Facing major surgery - what to do with horse?

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Sorry in advance that this is a long one. Feels like the universe is taking every opportunity to dump on my horse owning!

I’ve been in pain a long time, was told a couple of months ago that this is due to arthritis in my hip. However I found out today that I actually have an abnormal pelvis, it’s rotated top forward and bottom towards my bum, which means that hip is sitting incorrectly in the joint and the abrasion on my hip has caused a bony lump on the ball joint surface (arthritic basically).

Due to the pelvis abnormality, this will not ever change. The secondary option is a total hip replacement whereas the first ‘best’ case is a realignment of the whole hip joint (this is what the surgeon said is his preference to retain the bone for as long as possible) - breaking my pelvis in 3 places, realigning, resurfacing the ball joint and reattaching. This will last 15-20 years then I’ll have to have a replacement anyway - it’s a 3-6 month recovery and I’ll be send to a specialist in London for it.

The main thing I am stressed about, that no one who isn’t horsey will understand, is what to do with the horse. He has huge paces and I’m worried about whether I will ever regain riding fitness enough to be able to ride him. He isn’t completely easy either and wouldn’t be all that safe to regain riding fitness on. Selling him isn’t an option I would consider I don’t think, he’s my dream horse and I haven’t had a chance to have my time with him yet.

I could full livery him at a trusted yard for 6 months or longer, but is roughing off such a big horse for that period of time at 10yo a dangerous option in terms of his health and coming back into work? I’m not sure that without full pay from work I could afford a pro to exercise him regularly, although it’s an option I could save for. He could live out but would need bringing in for feeding as does drop off over winter.

I’m grateful for any input/thoughts anyone may have.

 

[ycbm]

Oh stuff it, that's bad timing when you've just bought him !

I would try and turn him away in a herd on hilly ground to keep him moving and fit. He should cope easily with a break at ten. Plenty of mares have 12/18 months off for a foal and then work again at that sort of age.

 

[doodle]

Loan for a specific time frame? When I was facing surgery was told 3 months min not even allowed to lift a cup. I found someone keen to have my horse as her horse needed a long recovery. If you have time to set this up before op that might work. You could then see how you felt riding him and if it wasn’t going to work then he would have been in work and easier to then continue to loan or sell.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

It is bad timing! Funny the way the world works sometimes...

My only concern with turning him away in a herd would be whether he would settle as he is usually top dog in a herd and if there is another top dog that won’t back down it may not end well for long legs.. I could set this up though and make sure he’s settled well before I am operated on though. Very good point re: broodmares, hadn't thought about that.

Loaning is a tricky one, as he is a difficult horse to ride sometimes (he can be explosive) if it didn’t work out at some point during my recovery for whatever reason, be it the horse or the rider changing circumstance - I wouldn’t be able to step in and take him back. He does have sarcoids which, along with his size, limits the market should it not work out, so a loan would benefit this aspect of it. I was musing over whether I could get him going in the meantime and see if a ‘pro’ would take him to do dressage on for a period of time, increasing sale potential if that’s the only option at the end of this whole saga, but this would be expensive (doable) and I’m not sure he could be going well enough in the time frame for that.

 

[doodle]

My horse wasn’t easy either. I was just open and honest about him. But yes coming back would have been an issue so back up was various friends in the yard who would see to him. Luckily it didn’t come to it and only needed 3 weeks off as bone grafts not needed.

 

[Littlebear]

Oh stuff it, that's bad timing when you've just bought him !

I would try and turn him away in a herd on hilly ground to keep him moving and fit. He should cope easily with a break at ten. Plenty of mares have 12/18 months off for a foal and then work again at that sort of age.

I agree with this my mare was off for over a year to have a foal and she was 12, came back and into work no problems at all. I thought getting back on would be tricky (I had a baby and back issues) but it was totally smooth.
I hope your op goes well, I’m sure your horse will be fine with a break x

 

[chaps89]

How rotten for you.
Personally I would turn him away to save pennies, then as you start to rehab yourself I would send him off for some schooling with someone who can ride him with you and your injury in mind and have some lessons yourself on a nice riding school dobbin to get back into it then put the 2 together and start back having lessons on him with the person who has been bringing him back into work.

 

[Tardebigge]

I would turn him away as well. I am pretty sure he won't be bothered by the lack of work (!), and also theres a good chance it will just be for the summer - assuming you have your op in the next couple of months, which is a lot easier than roughing off in a sodden winter.
Re your ability to ride him properly after. Of course you will regain your fitness. Look at some of the injuries jockeys come back from ( and generally quite quickly). I would have thought that being pain free will improve your riding and certainly make it more pleasurable. Onwards and upwards, as they say. Good luck.

 

[AmyMay]

How about talking to Michin who’s horse is looking at a (possibly) long lay off due to injury?

 

[Trouper]

Whether you loan or turn away I would set it up in plenty of time to make sure you and he were settled about it and it was working out. As you say, nothing worse than trying to re-organise things from your sick bed. My preference would be to turn away. When you get back in the saddle it would be better for both of you to "be brought back into work" together. I am not sure it would be a good thing to get back on a fit and raring to go horse. Good luck for the operation. I know you need to listen to the medics' advice but I sometimes think they really don't understand how tough horse people are - am sure you will beat their deadlines!!

 

[oldie48]

When I bought Rose she had been turned away for three years. She was 9 at the time and had just started competing at medium. She was worked for a couple of months and I've had her for 15 months, with a better rider she would be back competing medium. In your position I would turn away, give yourself the time you need to have the best possible health outcome, when you start riding take it slowly but get someone else to bring your horse back into work initially and then take it from there. He's not going to be turned away for three years but even if it's a year or more, he'll come back fine again. Your health has to take priority and turning away would give you less to worry about than putting out on loan.It's rotten luck to need such major surgery but you will feel so much better when it's done and you've healed. Something to look forward to.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I would turn away it's coming into spring so he will probably not need as much food, then when your better bring back and pay someone to start him riding again.

 

[Annagain]

Do you have any say in when you have the op? If you do I'd aim for Sept so you can turn him away - maybe on full grass livery over the winter or at least somewhere where they can feed him while you're out of action - you don't want to be bringing him back into work when your options for riding are limited. Then about a month before you're ready get back on - hopefully next spring, move him to full livery with someone who's capable of getting him going again and keep him there while you get reacquainted so you have support. The money you save by having him turned away should cover the few months he's on full livery?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Thank you for all the replies - it definitely seems that turning him away will be the best option. I am lucky in that there is a grass livery option that I may be able to take that runs alongside my current DIY in a 33 acre field with a herd, or he could actually stay where he is in his current field/herd and just live out completely over the summer (if that is when the surgery will be, I'll have to wait and see if I have any influence over this). There is a lady that does services for us DIY's which, whilst I wouldn't want to burden with his full care if he isn't living out, she would be able to check him over once a day for me I would imagine. I will have a conversation with her once I know for sure when the surgery may be and which surgery it is we decide to have (which should be within the next 6 weeks).

I feel so much better about it having read through this, so thank you for that!

Look at some of the injuries jockeys come back from ( and generally quite quickly). I would have thought that being pain free will improve your riding and certainly make it more pleasurable.

This is something I also hadn't thought of, the amount of eventers etc which have had horrendous injuries and returned to riding top level horses (obviously being better riders than I) is really encouraging.

 

[McFluff]

Another vote for turn away - especially if you can find a nice big hilly field with a herd. My Mum's gelding was turned away for 18 months aged 9 due to her having operations. He was none the worse for it, and perhaps has helped him stay so sound for so long - now 24 and going well...

 

[hobo]

Another one who agree's with the turnout his age is fine for that. My mare had about a year off for a foal at 10, she is now 20 and very well. It is now that I do not want her to take a break so she stay's in work when I am away.

 

[Leo Walker]

How rotten for you.
Personally I would turn him away to save pennies, then as you start to rehab yourself I would send him off for some schooling with someone who can ride him with you and your injury in mind and have some lessons yourself on a nice riding school dobbin to get back into it then put the 2 together and start back having lessons on him with the person who has been bringing him back into work.

Yup this. Chuck him out on a huge hilly acreage and let someone else look after him till your ready.

 

[Starzaan]

I am just bringing my boy back into work after he has had 18 months turned away - he has just turned 12.

To be honest, he is better than ever! He was out in a big herd, on major hills, and he has come back stronger and more sure of himself. I was so worried, but it's been the best decision ever.

 

[Polos]

I had a full ACL rupture, meniscus tear and tibial spine fracture that required 2 surgeries to fix. I didn't ride for 2.5 years. Like you it came at a really frustrating time as we had just stepped up to 1.30m tracks so it was quite frustrating. I turned her away for a year which was great for her as she had never had the opportunity to be a horse (I imported her from Holland as a young horse and all she had done is compete), it also made her enjoy turnout (she used to hate it and would have an absolute melt down if it rained) but now shes decided she loves it come rain or shine which I much prefer.

After a year in the field I had a friend jump her for a bit and take her to some shows and I also had a couple of professionals ride her. Her way of going has changed so much from having different people ride her to the point all the buttons have changed and I am having to sort of learn to re ride her in a way. She has always been sharp and sensitive but she is an awful lot tricker now so its been a process of trial and error. Some days I can't even canter 10m circles without her planting and rearing for 10 mins, other days circles are fine but straight lines are not ok, other days straight lines are fine but transitions are out of the question, some days I can't even walk in the arena without fly bucking across it. She's had the full MOT and everything is fine but she is just an awful lot tricker than she used to be. So just something to bear in mind if you have other people ride and horse is sensitive!

So if I was to do it again I would just turn away for the entire time I was off riding!

 

[Hack4fun]

Your horse will be fine. he won't go rusty. He won't break down. If you loan him there is a risk of him developing bad habit. He won't forget things. Take it one day at a time and so long as he is cared for he will thrive.

 

[lme]

No experience of turning away but I can comment on riding after a hip resurfacing. I had one a few years ago (just a resurfacing - no need to have my pelvis realigned) and don’t have an issue riding big moving horses. I have a really good range of movement in the resurfaced hip (way better than in the other one).

The resurfacing operation itself was fine - I was out of hospital 2 days later, off work 3 weeks and driving within 6 weeks.

 

[thommackintosh]

Agree with those recommending turnout. He'll flourish. And there's always the benefit that he'll learn better manners and grow in confidence from being in a herd.
Re. The hip op - one of my best friends had to have both hips replaced last year after issues that crept up from being hit by a car when she was a teenager. And I'd swear they're in better nick than mine.

 

[tiga71]

I think turning him away in the big field will be a good option with C checking and feeding him everyday. It is hilly, shelter and plenty of grass to keep him happy. There are also the stables available if an emergency and C will bring in for farrier, vet etc.

Izzy had been turned away for a good few years when I got him at 11. It didn't do him any harm. If you saved money by turning him away you could use that money to put him with a professional to bring him back into work when you are ready.

Ax