Terminator
Member
I think I know the answer but feeling rather alone just now. My 18yo cob has been with me for 7 years and is my first horse and a complete star. However, in the time I have owned him he has been diagnosed and managed for the following: bone spavin in both hocks, sweet itch, mild kissing spine in L14-17, low ringbone in both fronts and surgery on his tendon sheath/annular ligament on left fore. My insurance exemptions eventually dictated that I pay for vet treatment myself as of two years ago and I have since spent over £5k trying to manage these issues/investigate further ones! In the past four years he has only been consistently sound to lightly hack/school for six months. I recently had his coffin joints injected with steroids and HA and he was much improved for two weeks but now is back to tripping in front, rushing and holding tension in his neck when ridden. He is fine in the field (apart from permanent sweet itch rug and grazing muzzle for weight management) but retiring him at my livery yard (and I would not consider sending him elsewhere) would still entail regular medication for arthritis management. I feel it may be time to call it a day but wonder what others might do in this situation.