Do some horses just not fix???

[katerider]

Hi all,
I'm a serial lurker but wondered if any one else had experienced similar probs with their horses....
I have a TB who has been off work for nearly 2 years - various reasons infected foot , damaged ligament, over reach, kick injury to name a few. The longest she's been in work since summer 2010 is 8 weeks. I'm constanly on the phone to vets and nothing ever seems to heal as it should, we always seem to have complications.
I feel so sorry for her but am also getting a little frustrated - do some horses just never come right? The vet has talked about calling it a day with her because my finances are drained and I just can't get any fittness work in without a problem. will we eventually get over all these issues or is an accident prone horse always an accident prone horse......would love to hear your experiences!

 

[Holly Hocks]

I've got a TB who is similar - a few weeks after I got her, she got sinus and tooth problems which cost £6500 (not all covered by insurance) and was in hospital for three months. Then a couple of months later had to have another operation to have a bone chip removed from her fetlock. Still had lameness problems and ended up having a full body scintigraphy scan which found navicular, spavin and hind limb PSLD as well as arthritis of the fetlock where she had previously had a bone chip removed. Had an abscess over winter which lasted four months and now has a back problem. I am several thousand pounds down and don't have the money to investigate further. The insurance has more things excluded than it does actually covered. I know she will never be 100% but I never seem to stop trying with her....I know that really I should retire her completely but I just can't bring myself to give up yet.

 

[Archiepoo]

actually i do think financial reasons to call it a day are very valid ,vet care is very expensive and sometimes knowing when to stop throwing money at a horse is difficult .if your vet has already mentioned stopping spending then i would consider what options you have -companion if field sound or PTS if not . at the end of the day the reality of owning horses is knowing when to make these decisions . good luck ive been there myself and its hard but in a strange way a relief when things are sorted out.

 

[JillA]

I have one. Reg is an ex chaser and to look at him you would wonder how he ever completed a race, never mind got placed. He is long and rangy, even his face, and just doesn't look robust enough to shrug off stuff - a history of gastric ulcers, not enough top line to wear a saddle, not enough weight for my liking and a fussy eater, will only eat small amounts, has stringhalt and now has come in after having some grass with what looks like foot lameness. Looks like laminitis but not like laminitis if anyone can understand that - my farrier is comng to check his feet out tomorrow.
The only thing I feel I can do for him, and maybe you for yours, is consider his immune system and whether he has an underlying deficiency, of minerals or something along those lines. But Reg is a rescue and funds are tight - we just have to wait and see how it develops but if his quality of life is compromised repeatedly I will have to call it a day.
This is him on a good day



I was hoping a good summer on field rest might make all the difference but if he can't have plenty of grass....................

 

[pinklilly]

Mine is 6, was fairly well bred for flat racing. Appeared to be accident prone when still at stud ( I now have his clinical history from Rossdales from birth to 3 years ), was withdrawn from bloodstock sales in Germany at 18 months then Tattersales at just turned 3. I turned him away for 20 months ( didn't have his history at the time, just knew he had a suspensory problem in a foreleg ).

Had him scanned, all good. Started bringing him into work, had problem after proble, sarcoids, mild laminitis, foot issues, PSD... The list of minor things goes on.

Finally got him sound, started walking, 3 days in doesn't look right behind! I'm sure walking in hand can't possibly have made him go wrong?!

I wouldn't mind if there was any cheap and cheerful DIY livery local to me but there isn't, my yards miles away and expensive and all I do is stress and worry about the horse!

 

[Flame_]

My arab is accident prone, and he is getting better with age. He'll always be a bit dreamy and naive though, he regularly nearly goes flat on his face tripping over the piece of wood on the floor across his stable doorway which has been there longer than he has.

He's had lots of little "one thing after another" niggles and injuries but I've come to look at it as the fact that he's actually come back from all of them, so far, really sound in spite of collecting lumps and scars, is testament that he might be tougher than I've given him credit for.

If your horse heals well and does get over each problem when considered individually, that's not too bad IMO, you've just got to keep reminding yourself to stay patient with them and do what you can to help them look after themselves. However, if you've got a problem you can't resolve and it starts leading to lots of other little problems there comes a point sometimes where putting it all right again just isn't possible and then it can be most sensible to call it a day.