Do other people CONSTANTLY worry about their horse/pony?

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fallingstar

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Or is it just me?

Basically I have a 21 year old NF type gelding and I seem to spend all my bloody time stressing and worrying about him.

He has COPD and has had lami twice in the past (gets fat at the sight of grass), he also has osteochondrosis in his L shoulder which flares up from time to time.

At the minute he cannot be ridden as his chest is really tight, he has had steriod injection and is on ventapulmin currently. I am really stressing that if his chest doesn't ease up soon so he can be ridden again he is going to get that fat he explodes (even though he is on reduced rations).

I do not have a well paid job and I really struggle to pay for his livery, feet trimming etc, (not to mention bedmax and equilage for his copd which I have to pay extra for every week! The yards bedding and forage is not dust free enough for his condition)

I constantly worry about his health and about what the hell I will do if something happens and I need to start paying vets bills on a regular basis. I just don't have the money and sometimes I actually struggle to sleep at night worrying about him. I have had him nearly 12 years and I actually worry that one day I will end up having to have him PTS because I can't afford him and the thought kills me!

Please reassure me that it isin't just me who stresses like this? All the other people on my yard are very well to do types who don't appear to ever worry about money etc and I feel like I've got nobody to talk to sometimes!
 
Firstly, everyone worries about money at some point or other.

Look at your options: can you move him to grass livery, where you can fence off areas? Is there a cheaper bedding he can go on? Soak hay for twelve hours (cheapest option and reduced calorie intake).

Look at all your coatings and work out where things can be changed.
 
Only worry about laminitis to be honest, having lost one horse with it, I'm now paranoid! But I don't think that's a bad thing really xx
 
Ditto lami.

And ditto Mrs M - break down what you are spending on him and see if there are areas you can shave off or change to save money. Money is tight for everyone at the moment, if people say it is not, they're lying.

Does your yard have a sand pen or something that you can turn him into, instead of a grass paddock (ours does and it is great for my lami boy - he gets fresh air without stuffing his face full of grass)?

Can you speak to your vet about finding a happy medium between getting him some exercise that he can cope with breathing-wise? Is even light hacking off the agenda?

Don't spend the present stressing about the future. When it happens, you will deal with it then. Enjoy the time you have with your boy now. Making him as happy and comfortable as you can today will make whatever happens tomorrow easier to deal with.
 
MrsMozart-I have been having a look about for grass turnout for the summer as I know he is better off out that in due to his COPD. I am in a difficult situation though as I work the silliest hours known to mankind and can't get to yard every day. Therefore I need somewhere that I can trust to 'Keep an eye on him' when I can't get over. I have looked at a few but no good so still searching.

I asked my current yard if my pony could stay out 24/7 (they have a really bare paddock that would be ideal for him) but they said no. It is a full livery yard and the argument is if they do it for one they will have to do it for all which is fair enough I guess.

I've tried the hay soaked for 12 hours but he still coughs! Honestly you have no idea what a bloody nightmare he is! Basically anything other than equilage and he coughs! His COPD has been brilliant over the winter and has just suddenly flared up with a vengence!

He is on minimal hard feed (i.e a handful of Dengie HI Fi Lite twice a day and half a mug of Baileys lo cal balancer). So thankfully that lasts for ages, I don't shoe him either so that helps keep costs down.

If anyone has any suggestions for cheaper dust free bedding that they use then that would be much appreciated. I was stocking up on bales yesterday and the lad at the shop commented that horses 'Should be going out for the summer, not coming in' Which is a fair point!

I would love another pony as my boy is only suitable for hacking now (can't jump etc because of his shoulder) Grrrr why can't we all just win the Euromillions? It would make our lives much easier wouldn't it?
 
I worry about everything, even though Dorey is fit as a fiddle!!

I found safemix or something similar is a really good, cheap, dust free bedding. It's woodchip, not flakes, doens't soak up as much wee so doesn't need as much taking out and is absolutely dust free as its chip! And it's cheap as chips!
 
Flicker said:
Ditto lami.

And ditto Mrs M - break down what you are spending on him and see if there are areas you can shave off or change to save money. Money is tight for everyone at the moment, if people say it is not, they're lying.

Does your yard have a sand pen or something that you can turn him into, instead of a grass paddock (ours does and it is great for my lami boy - he gets fresh air without stuffing his face full of grass)?

Can you speak to your vet about finding a happy medium between getting him some exercise that he can cope with breathing-wise? Is even light hacking off the agenda?

Don't spend the present stressing about the future. When it happens, you will deal with it then. Enjoy the time you have with your boy now. Making him as happy and comfortable as you can today will make whatever happens tomorrow easier to deal with.
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Yard has an outdoor arena but we aren't allowed to use it for turn out (God I'm making my yard sound dreadful aren't I?)

At the minute my boys breathing is that bad vet doesn't want him ridden at all. Even walking quickly makes him wheeze. He has told me to leave him for a fortnight and then start again with just walking out and see how he goes. It is a shame as in himself my boy is still full of beans! Last time I rode him he was desperate to break into canter even though he nearly killed himself doing it. I feel so sorry for him cos his breathing is really interfering with his quality of life at the minute.

You are totally right about enjoying the present moment Flicker, I try and take comfort from the fact that he is a very happy little pony who I am doing the best I can for. I guess I am shocked by how suddenly he is ageing though, his head has turned almost totally grey in just under a year. Suddenly he looks like an old pony and it is difficult to get used to!
 
I constantly worry about my horses. My IDxTB has COPD/summer allergy but he doesn't suffer vey badly, more at this time of the year with all the pollen. I have put him on cardboard which I swore I would never use but I have found it to be better than woodchip. It is £4.80 a bale which is much cheaper and there is no dust. He is also on haylage and he out now 24/7 now. I find that his breathing is actually better than most horses on our yard that constantly cough and have snot all the time. People seem to think it is normal :( I would much prefer to worry too much than not at all.
 
Echo the safe mix, absolutely fantastic stuff and cheap as anything. We payed £4.65 per bake over the winter and for a 16.3hh shire x only had to use 1-2 bales per week. We do also have rubber matts which although expensive initially more than make up for it in the long run as we only had it down on 1/4 of stable and horse was still happy to lie down every night. The safe mix also is really easy to rummage through to pick out poo so you don't waste lots of bedding.

If you could stretch to rubber matts then you always have the option of using no bedding or just a very small amount of absorb wee xx
 
I worry about mine mainly around of the bits of his management that I don't have much control over being at a livery yard. Even though I'm DIY I'm bound by too much grazing for his type/needs and no other options, haylage rather than hay though usually in the summer some is got in as the haylage goes off too quickly.
 
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Cheap bedding mine are on shredded paper. The cross shredded type so small pieces. Mucks out like shavings but I bring it home from work so it's free. I have 3 on it all from my small office. Find a local office and collect once a week on ur way home from work. Soak ur hay in the morning then Hose it down just before u feed it. Will reduce calorie intake and dust by soaking and takes off last bits of dust by hosing
 
i worry constantly and now 2 of mine have injuries and need to be kept calm and have controlled exercise my anxieties have hit new heights. i just wish i was one of those chilled out owners with chilled out horses. i am naturally a stresshead but its issues with their health i dont cope well with.
 
Flicker said:
Don't spend the present stressing about the future. When it happens, you will deal with it then. Enjoy the time you have with your boy now. Making him as happy and comfortable as you can today will make whatever happens tomorrow easier to deal with.
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This is great advice. I used to worry madly about my horses all the time but after my Dad died this year it's really put a lot of things in to perspective, there are things more important than horses. I love them to bits but you have to try and let go of worrying so much as it will make you ill.

On the practical side: Keep looking for a yard were he could be out 24/7 when you want him to be, this will really help his COPD and your wallet. My old boy had to be in at night over winter and his COPD has been so much worse - I'm looking for a new yard where they have enough grazing so he can stay out. Also you say it's just flared up badly, could it be the pollen? When I finally got my boy out 24/7 in March he was fine at first then suddenly started wheezing - started him on Pollen-X (expensive though..) and he was much better straightaway.

Good luck, hope things are easier for you soon.
 
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