Doing the right thing

[SO1]

I think the anxiety is probably made worse due to the Covid situation and spending so much time alone due to wfh. I have been lucky as I work for a medical charity and they don't want to take any risks about our health and Covid so we will be wfh for quite a long time more I think. Also the job security has been good as we have been extra busy due to Covid. However being alone so much has taken a toll on my mental health.

Getting out in the evenings after work to see him has been really valuable for my mental health otherwise I would no contact with a living being. Pre-Covid I was in the office and then in the evenings either at the yard or meeting up with friends so I didn't really get so lonely.

Auslanders place is definitely a good possibility if he needs retirement. ?

If he goes to a retirement livery (and auslander would seem to be a wonderful option) it would not be Goodbye! you may not be able to see him each day but could look forward to week end visits knowing that the rest of the time he would be in safe hands.
Another option might be somewhere with a track system.

 

[chaps89]

If it helps at all I have space in Buckinghamshire for full retirement grass livery, to share with a 12.2hh gelding, open access to field shelters, available from the start of December. Come Spring I’ll be looking to put a track up, if I don’t go with a track there will be restriction of some sort as the one I currently have is fat!

 

[pistolpete]

Box rest is just so complex. You say he seems happy enough but then when he’s given a bit more room the continual bucking makes me think he’s not really happy in his box just depressed. How about a program of gradual intro to paddock using sedation?

 

[SO1]

Vet been today and he trotted up "sound as pound" as quoted by the vet.

Leg scan was good and so now going to slowly introduce ridden work at 15 mins and see how it goes in 6 weeks time.

He has been very good with his in hand walking and calm the only bucking he has done in the last 6 weeks was on Diwali when there was loads of really loud fireworks and he got a bit scared.

Still no turnout sadly but if he is not sound when he is trotted up in 6 weeks after reintroducing riding then I expect we will have to have a serious think about retirement.

His walking has been split into 3 times a day over the last 6 weeks to reduce the colic risk and he is also on colikare and so far so good. ?

He decided he didn't like his hay so YO has some other hay which has been tested as very low sugar and starch which he loves. It is more expensive than the normal higher sugar hay but at least he is tucking into it and better for him as well.

I feel a bit more relaxed about the situation and giving him a bit more time to see how he gets on.

 

[cobden]

Gosh really feel for you, I can tell you are completely torn. I agree with the majority of posters that movement is so important and I think the option of introducing him to small areas of turnout whilst sedated is a possible solution.
I think you replied to my post earlier about tapeworm; I just wanted to say thanks to what you said I have been in touch with vets and they are referring the case to Leahurst to try and suggest a plan to get it under control.

 

[SO1]

So he finally went out in the middle of the horse walker 2 weeks ago and had been going out for an hour and a half. He was up to 3 hours a day of walking and had done 6 weeks of trot work.

Yesterday he went mad and started cantering round the middle of the horse walker bucking when some other horses were caught in. ?as he has been doing so much walking that his leg is going to be ok.

I don't think I could handle it if he had to start all over again it is has been 9 months now.

As there is not much grass in any of the small paddocks yet he will now have to go out for just half an hour with a haynet in the middle of the horsewalker which has the most grass to try and keep him calm until there is more grass and he can go out in one of the sick paddocks. Unfortunately he might jump out if he is left on his own in a small paddock with not much grass.

If his leg has not withstood the cantering and bucking then I think I will have to have a chat with the vet about how I can enable him to be comfortable to retire.