Fairytale Endings....

[Bounty]

Has anyone got (or had) a horse that has defied veterinary science and returned to soundness/work despite being given a bleak prognosis?

Seeing as it is a bit doom'n'gloom in here I thought it would be good if people posted some inspiring stories instead, for a change!

(And yes, I am sat here waiting for 'the phonecall' from the vet to see what Boo's scan revealed, so I am trying to occupy myself!

)

 

[CracklinRosie]

I was giving a poor prognosis on my mare almost 2 years ago. She was out on loan, as I was out of the country and then pregnant, when she had a bit of an accident. The loanee was out riding her and let her put her head down for some grass. She spooked at something and jerked her neck. Girl got off and walked her about but horse wouldn't let her get back on, kept spinning round in circles. Walked her home and called me. Turns out that she's done this spinning round thing a few times before with her. Called out my chiro, who was quite surprised to see the mare. Says he hadn't seen her for over a year, despite strict instructions that she's to be seen every 3 months. He examines horse and says the poor thing is in awful pain and has been for some time, she couldn't even get her head down to eat!!!! No muscles along her back at all and massive strain on her sacroiliac and hamstrings. Anyway he does his thing and says box rest for 4 weeks and then we'll take it from there. After 4 weeks he came back and examined her again, this time he says at the age of 18 her riding days are over!!!! Cue tears from me.
Don't want to give up on the mare so change her feeding, put her on Baileys No 4 and Safe and Sound and also give her 6 months off.

Tried walking her in hand but that was a disaster, she nearly killed a few people. After the six months were up we had the chiro back again and he was stunned with her improvement and gave the go ahead for light riding.

That was a year past August and she's never looked back. She has a new lease of life and is keener than ever. The chiro remarks on her every time he's in the yard, think he feels bad(and good at the same time) for getting it wrong. She has her check ups every 3 months and is always good.

Needless to say the girl who I loaned her to is no longer invloved with the horse!

Sorry for the essay but you did say you were trying to kill time!!!

 

[saz5083]

My welsh D was kicked in the field when he was 9 and fractured the lower point of his hip. The impact caused slight rotation of his pelvis also. He hobbled around for 4months with a pretty bleak prognosis (vet told me to turn him away in a flat field and to hope he would eventually become field sound). He came sound within 4months, had physio for another 2 to correct damage to his back from him overcompensating for the 'bad' leg and 3months later was out jumping (and winning) open SJ classes again! He's now 18 and out on part loan to a girl who takes him to PC, still comfortably competing up to around 90cm and I jump him up to around 1.1m every now and then and he loves it! He still has a bony lump on his hip where the rotation happened but its just cosmetic and you really have to know its there to see it.

So it can happen, it can take time and it can be heartbreaking but in some cases it can happen!

Good luck with yours, I hope the news is good.

 

[Worried1]

It's a long one but is the ultimate happy ending

Trooper, who is still going strong at 22 in a loan home where he hacks out everyday got kicked in the field when he was 17.

At 17.2hh he was a big boy but the horse that kicked him managed to fracture his femur. He was on three legs and I was hysterical. The vet came out to see him and offered to euthanase him there and then but as he was bright and still wanting to eat they said that if we could get him into the surgery they might be able to look into more options.

His leg was splinted from the stifle down and we loaded him onto the lorry (thank god we had a loading bay). It was the longest journey of my life, my dad drove so slowly so as not to unbalance him.

He was unloaded and taken away - x-rays were difficult because the depth of the bone in relation to muscle tissue so he had an MRI scan which showed massive uptake and ultimately a fracture to the left femur which was not complete.

Femur bones in adult horses rarely break - it more often seen in foals. I remeber reading Veterinary Notes for horses owners where it said femur fractures in adult horses are rare and usually result in euthanasia (or something similar).

The vets said operating was not an option, the fracture would either heal or the leg would shatter spirally and he would have to be PTS. It was unlikely he would ever return back to full-work.

They said they would cross tie him for 4 months and see how he got on. At this point I said "No Way!" I agreed to box rest him but if the leg shattered I wanted him to able to go down and be comfortable not hang himself. The vet said that was my decision and I knew where they were if I needed them to put him down.

He remained at the vets for two weeks, in that time her suffered horrific swelling as a result of his body's reaction to the break. Under his belly was a swelling the size of a rugby ball. He his legs swelled to the point there was no defintion from the hock or knees down. His sheath was so swollen it hung down like a pair of udders.

He barely moved and was so dpressed that at this point I actually questioned what I was doing and had a long chat with the vet and said I think enough is enough. We agreed that the fact he was eating and drinking was a really good sign and if that changed then we would make a final decision.

After two weeks the vets were confident that he could be moved to home where he came back to spend 4 months on box rest.

It was the best feeling in the world as he limped off the ramp and into his stable where he remained incarcerated for four months. I hand picked grass everyday, twice a day for him, I spent ages massaging his legs and muslces to stimulate blood supply. I groomed him as if he was still in work, kept him trimmed and tidied so he still felt important and generally spoilt him rotten. I spent a fortune on homeopathy, herbs and supplements and don't regret a penny of it.

After 4 months he was allowed to begin spending short periods of time in a pen to graze, he was heavily sedated and over the course of two weeks the sedation was reduced and his pen got larger until we able to go out in small paddock overnight with a pony.

The vets kept popping back and checking on him and after 4 weeks of turnout on advice of my vet I was able to start ridden work and spent 4 weeks hacking to build up muscles and strengthen and condition his legs.

After 4 weeks they said introduce trot uphills which I did and 3 weeks of trotting they said slow canters uphill on the gallops. 3 months after being ridden again the vets said I could introduce light schooling and build up from there. After another 2 months of schooling he was was back to where he had been prior to the accident.

At this point my vets said a healed bone is as strong if not stronger than healthy bone - go away forget what happened and enjoy him.

He returned to eventing in the spring and I had another 2 full years of comeptitions with him until we retired him - ironically not due to his legs but arthritis in his neck and spine.

He has been out on loan to the same lady for 4 years now. He is sound, fit, happy and medication free.

 

[Bounty]

What fantastic stories!

I feel all inspired and mushy now

I've still not heard from the vet, she was under the scanner for 4 hours yesterday and they took images from every angle possible so I guess thats a lot of stuff to wade through and interpret this morning

I'm hoping me and Boo can give our own fairytale a fair go too

 

[CrazyMare]

Hugs to you M, I hope its good news when they call. You know where I am anyway.

No fairytale stories from me, but my instructor had a pony that has been booked in to be PTS on two seperate occssions and is still here to tell the tale, team chasing and eventing with a bit of sidesaddle thrown in.

He damaged his knee out hunting, came sound, then a deep seated infection of the knee joint capsule from the injury burst out after he knocked his knee on a gate. Instructor couldn't afford to operate again, so gave him ABs and nothing changed, so he was to be PTS, god knows how, but he came in from the field SOUND! So away the vet went again with instructions to walk him in hand and see what happens.

Instructor goes to the yard to find him on the floor with a huge colic, into the vets he goes. Twisted gut diagnosed. Can't afford to operate due to knee....Other options tried and still no improvement. Nurses with him and he seems bright but occasionally trying to get down. Senior partner came out to see him....had a feel inside......twist GONE!! They were about to PTS when the senior partner came out to see if he had any last suggestions.

One lucky lucky pony!!

 

[fatpiggy]

I bought my mare (first horse) in 1995. By 1996 I was told that her seizures were probably caused by a brain tumour and there was no treatment available to control the seizures anyway. Well she was alive and kicking when I turned her out this morning!! She started her drug regime in 1998 thanks to Derek Knottenbelt (my hero!) and has led a completely normal life throughout, even if she does rattle with the number of tablets she has to take. We competed, galloped, jumped, hacked out just like any other horse would do. Now she is retired with arthritis but still potters about contentedly and showed her face in the veteran class at a local show this season. Back in 1994 she did a tendon and the vet tried to talk me into having her put down again then, but even he says now she just isn't ready to go anywhere just yet.

 

[Worried1]

Hope it's good news for you!

 

[HollyP]

I love these stories! Bounty what an awesome idea! people post more!

 

[buzzles]

My mare shattered her hock in the field last summer, fracturing the little bones in the hock

. The vets at the hospital had never seen these bones broken before, she must have wrenched her leg back and the bigger bones acted in a nutcracker action, cracking the smaller ones. They weren't sure how it would heal, remarkably she didn't damage the tendons or ligaments so they put her in a Robert Jones and splint from stifle to hoof and 4 months box rest. And to make matters more difficult she had a 6 week old colt at foot! Anyway after 4 months, gradually reducing the bandage, she was given the all clear to go out in the field. The joint was now stable enough for her to move on but the vets said she would never be ridden again and would have to be retired as a broodmare .

She was perfectly sound all winter in the field, galloping, bucking, rolling and the swelling in her hock went down. When the spring came I started hacking her to keep the weight off her and then gentle schooling, she was sound on the hock but very crooked. My osteo saw her and said she had major muscle damage from the initial accident and then the subsequent box rest. So he worked on her and gave me exercises to do with her.

She is now back to more demanding schooling and I've started jumping her. Ok they're only small, nothing bigger than 85cm but bearing in mind she hadn't jumped since July 2005, as she had 2 foals (lost the first

) and then the accident so she's very rusty. However she is delighted to be back jumping and is up to her usual antics. I emailed the vets and they asked me to bring her in for another xray to see what's going on in the joint. What's happened is that the small bones have all fused together to form one block on bone which is stabilising the joint. So far there is no sign of any arthiritis in the joint so they said as long as she's happy and sound to keep working her. They were so surprised and amazed at how well and sound she is, you can't even tell which hock it is! Obviously I watch the surface I jump on and I don't know if she'll go xc or event again but for the moment I'm enjoying having her back and every outing is a bonus after she was written off last year. The hospital that treated her is a teaching one so she's being used as a case study. She's defying the bleak prognosis they gave her and even they admitted they're glad to be wrong

.

Hope it's not bad news for your horse and even if it is, well never say never!! They can surprise us and I knew my mare wasn't ready to be retired as a broodmare just yet!!

 

[Eaglestone]

What a lovely post

I have had a fairytale ending to my boy's grim prognosis

In December 2005 the Vet gave me a pet talk and his view was to have Motor PTS, following Cushings induced Laminitis and having 10 degrees of Pedal bone rotation after his initial attack in the October

.... I recall being on the phone to the Vet on Xmas Eve so very upset and distraught as he was so bad

Happily 3 years on and he is doing well and I can ride him out and he is full of beans and apart from me being paranoid about not doing too much with him .... he is fine

in himself

As you will see from my worried posts at times, it is me that is bothered about his restricted life style rather than him

The Farrier was only saying yesterday that he uses Motor's case as a success story, which is really enlightening and heart warming

and I also know that the Vet is still amazed that we got him to where he is today

It was VERY hard work on my part and with the support of a good knowledgeable Vet and Farrier I still have my beloved boy with me to cuddle, ride and look after ... long may it continue

I feel even saying this, that I should be hugging the biggest tree I can find ........

I hope this helps others who may find themselves in the same situation as me, as I know, like others on here (Brighteyes and EllieP in particular) that if you are determined enough and the horse is a fighter then there is light at the end of the tunnel

I had a lot of support from so many HHO lovely people, so thanks to all of you

Bounty I hope you get the news you want and a happy ending too

x

 

[Bounty]

It is really heartwarming to see so many horses coming out on top, and the dedication and just pure belief that some of you lot have shown is impressive.

Well done guys!

 

[TPO]

I got my ex-racer mare home in July 07. She had 6wks settling into her new way of life and getting used to me.

When I tried to start her I was sure she was lame but no one believed me (typical OTT worried owner

). Finally the vet agreed with me as her off fore pastern was swollen; he diagnosed high ringbone and that I'd have to consider my options... She was 5 stage vetted before I bought her.

Vet came back to x -ray and they were clear so she was booked into the Vet hosp for an emergency scan/investigation.

The day before she was due to go in the lump burst. It was an abscess all along; this was Sep 07.

She's been lame more or less all the time from them on with only short periods of soundness. She abscessed another couple of times through her pastern.

On her 7th birthday the vet finally admitted defeat and she got more x-rays with no conclusion.

Off to the vet hospital for a full investigation. Again, nothing on x-ray, sound after flexion tests and only a "pocket" showing on the ultra sound. They tried to draw fluid out of the pocket with little success and it was looking like a cancer

I was totally devastated as she's my horse of a lifetime, I love the bones of her.

The vet hosp still couldn't diagnose anything so decided to do investigative surgery. I was a nervous wreck.

They opened up her pastern and found....a few tiny specks of grit. It had been a foreign object all along that was too small to be picked up on x-ray. She came round from GA fine.

It was a bit of a long slog with box rest, changing dressings and walking out etc but she is now 100% sound. The operating vet said she'll not go to Badminton but nothing to stop her eventing - we'll show him

I'm glad to see the end of 2008 (had the worse horsey year ever

) and hoping that 2009 with me my year with The Precious One

I hope you get some good news about your mare and that the x-rays give you some light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[brighteyes]

We lent our first pony to some people who had inadvertently had their ponies exposed to strangles. Our old lady got a non abscessing manifestation (though our youngest pony did abscess) and recovered well enough from that but she got a secondary infection in her guttural pouch which solidified. My vet diagnosed her to have a very difficult to shift impaction in there and we hauled her off to Leahurst with a £3000 limit on treatment but expecting to leave her there and not bring her home. To everyone's amazement, in the admittance examination the guttural pouch was found to be empty - all but for one tiny lump of pus, although the evidence of a nasty infection was plain to see. Nobody expected her to have cleared the mass of chondroids herself as it is pretty much unheard of. In her case it was completely miraculous as the attending vet at Leahurst diagnosed Cushing's and that syndrome includes reduced immunity and poor ability to fight infection - let alone resolve major ones!

So, little Polly lived to fight another day.

She has battled on and off with Cushing's induced laminitis (now we know why she kept getting it in spite of heroic efforts to keep her fir and slim) and a minor bout of spasmodic colic but wasn't going to stand quietly in the stable for the vet to cast an eye over her yesterday. The door was open and she spun round quick as a flash and galloped past him!

I will miss her when she goes and it can't be too long away - she has been on borrowed time for years!

Good luck with the results. Waiting is horrible

 

[Eaglestone]

Brighteyes .... why did your post reduce me to tears

... somehow I think it is this feeling that I 'know' her personally

It is strange the link with Strangles, as Motor was exposed to it 17 years ago at Christmas and now this makes me wonder about any links

<< hugs to you and Polly >>