Horse diagnosed with arthritis 5 weeks after passing 5 stage vetting

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Blueysmum

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Bought our girl 5 weeks ago. She has just turned 17 but passed a 5 stage vetting with flying colours apparently.

2 weeks ago she came in from the field lame on her back leg.

We’ve had the vet out and did field rest and bute for 2 weeks. He came back Monday and said he thinks she has arthritis in her back hocks. She’s being x rayed next week and possibly injected.

Where do we stand through? we’ve babied her the 3 weeks we were riding as we didn’t want to push her too fast.

I knew it was a risk buying an older horse but her passing the vetting I thought would give us a few years. I’m so upset.
 
You could get the bloods tested to see if the horse was on painkillers for the vetting?
Tbh though, I would expect to have to do some maintenance on a 17yr old, and hock arthritis is pretty common and usually able to be well managed
 
When you say she was "apparently" vetted was she actually vetted with you in mind as the prospective purchaser, or for another potential buyer? Because fit for what one person wants may not be for another - but at least hock arthritis is relatively easy to manage, unless it's symptomatic of another issue elsewhere, but in an otherwise healthy 17yo that doesn't seem that likely.
 
FieldOrnaments said:
When you say she was "apparently" vetted was she actually vetted with you in mind as the prospective purchaser, or for another potential buyer? Because fit for what one person wants may not be for another - but at least hock arthritis is relatively easy to manage, unless it's symptomatic of another issue elsewhere, but in an otherwise healthy 17yo that doesn't seem that likely.
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I hadn't noticed the apparently bit...
 
I think to be fair to all involved with this horse, it's important to note from your previous thread that she came to you with a known hind limb deformity (noted on her vetting report), that you've seen her medical history (no red flags?) you've stated she was a dressage horse, and she's 17.

So a purchase of this type has to be made with the understanding that the wheels could come off very quickly.
 
My horse was stiff in his hocks when I bought him at 16 years old. I have been careful with his work and he is sounder than ever. He hasn't had any treatment, just a gradually increasing workload. He can hack and school and pop a fence. I think that if I looked, his left hind would show something on X ray as he is slow to pick this one up and doesn't like to hold it high for long. If it starts to bother him, I would have him injected. I am avoiding it until it is necessary as he is an EMS/Lami survivor and the injection is a steroid so could kick off a new attack.

I think most oldies would show something. I would follow the plan suggested by the vet. Often horses will have a good deal of time sound after being injected. It isn't prohibitive cost wise either.

I wouldn't be too disheartened. If the horse passed the vetting and was sound then, he may just be jarred up by the hard ground and may return to work. I would have a look at the work too, is it similar to the previous workload? Is it more circles or more hill work? Is the rider heavier? It may be something that the horse can adjust to.

Mine is now 20 and takes some TLC, but he has the benefit of experience and is a champion.
 
Amymay Again said:
I think to be fair to all involved with this horse, it's important to note from your previous thread that she came to you with a known hind limb deformity (noted on her vetting report), that you've seen her medical history (no red flags?) you've stated she was a dressage horse, and she's 17.

So a purchase of this type has to be made with the understanding that the wheels could come off very quickly.
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Ah, I haven't seen / realised that any other post is about this horse. Is this the one with the enormous windgalls? I believe they came in hot, so that could be a reason for lameness. They may well also react to a flexion test, as would hocks.


ETA- I just looked and yes, this is the huge windgall horse. TBH, I replied to the other thread but it seemed to be about windgalls, not a hock, although a hock was mentioned in the title, which was a little confusing when the photos were of windgalls.

What made you think hocks at that stage?
 
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Am I reading correctly that you haven’t x-rayed the hocks yet? So you don’t actually know but the horse does have other hind limb issues ongoing?
 
I have re-read the other thread and still don't get why you thought it was hock rather than windgalls, even before the vet came out? Especially when you asked for advice about a hock on the other thread, but the photos/symptoms were about warm windgalls/fetlock.

Is there previous history with the hock?
 
This is where you save money by taking the horse into horsepital for a proper lameness workup rather than having a first opinion vet coming out on multiple visits doing a bit of this and a bit of that.

My vets much prefer you to bring your lame horse in to their horsepital to be be looked at, assuming the horse is fit to travel, as they have all the diagnostic kit there and they can make a proper assessment which can take hours and multiple nerve blocks, scans and x rays.

The long standing soft tissue swelling/issue needs to be checked out in case it’s flared up.
 
Tiddlypom said:
This is where you save money by taking the horse into horsepital for a proper lameness workup rather than having a first opinion vet coming out on multiple visits doing a bit of this and a bit of that.

My vets much prefer you to bring your lame horse in to their horsepital to be be looked at, assuming the horse is fit to travel, as they have all the diagnostic kit there and they can make a proper assessment which can take hours and multiple nerve blocks, scans and x rays.

The long standing soft tissue swelling/issue needs to be checked out in case it’s flared up.
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This is what I did with my boy. Took him to horsepital, a specialist watched him walk and trot up, lunge, then nerve blocked and after the blocks did x-rays. Came home with three diagnoses (including hock arthritis) and having been treated. He’s now reviewed every year and has an arthramid top up in his hocks.
 
Unfortunately unless you bought from a dealer you have little legal redress as was the case with me.

We didn’t get the bloods tested because I'd undergone 4 months groundwork and had a pro rider who was finding some positivity with how he was riding for her.

Unfortunately that was short lived and he was unable to be a ridden horse. He was 11yrs 5 months at that point and xrays showed KS, hocks, coffin joints, and neck OA. SI issues too. Had back and SI medicated twice within a four month time frame but another professional felt he'd not cope with a life as a ridden RC horse, possibly a future as a 'point and go' hunter as he couldn't tolerate any form of collection/circling in a school scenario but was happy to gallop and leap over hedges and the like. He himself had had problems with him 'playing up' and he napped and planted when asked to do anything involving flexion/collection (quite rightly too as it was the only demonstrative way that he knew to get someone to listen).

I knew right from day one I'd have no backing from my vet against the vet who vetted him, my vet even tried to suggest that the neck arthritis he'd found on xray had been brought on as a result of a 'tie and pull back' accident he had encountered whilst in my care even though xrays were only 11 days post accident and arthritic changes don't appear for weeks/months later. It probably exacerbated existing issues with him which would inevitably reared their head before long but it certainly didn't cause them, they were there at the time of the vetting and were not picked up. He even said the vet that had vetted him was an excellent vet with a great reputation and the conversation stopped there.

Any professional worth their salt should have seriously questioned the horses physical musculature (for a horse in steady work as the seller claimed) and also why it was reactive to palpation in certain areas.

It's all very well saying a vetting is valid on the day of vetting only but I find that a bit of a cop out if I'm being honest.
 
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I do not know the ins and outs of what was found to be wrong and when with Lari, but Birker your own vet is correct that the vet you used for the vetting (after asking for recommendations on here) does have a good reputation.

It was your choice not to get the bloods tested within the 6 months timeframe.

ETA I expect I’m on UI but this is to confirm that the vet Birker used (not a vet that I have used myself) is well regarded.
 
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Sorry to hear your story OP. Its devastating and the disappointment is overwhelming.

Unfortunately unless you bought from a dealer you have little legal redress as was the case with me. Mine was bought 15th Oct 2021 and the first time I rode him was on the 21st Oct due to issues getting a saddler out and that day he was moving incorrectly according to a professional and was struggling to canter. Initially we thought it was weakness due to the way he moved but it became evident it was pain related. I stopped riding a few days later when his behaviour got worse and started groundwork to improve his core strength and build top line.

We didn’t get the bloods tested because I'd undergone 4 months groundwork and after that had a pro rider who was finding some positivity with how he was riding for her. By then the 6 months had gone by to test the blood.

Unfortunately that positivity was short lived and he was unable to be a ridden horse. He was 11yrs 5 months at that point and xrays showed KS, hocks, coffin joints, and neck OA. SI issues too. Had back and SI medicated twice within a four month time frame but another professional felt he'd not cope with a life as a ridden RC horse, possibly a future as a 'point and go' hunter as he couldn't tolerate any form of collection/circling in a school scenario.

I knew right from day one I'd have no backing from my vet against the vet who vetted him, my vet even tried to suggest that the neck arthritis he'd found on xray had been brought on as a result of a 'tie and pull back' accident he had encountered whilst in my care even though xrays were only 11 days post accident and changes don't appear for weeks/months later. It probably exacerbated existing issues but didn't cause them, they wete there at the time of the vetting and wete not picked up. Any professional worth their salt should have seriously questioned the horses physical musculature ( for a horse in steady work as the seller claimed) and also why it was reactive to palpation in certain areas.

It's all very well saying a vetting is valid on the day of vetting only but I find that a bit of a colour if I'm honest.

I tried legal redress but was told by two solicitors (one BHS) that there was nothing I could do and at that point I'd completely bonded and no way was the seller going to have him back as far as i was concerned which I assume may have been the likely outcome.
 
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