gutted - advice please?

[digitalangel]

I havent posted on here much about my gelding who i am bringing back into work after a hind fetlock injury in January - he had a bone chip, which the vet wasnt too bothered about and didnt want to inject with HA/etc but his leg was huge...

Anyway we started back in ridden walk a month ago, and trot around 2 weeks ago and to be honest its been awful. Hes just not the same horse anymore. He took to box rest really well and was an absoloute gentleman, but ridden hes become very scared of noises - a noise behind him will really scare him and he will lurch forwards. Also any kind of pressure to work properly instead of just slobbing around the school makes him just explode. Ive had a new saddle fitted to him, dentist, chiro and his eyes checked and hes fine. Hes sound as well, just not moving like he used to. Maybe if he was more in front of my leg he would go a bit better but i cant get him there as he just goes up and/or explodes very sharply.

Ive had other riders on him too one a professional, and he reacts exactly the same with them.

Hes currently still on box rest and fine with it, and ive also added in a magnesium calmer.

Leg wise, his leg looks about 80% better but does not match the other one.

Hes a one in a million horse, but i just dont know what to do anymore. hes become incredibly difficult to ride, i dont think hes comfortable, and all his sparkle and presence has gone.

Vet is coming to see him again this week as he is due to start canter work. i will tell him my concerns, but i dont think he will take them seriously.

Advice from anyone whos been here? Tea and bikkits to those who got to the end.

 

[FrankieBoy]

Hi, Im really sorry to hear you and your boy are having such a hard time. How long has the vet said he must stay on box rest for? I havent been in this situation myself and almost certainly dont have the answers for you, But i just wanted to say i really hoe things start to improve. Do you think Once he is turned out again his attitude to ridden work may change? Or is he just trying to tell you that something still isnt right? And, could it be worth having a different vet out to see him for a second opinion, one that perhaps might take your concerns a bit more seriously?
I hope things work out for you.

 

[digitalangel]

thank you so much for replying!

Another vets advice might be an idea, though i think it might be difficult, because the vet is a friend of the YO and i dont want to upset anyone :^(

Ive never had to bring a horse back into work after such a long time off so i dont know if this behaviour is 'normal' or not. I only know that its not normal for him. Perhaps i am expecting too much or perhaps he is trying to tell me something, its so hard to know.

Im hoping the vet will say he can be turned out when he starts canter work, but i dont know. Hes never seemed to be that bothered about turnout anyway so im not sure if it will make any difference.

What bothers me is that theres still swelling in the leg ( vet says its 'expected' ) and every time he explodes, hes putting that leg under a lot of pressure and im very worried he will hurt himself again.

:^(

 

[bexandspooky]

Do you think he is in pain with his leg? Some horses have a tougher attitude than others and may not show it in lameness.

Could it be that he is frustrated with not being turned out, and is venting that frustration when ridden? Perhaps you could discuss with your vet and see if there is an option for him to have restricted turn out just to keep his head in order?

 

[FrankieBoy]

A second opinion is always valuble, There have been more times than i can think of in which i have called out a second, or even a third vet to look at one of more of my horses! Do you think if you explained to your YO that you just wanted a second opinion, she would understand? After all, You cannot be tied down to one vet the whole time

Does the swelling in his leg go down after excersise, Or is it worse after he has been ridden? ...Or is there no difference?

 

[brighteyes]

A horrible situation as he's unable to indicate exactly what it is he's so greatly bothered about. The main factor I can see which has changed is his new saddle. Are you 100% sure it's fine? Also, is his pain remembered or fresh elsewhere do you think? Is he now definitely sound in the paces you are asking for? Have you tried long-reining him or is he not the sort of horse you would try it with?

Sorry so many questions but does anything in what I have asked switch on any lights?

A mare of ours had major back problems which we thought we had sorted but on bringing her back into work we were most disheartened to experience the same awful explosions

With no other options, we rode her through a few more attempts to aviod the 'expected' pain and she has since improved beyond her previous level under saddle. Remembered pain is a real phenomenon, especially with horses, who only survive because of their excellent memory for negative things.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I wonder if he has become almost agrophobic from being in his box all the time. If he is on a very quiet yard it might be that he has become used to the peace and quiet and is genuinely nervous of loud noises.
Hope he improves soon.
Incidentally my legs are 2 completely different shapes as I damaged a muscle on one and broke the other and they have both healed with swelling, which on the one I broke 2 years ago is still going down.

 

[digitalangel]

Well hes normally a complete wimp when it comes to pain, so i would expect him to show lameness. Ive gone through todays video frame-by-frame and he looks sound. But not moving as he should. Riding him hes so behind the leg its uncanny, which isnt him at all. I would expect if it was frustration, then he would show it on box rest? Hes so chilled you wouldnt know he was on box rest since January. Also he doesnt explode in walk at all - only trot.
I also gave him a bute today but it made no difference in his way of going or his 'explodyness'.

I will speak to my vet about turnout as i think he couldnt do anything worse in the field than he is doing in the menage anyway.

There is more than 1 vet at the practice, so i guess it is worth discussing with my vet to see if they want to bring down another vet? Not sure how it works but i dont want to step on other peoples toes!

His leg is bandaged at night. In the morning, it looks around 90% normal. Throughout the day, it swells ( he has magnet chaps on ) So looks around 80% normal. On exercise it either stays the same of the swelling decreases a little.

 

[diggerbez]

could it be that he's behind the leg and not feeling nice to ride because you've got to the point where you don't want to put your leg on for fear of an explosion? i only say that because when i get on my youngster he initally feels very tense and behind the leg and tense in the back and not going anywhere and once i've been able to get leg on a little bit his stride starts to swing and he goes much more forward and in front of my leg... but obviously its hard to say without seeing your horse- i'd definitely second the getting 2nd opinion from vet first as obviously want to eliminate pain before working on getting him working better....

 

[digitalangel]

thanks brighteyes! these are all good things to think about so thank you for briging them up. Yes im sure saddle fits, it was fitted by a master saddler last week, and overall his striding out better than in his old saddle.

Im sure hes sound, but hes not comfortable, if you get what i mean - he used to have smooth free flowing paces, but now he looks all stilted and just.. wrong looking. I went through the video and when he explodes, his bad leg isnt on the ground. So far 2 things make him explode - one is loud noises behind him, the other is if i put my leg on and ask for more forwardness in trot. He just loses it, poor boy.

I have been told to just 'ride him through it ' and hes just 'being sharp' but its been 2 weeks now and nothing i seem to do makes *any* difference at all. I also cant think about anything that he would remember because this came up when he was ill with a sheath infection, its only when his legs filled and 3 went down and the other didnt that we realised something was wrong. He never went lame when ridden.

Right now im crying myself to sleep about it most nights. He is all i think about. Ive spent nearly £1500 which is supposed to be on my wedding on saddles, chiros, dentists, professional riders, potions, pills, supplements, vets, you name it. Im also horrible to be around at the moment, and i wonder why OH would want to even marry me anyway! Poor man.

 

[FrankieBoy]

If it decreases after excersise, Perhaps speak to your vet about turning him out for a bit. Maybe a gentle plod round the field every now and then may help the swelling. But will he be a numpty and roar around, therefore setting himself back three months?
I wish i had the answers for you!
Best of luck, and keep us updated.

 

[digitalangel]

sorry for ranting!! just reread what i wrote and am embarassed now!

I guess the first thing is that a 2nd opinion i think is called for

Bez, i know what you mean, and i do fear it a bit, as its very out of the blue and sharp, but i wear my BP and not bothered about falling off ( already have a few times, dearie me!) and once hes exploded and we are over the other side of the menage and facing the opposite direction, i make him go straight away, like nothing ever happened.

Sometimes he will just ignore my leg. Either he feigns complete ignorance, or explodes, but he will not work in front of my leg or come up in front at all.

 

[diggerbez]

its wierd and i feel really sorry for you

i would advise vets route and if gets all clear possibly send him to a pro for a week or two- it might be that he needs pushing through his issues and this is something you might not want to do through fear of hurting him.... i really do hope that you get things sorted...horses are crap when they make you feel like this

 

[pottamus]

My lad was off work for 8 months in 2007 because I damaged my back and could not ride...whilst he was turned out 24/7 in the field, when I did start riding him again he was spooky as hell and had to re-learn and get used to lots again...he was very on his toes for a few weeks and worried by things that never previously bothered him. He was generally very good to ride and safe but certainly had taken a step backwards in his general hacking confidence.

 

[MrsMozart]

Hugs to you hunny.

I hate to be a pain (but I can't help it

), but get another saddler out to check his saddle. I had three Master Saddlers out to fit my last mare; they all said the saddle fitted, but mare said otherwise. Had a fourth saddler out, a change of saddles, and mare was a happy bunny again.

What happens if you lunge him first?

Can you make a small pen so's he can go out and get a change of scenary?

As to the noise issue, try leaving a radio on low wherever he is, and raising the volume over time. Also, classical music is quite good for de-sensitizing horses (and dogs).

How about leading him out in-hand? Long-reining?

Sorry if I've repeated anything already posted, not had time to read them all

.

 

[xena_wales]

My youngster had a bone chip in his fetlock, so I feel your worry there, but he's not ridden yet. With my lad, I had him re-xrayed 6 weeks, 3 months, and about a year after the chip, and the xray showed that it had healed. Have you had yours re-xrayed to set your mind at rest about the chip?

 

[Caritas]

Hi there,
I havent managed to go through all the replys to your thred, I do however feel that if your horse is now given the all clear and you are happy that he is not in pain then it sounds as though he has a lot of pent up energy. He is behind your leg in work or exploding, what you really need to be able to do is push him forward and get it out of his system or put him on the lunge to leap about and then get on him but with his accident obviously this is not viable. I do however feel that this will only be a time issue and once he is doing more work and not so "switched off" that he will getr back to his normal self. My horse has recently been off work for 6 weeks and was an angel when I got back on him, I ride him daily and he can still bronc around the arena out of freshness at times but I think when they are unfit and have been stabled its a whole different ball game, do keep your chin up and dont fear the worse, good luck!!

 

[gothdolly]

I am really sorry that you are feeling so bad. I do know what its like when you only think of your horse and the negative things that are going on with your horse. I also know how it can damage your marriage ...... (((HUGS)))) I dont have any advice but hope things will get better

 

[digitalangel]

thank you everyone for your replies. In a way it helps to be able to talk to people about this - ive really had nobody to talk to so thank you everyone.

As Kaismom says, lungeing isnt an option. I shall discuss turnout with the vet, and i also want him double-checked for soundness.

The saddler is due out to recheck in a month, and if there is still no change then ill get another saddler out. Thing is, he still did this in his old saddle so not sure if the saddle could be the problem or not.

Its so hard because i love him so much and this kind of behaviour is really not him. Perhaps i am not being patient enough though, but i do worry about the chance of reinjury if he keeps up with this behaviour.

I guess its a damned if you do, damned if you dont thing :/

Hopefully tonight ill sort out the video on the camera today and put it up online. If anyone would like to see what he does and think they can help, please PM me for the link.

xxx