mare Nat, and good luck with whatever you choose to do...
 
She had a huge lump after she was ridden tonight.
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Like I said in my pm shes different to how she was before, I really dont think shes being naughty this time.
I though about getting someone else to ride her to see if it was just me being stiff but then when I saw the swelling I knew something wasnt right
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Im even welling up writing this.

Weezy - I understand your thoughts but I really would try everything for this mare. She has taught me so much and I love her to bits.
 
Sorry to be blunt but I'm afraid that if mine can't be ridden I'm in the same boat as Weezy
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I might make an exception for a mare but it would have to have a non-inheritable reason for being out of work, fantastic bloodlines and an excellent temperament. And I would have to be in a heck of a lot better financial position than I am now, with my own land, to even consider breeding.
 
Oh Nat what a nightmare - All I can say is that these things can take a lot of time (I've not competed H for 3 years almost... it's been a long haul getting and more importantly keeping her sound) so I know how frustrated you feel - we also know that she's at the last chance saloon in terms of soundness and a working life - she is not the easiest horse to just retire due to her colic problems - Ideally I'd love a foal from her - but would that be fair on her? (having said this she would LOVE to be a brood mare - she's very maternal).

Getting back to you though - would she be able to foal with such an injury? You need to discuss this with your vet - it may put a lot of strain on an already weak spot
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You could turn her away though - I think that that would be the best option if you can afford to do this - you can work on your youngster whilst she's off - but then it's waiting a year to find out if you've just wasted a full year for nothing... If you know what I mean?
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Not an easy thing to go through
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Kate x
 
I've got one!

He had his pampered lifestyle whipped out from underneath him and is now a 24/7 field pony.

After the final injury when I drew the line he had 6 months off. Now I have a lady that hacks him out 2-3 times a week.

I am really lucky that I can afford to keep him as a pet. While he is field sound and happy he will continue to be a pet, but given that he is only 13 if the soundness/happiness changed he would be PTS
 
Thanks, it certainly is... Im hoping with time he'll come sound enough to have some sort of job but if not then so be it. Ive got my 2 four year olds to work on this year along with my other 10 year old so i'll still be kept busy, im sure!
 
Having a foal is something I will discuss with the vet. Its Gins 'maternal instincts' that got her in this mess in the first place
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Shes 13 this year and so its now or never really and there would be less pressure to bring her back into work. I had the same thoughts about wasting a year. If I knew for certain she would never come right then she would become a broodmare but right now we are in limbo and its so hard to make the right decision.

The frustrating thing is that we've been out twice since this all started, it was when she had the steroid injection, but I really dont know how many of these injections she can have. Also im not too sure if you should compete on them
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Thats interesting to hear, did he adapt well to his lifestyle change? If Gin would hack I would keep her just for that but shes dangerous in traffic.

Benjis_girl, I have my youngster to start this year too but would really miss riding Gin.
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I would get a second opinion from another leading vet- like the avon vale in Oxford- they are leading back specialists. DEFINATELY worth a call.
Sounds like your vet doesnt really know whats wrong so how can he treat it. 'damage to the sacroliliac' sounds so vague to me.
 
I trust my vet 100%.

It was actually a hematoma on top of the joint caused by impact. Shes had scans done everytime shes been to the vets. We've discussed in length options to treat it but I havent spoken to him since 2 months ago.
Sorry if I didnt make it clear in my original post.
 
How horrible for you both.

Some back injuries respond well to time off, followed by pregnancy and further time off for nursing.

If this is something you want to consider your best bet would be do it now rather than later as you say but I would chat to a vet who specialises in back problems, I know one at our local practice but you are miles away and would probably be better off speaking to someone a bit more local.

If you are considering breeding I imagine your best bet would be AI as the last thing you wanto is to inflict more damage by a natural covering.

Given that she is a hot head, mares generally mellow through pregnancy so she should settle and become easier to manage. The thoughts behind pregancy and helping back problems are that increased weight is built up gradually over a sustained period of time - unlike time off and then we hop back on.

As the pregnancy progresses the muslces and ligaments are conditioned over a long period of time and adjust to carrying more weight.

And you never know she might come right again after weaing - if not if all goes OK you have a youngster to work with or finanace a new project.

Good luck - I hope things work out for you.

Diva is possibly going on maternity leave this year so maybe we can be grandparents together...
 
Before you give up, I would try a couple of alternative therapies - try Reiki (use a master) and Shiatsu and there is also a vet practice somewhere which does a broad range of holistic treatments in complement to their traditional practice.

I have had a couple of miracles - one with Shiatsu and one with Reiki. Hasn't worked every time, but it is enough for me to give it a shot when the vets don't have the answers.
 
Hi Nat,
Surprisingly he has adapted really well.
Although he was always pretty good to hack when competing he did have his cheeky sharp moments, those seem to have disappeared now he isn't fit/fed/clipped etc.
 
Thats really interesting, thanks.

Its definately something im going to discuss with my vet when they eventually ring me back. Its a huge decision for me to make but I just think if she has to have time off she might as well do something. Its also something ive always wanted her to do but I didnt want her to have any time off, this could be the ideal time for her.
 
I wouldnt spend money on endless treatments, i would put them in the field (or so to speak) and not even look for a year, if that didnt do the trick then unless i could afford a field ornament then pts, or broodmare if quality enough.
 
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