chaps89
Well-Known Member
I will try to keep this brief but expect it might be tricky to do so!
I really need some outside perspective as I can't see the wood for the trees anymore.
14.2 7 year old cob mare, owned since April 2014.
June 14 diagnosed high and low ringbone all 4 feet, turned away for 6 weeks to allow it to settle.
Worse on bringing back in, goes to liphook October 2014, big tear/psd in near fore suspensory.
6 months box/paddock rest, then rehab commences. Still not right, back to liphook May 2015 for mri on both front feet, has collateral ligament damage right fore. Options are surgery and box rest, another years straight box rest, or just get on with it and see what happens. Emotionally and financially drained at this point, she is only fractionally lame and enjoying work so we crack on and have a fab summer of dressage, hacking and even some tiny xc practice. She never comes completely sound but based on the fact we know what her issues are and she's happy being out and about were comfortable riding her. (talking 1/10th lame)
November 2015 starts to be off colour/not right, no-one else can see it so I try changes to feed, routine, work, bute trial etc until having vet Jan 2016 and she is diagnosed with liver disease and hepatitis. Cue Jan-March/April 2016 turned away.
Moved yards March 16 and instant improvement, bloods come back to normal, we crack on with 10 weeks walking- all hacking with easy, short schooling sessions or short trot spells introduced about week 8. Up to about an hours riding 5 times a week.
3 weeks ago, just isn't right, doesn't want to go anywhere (stuffy, slow and this is a normally very forward pony), lame(r) left fore, depressed. Bloods ran and liver still at normal levels and nothing else of note, feet x-rays re-taken and other than her toe being too long (though farrier was due anyway), no changes vs 2 previous sets of x-rays. Vet stumped.
We decide to change her routine (she'd been restricted/take off grass completely as she also has ems and I couldn't work her enough to manage her weight) so we are strip grazing her and giving her grass now and she is so much happier and brighter in herself. And she's had her toes shortened and pads put on last Thursday and is now comfortable walking on our horrid stony tracks. Foot balance and condition has been good throughout.
But after 25 minutes of riding she literally grinds to a halt. Yesterday she was puffing. But yesterday was hot (fat despite best efforts and hairy so she doesn't do heat!) and the day before I schooled her for about 25 minutes walk and trot long and low. So I don't know if I've just over-did it, but a pony that a month ago was hacking out for an hour (and it's hilly round here) can that really be too much?
Bute trial is next on the list but I'm looking for ideas here now, should her current workload be too much, am I expecting too much from her, is there something we're missing? Any other experiences of horses literally just crawling, going back to walk from trot after a few hundred yards because they just can't seem to keep going despite leg and voice encouragement?
She is a cracking pony, a month ago pts felt very real but she seems so much better in herself it feels hard to see that that's still going to be an option but she definitely isn't right
I really need some outside perspective as I can't see the wood for the trees anymore.
14.2 7 year old cob mare, owned since April 2014.
June 14 diagnosed high and low ringbone all 4 feet, turned away for 6 weeks to allow it to settle.
Worse on bringing back in, goes to liphook October 2014, big tear/psd in near fore suspensory.
6 months box/paddock rest, then rehab commences. Still not right, back to liphook May 2015 for mri on both front feet, has collateral ligament damage right fore. Options are surgery and box rest, another years straight box rest, or just get on with it and see what happens. Emotionally and financially drained at this point, she is only fractionally lame and enjoying work so we crack on and have a fab summer of dressage, hacking and even some tiny xc practice. She never comes completely sound but based on the fact we know what her issues are and she's happy being out and about were comfortable riding her. (talking 1/10th lame)
November 2015 starts to be off colour/not right, no-one else can see it so I try changes to feed, routine, work, bute trial etc until having vet Jan 2016 and she is diagnosed with liver disease and hepatitis. Cue Jan-March/April 2016 turned away.
Moved yards March 16 and instant improvement, bloods come back to normal, we crack on with 10 weeks walking- all hacking with easy, short schooling sessions or short trot spells introduced about week 8. Up to about an hours riding 5 times a week.
3 weeks ago, just isn't right, doesn't want to go anywhere (stuffy, slow and this is a normally very forward pony), lame(r) left fore, depressed. Bloods ran and liver still at normal levels and nothing else of note, feet x-rays re-taken and other than her toe being too long (though farrier was due anyway), no changes vs 2 previous sets of x-rays. Vet stumped.
We decide to change her routine (she'd been restricted/take off grass completely as she also has ems and I couldn't work her enough to manage her weight) so we are strip grazing her and giving her grass now and she is so much happier and brighter in herself. And she's had her toes shortened and pads put on last Thursday and is now comfortable walking on our horrid stony tracks. Foot balance and condition has been good throughout.
But after 25 minutes of riding she literally grinds to a halt. Yesterday she was puffing. But yesterday was hot (fat despite best efforts and hairy so she doesn't do heat!) and the day before I schooled her for about 25 minutes walk and trot long and low. So I don't know if I've just over-did it, but a pony that a month ago was hacking out for an hour (and it's hilly round here) can that really be too much?
Bute trial is next on the list but I'm looking for ideas here now, should her current workload be too much, am I expecting too much from her, is there something we're missing? Any other experiences of horses literally just crawling, going back to walk from trot after a few hundred yards because they just can't seem to keep going despite leg and voice encouragement?
She is a cracking pony, a month ago pts felt very real but she seems so much better in herself it feels hard to see that that's still going to be an option but she definitely isn't right
She is fat but no gutter and no crest. However having her on a completely bare paddock seemed to make her so depressed we were contemplating pts so I had nothing to lose by trying it. Also, the improvement in her movement following shoeing has been great and I discussed at length with both vet and farrier if the changes could be made in one shoeing or if it needed to be multiple shoeings and both were comfortable that as xrays were taken at the end of the shoeing cycle (ie, at the worst point) and that we weren't taking too much off it could be done in one go. Also, no heat in feet, pulses or funny stances. I promise I am completely paranoid about her getting lami- I also appreciate this isn't to say she won't or can't get it but I'm very conscious of being careful with it and wouldn't want to be complacent! She moves well in the paddock and starts off well when ridden, it's just the total lack of oomph/stamina despite being cautious so I know something isn't right. Prior to changing her grazing and shoeing she didn't want to go anywhere/move or go forwards at all, so I am hoping the changes we've made have only helped. 