Does this forum scare anyone else?

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Annagain

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Does anybody else get scared/paranoid reading some of the posts on this forum or is it just me? My horse has been lame for a bit and last week had injections into the coffin joint. My vet is happy that after his 6 weeks rest he should come back into work and be back to normal, and until I posted asking for advice about recovery and searched for posts about coffin joints I believed him. Now I'm convinced that he has damaged his collatoral ligament and I'll be lucky to ever ride him again. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for any advice but people do like to go with the worst case scenario don't they!

I've noticed it for things like e-bay purchases (the recent bike posts) and not being able to get in touch with loanees as well. Everybody automatically assumes the worst and advises phoning the police or sneaking around to find the pony, so far every case I've read about has not been stolen and has been sorted out. I'm not naive enough to think things like this don't happen but are we too ready to believe the worst in people? Should we have a bit more faith in both vets' diagnoses and humankind?
 
AGREE!!! my pony was lame for only a week turned out just to be strained muscle - but reading some posts on here defo made me think the worst.
Although I always worry about purchases on the net lol
 
In a word, No.

I think what you have to remember is that what is written is merely an individual's personal experience or opinion, and you have to take it as such.

In matters of your own horse I would take on board advice, opinions and experiences from here, much of it very useful, but I would be more inclined to trust someone who has actually SEEN or KNOWS your horse.

I hope you get your horse sorted out soon.
 
I don't think you would human if not, but agree with above, don't think that every elses problems and misfortune is something that is goning to happen to you or your horse, its good to be aware of the worst things but always be your own judge along with your own vet etc and don't feed from negativity, feed from postive posts.
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scares me too! Whilst I find all the information and advice really useful I do often assume the worst because of the things I read on here. George went lame on Mon night out of the blue, and I just couldn't believe he could be ok the next day as in my inexperience I didn't think that happened. So I went home all upset, imagining damaged tendons, ligaments, bones etc. I was shocked to discover him sound the following morning
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I know what you mean, but as with everything that you would spend time researching yourself, you will always come across the worse cases. Unfortunately, less people turn to the internet to express their good experiences as that is just the way we are.

When we first started breeding I was convinced that we would have every foal with wonky legs, half dead, lose the mare etc etc and we were lucky enough to have bred 5 really healthy babies with no conformational issues, lost one foal and one broke its leg at a week old.. even with these, the experience wasn't as horrific as I had prepared it to be!

The people that have had negative exepriences on here will be more likely to pass comment too as they feel a lot more passionate about the situation due to them being stung.

I find it is sometimes good to know the worst case scenario's as it gives you more of an idea of questions that you can put to the vets etc. but it does strike the fear of god into you at times!
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I did the same thing when trying and failing to get one of my mares in foal this year and the stud manager told me to stop reading things and getting my knickers in a twist
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In matters of your own horse I would take on board advice, opinions and experiences from here, much of it very useful, but I would be more inclined to trust someone who has actually SEEN or KNOWS your horse.

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That's what I tell myself, but I still can't help thinking "what if" when I hear horror stories of really young horses with career ending injuries or people who've had mis-diagnoses from their vets. I know they're extremes (like you only hear of plane crashes not the thousands of uneventful flights that go on every day) but it does get me worrying no matter how irrational I know it is!
 
No but then I take most of it with a pinch of salt. It's all well and good posting to ask for vet advice but the best person to ask is your actual vet. People at the other end of a computer can't diagnose your horse and because every case is different, some people will have good experiences, others bad.

I try not to ask for advice on vet issues and stick with asking just my vet. Otherwise I would scare myself silly!
 

I think its human nature.

This old saying is very true:-

Have a lovely meal in pup - tell 3 people

Have a really bad meal - tell 30 !!!!!!!!!
 
Really sorry to say this this, but in three out of my three horses with foot problems, the regular vets all under-estimated the extent of the damage.
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Otherwise not scary at all, just interesting and helpful actually.
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Really sorry to say this this, but in three out of my three horses with foot problems, the regular vets all under-estimated the extent of the damage.
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See that's what I mean! LOL. Why is there never a story saying my horse had the same and was fine in 6 weeks, never looked back!
 
OK, more than once I have had vets tell me that one horse or other would never come back into work.. Not once has this been true
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2 with foot problems
1 with a ddft tear
1 with a hamstring haematoma that damaged the muscle

I have always found vets more doom and gloom and they look on the negative side so as not to get your hopes up.. Not once have they under diagnosed; only wish they had as it would've saved me a fortune! lol

I always tend to TRY and look on the bright side until horsey proves me wrong. Field rest has cured many of my 'never to be worked again' problems
 
I'm sure your horse will be fine in six weeks.
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I honestly don't tell people about my horses to scare them as soon as their horse has a limp, I just know what its like to keep hearing from vets "your horse will be fine its just X", but it drags on for months and you keep going round in circles. I want people to know its OK and sometimes necessary to pressure and question vets, get impatient and expect them to find you proper answers and solutions.
 
I'm not having a go at people who do give the worst case scenario by the way, just musing as to why human nature means we only tell the gory bad stories, or why when faced with some good and some bad stories it's the bad ones we remember and focus on. We're a strange species!
 
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No but then I take most of it with a pinch of salt. It's all well and good posting to ask for vet advice but the best person to ask is your actual vet. People at the other end of a computer can't diagnose your horse and because every case is different, some people will have good experiences, others bad.

I try not to ask for advice on vet issues and stick with asking just my vet. Otherwise I would scare myself silly!

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Ditto this
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