Angelbones
Well-Known Member
To cut a very long story shortish, the vets are coming tomorrow to see Tatty, my 3 yr old Connemara. He's had problems for a while and we don't know what the actual diagnosis is and the only further course of action to find out is to send him away for some very expensive tests, to which the vet says the outcome in his opinion wouldn't be good anyway. Tatty isn't insured and we've spent over £2k already. We don't have another £5k to spend with another 7 on the yard as we head into winter.
His problems started at backing - reluctance to move forward when ridden, although very good on the ground, unhappy to turn, very bad on circles etc etc. Then he seemed to get worse when not ridden, and could barely walk down hill etc etc. The vet has done everything he could, nerve blocks, scans, xrays, pain killers, joint blocks etc and at first said OCD, then something else, then something else again. He now thinks it is something neurological affecting control of his hind legs. He said Tatty would not be safe as a ridden pony and would never pass a vetting. All this on a gorgeous 3 yr old, with the nature of a saint, who was meant to be my daughter's first horse after ponies in a couple of years.
Anyhow, the upshot is that the vet advised pts, but as I am unable to spend out for big tests on him I felt I would be selling him short so have asked for the vet to come back with his partner (who we know and trust) and for them to do another work up and get their opinion straight and if they reach a unified decision then I will go with that.
I have decided that if he is in unmanageable pain, or if the condition is considered to be degenerative then he will be pts. If he is just 'faulty' but not in pain and not likely to get any worse, and it isn't something that we can work on or fix, then I'll try to find him a companion home - like a rescue centre where the horses aren't loaned out as I'd hate someone to think one day that they'd slap a saddle on him and give him a go... I can keep him on my yard for a few years but at 3 he could obviously be around in 20+ years and at my age I won't have a yard at that time and his future would not be secure.
Sorry for my ramblings, just off loading I think. I've been so wound up by this today. It had me in tears this morning as he didn't want to come in with the others and just walked off on his own into the morning mist to eat alone. I thought he knew what I was thinking.
No need to reply, thanks for reading, fingers crossed for Tatty please.
His problems started at backing - reluctance to move forward when ridden, although very good on the ground, unhappy to turn, very bad on circles etc etc. Then he seemed to get worse when not ridden, and could barely walk down hill etc etc. The vet has done everything he could, nerve blocks, scans, xrays, pain killers, joint blocks etc and at first said OCD, then something else, then something else again. He now thinks it is something neurological affecting control of his hind legs. He said Tatty would not be safe as a ridden pony and would never pass a vetting. All this on a gorgeous 3 yr old, with the nature of a saint, who was meant to be my daughter's first horse after ponies in a couple of years.
Anyhow, the upshot is that the vet advised pts, but as I am unable to spend out for big tests on him I felt I would be selling him short so have asked for the vet to come back with his partner (who we know and trust) and for them to do another work up and get their opinion straight and if they reach a unified decision then I will go with that.
I have decided that if he is in unmanageable pain, or if the condition is considered to be degenerative then he will be pts. If he is just 'faulty' but not in pain and not likely to get any worse, and it isn't something that we can work on or fix, then I'll try to find him a companion home - like a rescue centre where the horses aren't loaned out as I'd hate someone to think one day that they'd slap a saddle on him and give him a go... I can keep him on my yard for a few years but at 3 he could obviously be around in 20+ years and at my age I won't have a yard at that time and his future would not be secure.
Sorry for my ramblings, just off loading I think. I've been so wound up by this today. It had me in tears this morning as he didn't want to come in with the others and just walked off on his own into the morning mist to eat alone. I thought he knew what I was thinking.
No need to reply, thanks for reading, fingers crossed for Tatty please.
