Having to face facts...heartbreaking decision.

Cazza525

Cazza525

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I have been trying to keep my mare sound for too long now. Spent a fortune on shoeing, vet callouts but i have to face facts. My darling mare is now lame behind. She has been stumbling and tripping since i brought her back into work in January. I havent been able to put my finger on it but shes never felt quite 'right'. Everything has been checked, ive literally spent a fortune. 8 months of boxrest last year for a splint fracture and granulosa theca cell removal. I've asked nothing from her apart from a pootle in walk, once up on the moor ( walk only).

Vet is coming tomorrow to see her and i want some answers....honestly. I know now that probably arthritis has set in, she's 21. She is stabled at night but kept nice and warm and is on a joint supplement. I literally feel like ive exhausted myself in trying to get her sound enough to enjoy a happy hacking life....but to no avail!

I am hoping that she can retire gracefully as long as she is in no discomfort with any 'chronic' problem. I have already left a message with a retirement home in exeter which is half an hour away from me where she could live out 24/7 with company.

Just feeling very despondant this evening. And to top it all, she is having her beautiful tail chewed i think in the day whilst she is in the paddock. Unless for some reason it is falling out!

:confused:
 
If it is arthritis, living out may help. My old girl has arthritis and has done tendons / ligaments in all 4 legs. She retired to the field at 22 as she was no longer sound to ride and is still happily retired 10 years later (on varying amounts of bute depending on the season). She is pretty creaky these days but the daft old bat still tries to canter down the hill.
 
It could well be navicular. :( if it is, i will go by vets advice. Either way, she will retire anyway. If she is going to decline, i will pts. I promised mum i would look after her ( mum passed away 25th july last year). This mare was her beloved homebred pet and i promised i'd look after her. And that i will do!
 
I agree that 24/7 turnout will be the best for her, hence why i'm looking into retirement livery. When mum passed away the farm was sold. My OH and i plan to buy somewhere with a bit of land in 2/3 years time, but that doesn't help this current situation. The yard where i keep her up the road insist on being in at night from 1st november till the 1st of may overnight, with daily turnout. Longterm, this will no longer be suitable.
 
Hopefully cptrayes or Oberon will be along at some point to comment but let us know how you get on. May be worth opening a fresh thread in vetinary section as you will hopefully get some ideas or suggestions in there.
 
My boy has arthritis in his coffin joints and navicular - the vet recommended a supplement called asu 6000 by equine america - apparently *gasp* there has actually been some research done about the active ingredients (albeit in humans). I havent tried it yet as it is on order but might be worth a go. Good luck!
 
I've started using ASU600 on my horse who has ringbone. As mentioned, clinical tests have shown that ASU - Avocado Soy Unsaponified - has shown positive results. Early results from a study on horses given green lipped mussels extract is also showing positive results.

If you have plently of time and broadband, suggest you look at the following website:
www.thehorse.com

You do have to register (free) to access most of the content, but its in a different league to anything in UK publications.
 
Please, please consider taking the shoes off and doing a barefoot rehab. What have you got to lose?

What is your horse's diagnosis?

Could you post some photos of her hooves?

Look at Rockley Farm, they have an excellent success rate with navicular horses. http://rockleyfarm.co.uk/ Some of the horses on there are owned by HHO members.

My own horse was nearly PTS with tendon issues. I thought that her hooves were an issue but three Vets dismissed the hooves as the cause/a problem and one even said that I should give the Farrier another chance to rebalance her hooves. Vet four thought that the hooves were the cause of all her issues, and after changing farriers, the shoes came off at his recommendation and they've not needed to go back on since. Tendon is fine now and the horse is sound and capable of all the riding I desire.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say with all that ramble, is that Vets are not trained to the level I expected RE hooves and how you can improve soundness without shoes. So no, I would not blindly follow a Vet's advice. Infact I am still cross with myself that I listened to the experts (three Vets and one farrier) when I was thinking that something was wrong.
 
Faracat said:
Please, please consider taking the shoes off and doing a barefoot rehab. What have you got to lose?

What is your horse's diagnosis?

Could you post some photos of her hooves?

Look at Rockley Farm, they have an excellent success rate with navicular horses. http://rockleyfarm.co.uk/ Some of the horses on there are owned by HHO members.

My own horse was nearly PTS with tendon issues. I thought that her hooves were an issue but three Vets dismissed the hooves as the cause/a problem and one even said that I should give the Farrier another chance to rebalance her hooves. Vet four thought that the hooves were the cause of all her issues, and after changing farriers, the shoes came off at his recommendation and they've not needed to go back on since. Tendon is fine now and the horse is sound and capable of all the riding I desire.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say with all that ramble, is that Vets are not trained to the level I expected RE hooves and how you can improve soundness without shoes. So no, I would not blindly follow a Vet's advice. Infact I am still cross with myself that I listened to the experts (three Vets and one farrier) when I was thinking that something was wrong.
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Am not throwing any more money at rehabilitation for her. She is old. Barefoot rehab at 21? Shes not a high powered competition horse, she is a much loved pampered homebred, barely scraping 15hh and spent more time mooching in a field than ever been ridden!

I have spoken to Nat at Monshall retirement livery in exeter, 25 minutes up the road. She has quoted very reasonably and i'm going to visit on the 1st may. Shoes off, spend the remainder of her days mooching around with friends in 32 acre fields...what a life! Id dearly love to keep her where she is, but being in overnight is just stiffening her more.

Hard decision, but vet this afternoon and i'll discuss with him :)
 
Cazza525 said:
Am not throwing any more money at rehabilitation for her. She is old. Barefoot rehab at 21? Shes not a high powered competition horse, she is a much loved pampered homebred, barely scraping 15hh and spent more time mooching in a field than ever been ridden!

I have spoken to Nat at Monshall retirement livery in exeter, 25 minutes up the road. She has quoted very reasonably and i'm going to visit on the 1st may. Shoes off, spend the remainder of her days mooching around with friends in 32 acre fields...what a life! Id dearly love to keep her where she is, but being in overnight is just stiffening her more.

Hard decision, but vet this afternoon and i'll discuss with him :)
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Good luck with vet and decision making, I think you are right to consider a retirement livery, what a difficult position for you to be in and how good to honor your Mum's wishes. Let us know how the vets visit goes, thinking of you.
 
If your mare is lame behind then I would do exactly what you are doing. If she is only lame in front, or "off" behind because of being unable to get her front feet out of the way, then yes, even at her age, I would get those bar shoes off (which many vets and farriers now say cause problems and should be used short term only, if then) and work her gently without shoes on (with boots if necessary) and see what happens. Field rest will often not bring a navicular horse sound even shoeless, the condition needs work to make the feet rebuild.

The retirement place sounds lovely and hopefully you can also afford to buy yourself a younger horse to ride.
 
Cazza525 said:
Am not throwing any more money at rehabilitation for her. She is old. Barefoot rehab at 21? Shes not a high powered competition horse, she is a much loved pampered homebred, barely scraping 15hh and spent more time mooching in a field than ever been ridden!

I have spoken to Nat at Monshall retirement livery in exeter, 25 minutes up the road. She has quoted very reasonably and i'm going to visit on the 1st may. Shoes off, spend the remainder of her days mooching around with friends in 32 acre fields...what a life! Id dearly love to keep her where she is, but being in overnight is just stiffening her more.

Hard decision, but vet this afternoon and i'll discuss with him :)
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I think that you have misunderstood. I'm not suggesting that you spend lots of money. My horse was kept out 24/7. The shoes came off, her diet was changed to a molasses free one and she was walked out in-hand, progressing to ridden hacks. Not expensive or that time consuming but wow, what a difference it made to her.

The Rockley blog is a very interesting read for every horse owner of shod/unshod horses.
 
Faracat said:
I think that you have misunderstood. I'm not suggesting that you spend lots of money. My horse was kept out 24/7. The shoes came off, her diet was changed to a molasses free one and she was walked out in-hand, progressing to ridden hacks. Not expensive or that time consuming but wow, what a difference it made to her.

The Rockley blog is a very interesting read for every horse owner of shod/unshod horses.
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Where she is kept only off 24/7 turnout in the summer, which is fine but come winter she is in overnight from 1st november till 1st may, which she doesnt mind but does not help the older stiffer horse. I really think 24/7 turnout all year will help her joints, but unfortunately nowhere livery wise offers that close to home. That is why, longterm im looking at retirement livery. Tbh, my girl couldnt give 2 hoots whether shes ever ridden anyway! Pampered pet......
 
Cazza525 said:
It could well be navicular. :( if it is, i will go by vets advice. Either way, she will retire anyway. If she is going to decline, i will pts. I promised mum i would look after her ( mum passed away 25th july last year). This mare was her beloved homebred pet and i promised i'd look after her. And that i will do!
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Bless you, I will keep you and your mare in my thoughts, am sure she will enjoy retirement livery x
 
Dont be sad if you have to put her in retirement livery - it sounds ideal and she is a very lucky lady to have such a good mum .... you can go and visit her as it is soo close too - best of both worlds - take a book and spend an afternoon with her occasionally (while she ignores you and grazes with her new friends).....

My mare is retired (retired at 12 - 6 years ago) and lives a life of luxury ... she is none the worse for not being ridden as she mooches round my field with my gelding .. if I didnt have the facilities to offer her 24/7 turnout I would be doing exactly the same and looking at retirement livery.

Edited to say ... if you are advised pts at any point dont beat yourself up for doing what is right for her and letting her go
 
Ok, vet been out. He has looked her over fully, mammoth trot up sessions! His prognosis is, without xrays, she probably has several oldie issues going on. Mild arthritis, possible mild navicular, dropped heel on left fore ( from weightbearing so much on it last year). All of this sounds sensible. He does however think that she is systemically well and far from pts case.

He has suggested this:-

1 bute twice a day for five days followed by one bute a day for a further five days. I must ride her daily whilst on bute only on the roads for short hacks. Hopefully an improvement will occur, less tripping and feeling sounder ( i must stress she is only slightly 'off').
I must report back to him after ten days. If i then feel shes sounder and happier then he will prescribe me bute at a low dose daily until i feel it no longer is working.
He agrees that if i see no difference then retire it is.
He also says to keep her shoes on to do this bute trial.
It is purely my decision to continue her on bute for riding purposes after this ten day trial. I'm not entirely happy to keep her longterm on bute for my enjoyment of riding purpose, especially as this mare is quite happy not to be ridden anyway!

At least shes not in any pain.:)
 
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