For those who were crosssing their fingers...

[Sare]

Troy went for x rays today and has arthritis. Looks like this is the end of any competitive stuff or fast work. Gentle hacking here we come. Gutted. He's only 10.

 

[Madam_max]

. Sorry, hun I meant to reply to you at the weekend. I'm so, so sorry.

 

[guisbrogal]

Oh that is so sad Sare.

I hope though that you enjoy your hacking...many of us do

My poor friend is about to find out if her 11yr old can ever be ridden again at all

as he has problems with both coffin joints and ringbone

I hope Troy is better soon and you can start to enjoy being out again in some fashion.
Hugs
Amanda

 

[Weezy]

Oh Sare I do feel for you

However there are many things you CAN do - get him straight on Devils Claw, grab yourself some magnetic therapy boots and pump in the MSM and Glucosimine - mine got arthritis in his hocks in his teens, was still doing L classes with me and then went to a loan home who jumped 1-15 classes and he is STILL going now, in his late 20s happily hacking a 70something year old around LOL!

 

[Sare]

Thanks guys.

Lou, he is going to be on danilon and is having a course of injections to protect the remaining cartilage- i will talk to vet about using msm etc after that. The arthritis is in his front fetlocks, pasterns and coffin bone though so it is unlikely he will be able to do much. Where it is present it has formed as spikes so is quite painful so I don't know if he will do as well as your horse with it- although it is very nice to hear of a positive story. Thank you.

Amanda, I do enjoy hacking- as does he, but I think what we can do out hacking is going to be very restricted and may just be a plod out each time. I am going to wait for the vet to advise further but he didn't sound positive.

 

[SSM]

I am so so sorry, big hug from us.

 

[Parkranger]

I'm so sorry to hear that babe. Try and keep your chin up xxxx

 

[Clodagh]

Really sorry to hear that.

 

[AmyMay]

Sare,

I'm so sorry to hear the news on your boy. AmyMay was diagnosed last year with non-articular ring bone and was very lame for quite some time. However, a year on having been totally turned away she is totally sound. She is not on any medication or suppliments other than vits as she is now in foal.

However, the time off has certainly worked wonders (or seems to have). So please don't give up hope that with careful management and sympathetic exercise there may be some good years left for you to enjoy each other.

 

[guisbrogal]

What a lousy situation to be in.

Can he have Cortaflex? (have wonderful address for it in USA if you need it.....£20 cheaper than UK

)

Hope it works out ok for you.

 

[Niamhy]

OMG Sare, Im soo sorry to her this.

Big hugs to you and troy

xxx

 

[martinka]

Hiya, just to say, I bred my own filly 5 years ago, when she was 18 months old a rig caused her a nasty injury. Basically her sesamoid bones chipped and seized in a way that affected the flextion in her fetlock and even after laser surgery in RVC they told me I would never be able to ride her and she only would be suitable as companion or a brood mare. I was heartbroken, I spend lots of time and money to breed my dream horse and I ended up with a lame, arthritic filly thanks to an idiot careless girl/owner of the rig.
I turned her away on grass and let her be. when she was 4, I discovered magnetic therapy and oils&herbs remedies and I had amazing results! I also introduced her last year to Cortaflex and all I can tell you, there is no stopping that mare now. I use the magnetic therapy on her every day, along with Cortaflex - maintenance amount and in a winter when she cannot get to her herbs, I give her dried herbs and oils. I must say,
I remember the first time I rode her out, I was crying with happiness. She is so good, and loves our rides. I will never be able to compete her due to her old injury but I still have lots of fun hacking her out and this year we have done 2 hours ride in Berkhampsted and she was absolutely fine. In fact it was me aching and wanting to go back, she would happily go on for longer. So now I am taking her for 3 sponsored rides this autumn. Competing is not everything! There is so much more fun to have with your horse!

 

[TheresaW]

My horse was diagnosed with arthritis in his fetlocks and ringbone about 8 months ago. I would say his possibly isn't as advanced as your boys as I was told that the injections will be something to consider in the future. He wears a magnetic band, has glucosamine and cod liver oil in his feeds, and he has been really good all through the summer. Like your horse, he is only 10 years old as well. I have heard that apple cider vinegar is really good for the joints as well, although I haven't tried it myself yet.

 

[meandmyself]

I'm so sorry! Hope you can work something out so he's comfy at least.

 

[Sare]

Martine and Theresa, thank you so much for your stories of hope- lots of things for me to try there. I will speak to the vet about all my options and try everything I can. Martine, you say "competing isn't everything"- don't get me worng- competinmg is not what I'm about at all, I just wanted to do a bit of everything with him. What I'm really gutted about is the prospect of him being semi-retired, as he loves to work, and the thought that with having this so early if it progresses it might result in a reduced life span. He is so alive and happy it breaks my heart to see him lame and in pain. I just hope he can get comfortable and be able to go on enjoying life.

Thanks everyone for your sympathy and support.

 

[LauraBR]

Big hugs xx