Horses and Chronic Illnesses

[skint1]

Sorry, this is long!

At the end of April I lost my mare to EAM, this seemed to set off some kind of domino effect in my body and I've felt varying levels of ill since then. Yesterday my GI doctor determined that I have colitis the expectation is that Crohns is the underlying cause-this will be confirmed by biopsies taken. The death of my mare has caused a "flare" I've been prescribed some medication that the GI doctor felt confident would put me into "remission" and I should feel better soon.

Anyway, I have 2 other horses (one (Bella) lives with a friend, one (Basil) at same yard as my mare, but they're both un-ridden and belong to my daughter really) and I love them dearly but my mare was special and I feel lost without her.

I have great horsey friends who send me details of horses that would potentially suit me, and I think I would like to have my own again. I have always managed to care for my horses no matter how ill, tired, sore I've felt but I've never felt so actively unwell for so long and I am worried that now I have this...thing... that it might effect my ability to care for a horse and work full time (as I do)

A couple of weeks into feeling ill but without knowing why at that point I decided that I would make myself stick as close to my normal routine as I could, including caring for Basil and if I'm offered a ride on my friend's horse, I go, just to prove to myself that I can push through it and it seems mostly that I can, but it's summer and things are easy, would I manage a winter with deathly early starts and mucking out? And with regular riding on top of chores!

So, do any of you battle with this kind of thing and still manage to care for your horses and meet all your other commitments like work and family. How do you do it?

 

[touchstone]

Sorry to hear that you've been poorly, I don't have any illnesses myself thankfully, apart from feeling my age some days! I think you need to give it time for your meds to start working to see how you feel and I'd also go through a winter caring for Basil before commiting yourself fully to another riding horse plus a full time job, it would be awful having to sell on if you found you couldn't cope.

I'd enjoy riding other people's horses this summer, and make the decision to buy your own next year, hopefully you'll feel better and know your limitations then, I hope you feel better soon. x

 

[elsielouise]

Sorry, this is long!

At the end of April...
...So, do any of you battle with this kind of thing and still manage to care for your horses and meet all your other commitments like work and family. How do you do it?

I have a chronic medical condition that affects me in several ways - don't really want to go into the details. I work .8 of a full time job (tho 40+ hours a week) and have a small child plus three horses. Two in work. What 'helps' is 'not allowing' myself to feel sorry for me most of the time and to just get on with it but then when it does feel difficult, to acknowledge that is the case.

From time to time (and mostly when I look in a mirror as my condition affects me physically) I feel like I can't and shouldn't ride/keep horses/anything much. Like actually disability is who I am and who am I trying to kid that I can actually manage it all. THEN I remind myself that the 5 am starts and the three hour commute would make anyone tired so it's OK to rest. The dogs won't die from missing a walk (they have a dog flap and access to outside all the time), my son won't be referred to child protection because it's pasta for dinner again and actually my husband can and does get up at 6am and help with whatever needs doing.

In reality, it's Sunday afternoon, I got up at half five to bring the horses in, have ridden one, given a friend a lesson, mucked out three boxes and lunged one. My husband took my son out for lunch and I am going to have a bath and read a book for a few hours before evening stables. And that's more than OK. I should walk the dogs - they are currently asleep and don't care.

I think the answer is do what you can but keep an eye on what is achievable and know your limits too.

 

[HaffiesRock]

Hi Skint1, I have severe Crohn's disease which is currently very active so I feel your pain. I keep to a normal a life as possible, but it is hard. I work full time, have 2 horses, I am doing an OU degree and I am also training to swim the Solent this year. I take a lot of drugs including a high dose of steroids (90% sure the energy from these keeps me going) Mercaptipurine, Pentasa and I'll hopefully be back on Infliximab or Humira after my colonoscopy this coming Thursday. I have severe bleeding, need the loo every coupe of hours day and night, am in constant pain and also have the rheumatoid arthritis that so many IBD sufferers have. But I am a positive person and I get on with it.

You need to listen to your body and do what it asks. If it needs rest, rest (should take my own advice really!) but it is doable having horses. Sometimes it is all that gets me out of bed in the morning and I genuinely feel fine when I am with the ponies

I have had Crohn's for 15 years and I am considering having my bowel removed and a stoma. If you want to PM me, please do xx

 

[WelshD]

A friend has a chronic illness and she keeps her horse on full livery, obviously not everyone can afford to do that but it does take enormous amounts of pressure off her and she can do as much or as little as she likes that way

 

[Jenni&Ditty]

Hi
Sorry to hear about your illness, sorry I can't give you any advice about it, but, if you got a horse and, come winter, decided you couldn't look after it, what about full livery or paying someone to look after it, if you can? I think you need a horse as something positive in your life

 

[Irish gal]

This will probably be a little controversial but just keep the horse on grass 24/7 and you won't be under pressure. Maybe where you are there is no good grass livery or it's not possible to rent land. Horses do far better outside, even in winter. You can rug them up when it gets cold enough and they do just fine - they all prefer to be out in my experience and as long as there is good shelter - hedges/trees they will be fine. They were never designed to live in small stables, to them it's like being in prison. The advantages for you 1) financial - much cheaper. 2) This way there is completely no pressure - you don't need to be there every hour of the day mucking out and pulling and dragging generally. Especially if it's grass livery and the YO will keep an eye on pony and you just turn up to ride! I think this would solve your problem and allow you the luxury of having a wonderful horse in your life, which as has been said, will be a great positive for you.

 

[Shaznchaz]

I also suffer from severe Crohn's Colitis and have managed to tide and care for horses since my diagnosis. I was also a working pupil for a year, so lots of early starts and hard work all year round and coped fine. It can just take a while to find a treatment that works for you (for me it was surgury unfortunately). Drugs had never managed to put me into remission, however I carried on for over three years with horrendous symptoms. I found it important to not let it rule my life - difficult but not impossible. Take precautions - never leave the house without loperamide/immodium and painkillers (paracetamol is best as ibroprofin/aspirin can cause issues in Crohns sufferers, as well as a change of clothes in case of accidents. However, don't over use pain killers or they will be less effective when you really need them. Also, tell friends - they will then be willing to help you if you really need it. I would also recommend looking at your diet and seeing if anything can kick off a flare up. For me it was alcohol and chocolate, but spicy food and dairy are other common catalysts.

So yeah, do what you feel able to do. If I ever gave in, I felt worse. Horses and agility allowed me to take my mind of the Crohns. However, everyone is different - it is a very unique illness. The next few weeks/months will be difficult while you try to work out what works for you, and also what triggers a flare. But once those are figured out, it is easier todeal with, and life can be almost normal. Good luck!

 

[skint1]

I have a chronic medical condition that affects me in several ways - don't really want to go into the details. I work .8 of a full time job (tho 40+ hours a week) and have a small child plus three horses. Two in work. What 'helps' is 'not allowing' myself to feel sorry for me most of the time and to just get on with it but then when it does feel difficult, to acknowledge that is the case.
I think the answer is do what you can but keep an eye on what is achievable and know your limits too.

When you described your day I admit that I felt tired just reading it, and would have done even before this thing crept upon me. I hope that I too will be able to do my normal stuff for the most part, so far just having small breaks and then cracking on as much as possible seems to help

Hi Skint1, I have severe Crohn's disease which is currently very active so I feel your pain. I keep to a normal a life as possible, but it is hard. I work full time, have 2 horses, I am doing an OU degree and I am also training to swim the Solent this year. I take a lot of drugs including a high dose of steroids (90% sure the energy from these keeps me going) Mercaptipurine, Pentasa and I'll hopefully be back on Infliximab or Humira after my colonoscopy this coming Thursday. I have severe bleeding, need the loo every coupe of hours day and night, am in constant pain and also have the rheumatoid arthritis that so many IBD sufferers have. But I am a positive person and I get on with it.

You need to listen to your body and do what it asks. If it needs rest, rest (should take my own advice really!) but it is doable having horses. Sometimes it is all that gets me out of bed in the morning and I genuinely feel fine when I am with the ponies

I have had Crohn's for 15 years and I am considering having my bowel removed and a stoma. If you want to PM me, please do xx

Thank you HaffiesRock, I am glad to hear you've kept your horses and have a very active life (Wishing you a successful swim across the Solent!) that gives me a lot of hope. I have joined a Facebook page for Crohns/UC which is not too doom and gloom, most people there seem to have a sense of humour and I have noticed quite a few people electing for stomas, either permanently or for a period of time. I am trying to figure out what I should and shouldn't eat and what other odd symptoms I can expect (symptom du jour- swollen glands in neck/head, short period of fatigue and fever -what is that about?!) I will start my medication on Tuesday and I hope it will put me in remission and keep me there for a while!

A friend has a chronic illness and she keeps her horse on full livery, obviously not everyone can afford to do that but it does take enormous amounts of pressure off her and she can do as much or as little as she likes that way

Hi
Sorry to hear about your illness, sorry I can't give you any advice about it, but, if you got a horse and, come winter, decided you couldn't look after it, what about full livery or paying someone to look after it, if you can? I think you need a horse as something positive in your life

Thank you! I discussed with the OH and he was very supportive, he said if the right horse should come along and I had a period of being unwell he would help me pay for full livery, though I could do it on my own if I had to. Just the looking after the horses makes me happy and has kept me going through a lot of things in my life so it would be a last ditch measure.

 

[Charlie007]

I am also a chronic sufferer of chrones disease. I have had it now for 25 years. I have had horses throughout my illness and they have always been on diy. I have always had a full time job too. Some days are a real struggle but the horses and the dogs keep me going. I do get very tired and rundown. I am not such a confident rider now and I'm sure it's down to the fact that as I'm usually in some sort of pain or discomfort already I dont want to add to it by falling off!!! I am currently on influximib which has been my absolute saviour. It enables me to lead a normal life as before having the influximib just leaving the house in the morning was a massive ordeal. Hoping you get it sorted as best as possible and I certainly think if having a horse will keep your spirits up then go for it!!

 

[skint1]

This will probably be a little controversial but just keep the horse on grass 24/7 and you won't be under pressure. Maybe where you are there is no good grass livery or it's not possible to rent land. Horses do far better outside, even in winter. You can rug them up when it gets cold enough and they do just fine - they all prefer to be out in my experience and as long as there is good shelter - hedges/trees they will be fine. They were never designed to live in small stables, to them it's like being in prison. The advantages for you 1) financial - much cheaper. 2) This way there is completely no pressure - you don't need to be there every hour of the day mucking out and pulling and dragging generally. Especially if it's grass livery and the YO will keep an eye on pony and you just turn up to ride! I think this would solve your problem and allow you the luxury of having a wonderful horse in your life, which as has been said, will be a great positive for you.

That's not a bad idea at all! thank you! I could certainly do this, I am not a big fan of stabling horses anyway and try and keep it to a minimum anyway, especially for Basil who has arthritis. Bella has a walk in barn at her place and is never stabled either.

I also suffer from severe Crohn's Colitis and have managed to tide and care for horses since my diagnosis. I was also a working pupil for a year, so lots of early starts and hard work all year round and coped fine. It can just take a while to find a treatment that works for you (for me it was surgury unfortunately). Drugs had never managed to put me into remission, however I carried on for over three years with horrendous symptoms. I found it important to not let it rule my life - difficult but not impossible. Take precautions - never leave the house without loperamide/immodium and painkillers (paracetamol is best as ibroprofin/aspirin can cause issues in Crohns sufferers, as well as a change of clothes in case of accidents. However, don't over use pain killers or they will be less effective when you really need them. Also, tell friends - they will then be willing to help you if you really need it. I would also recommend looking at your diet and seeing if anything can kick off a flare up. For me it was alcohol and chocolate, but spicy food and dairy are other common catalysts.

So yeah, do what you feel able to do. If I ever gave in, I felt worse. Horses and agility allowed me to take my mind of the Crohns. However, everyone is different - it is a very unique illness. The next few weeks/months will be difficult while you try to work out what works for you, and also what triggers a flare. But once those are figured out, it is easier todeal with, and life can be almost normal. Good luck!

That's good advice. Thank you! I have been trying to figure out what has been setting me off, I wondered about dairy and wheat, and thought I might save that up to discuss at the GI clinic when I eventually get my appointment. I think whatever type of colitis I have it is relatively mild, though it doesn't feel like that when it kicks off. It's really helpful to read that other horse people have this and are managing. I think we horse people are lucky, we have great motivation to manage.

 

[HaffiesRock]

Thank you HaffiesRock, I am glad to hear you've kept your horses and have a very active life (Wishing you a successful swim across the Solent!) that gives me a lot of hope. I have joined a Facebook page for Crohns/UC which is not too doom and gloom, most people there seem to have a sense of humour and I have noticed quite a few people electing for stomas, either permanently or for a period of time. I am trying to figure out what I should and shouldn't eat and what other odd symptoms I can expect (symptom du jour- swollen glands in neck/head, short period of fatigue and fever -what is that about?!) I will start my medication on Tuesday and I hope it will put me in remission and keep me there for a while!

What medication are they trying you on OP?

 

[HaffiesRock]

I am also a chronic sufferer of chrones disease. I have had it now for 25 years. I have had horses throughout my illness and they have always been on diy. I have always had a full time job too. Some days are a real struggle but the horses and the dogs keep me going. I do get very tired and rundown. I am not such a confident rider now and I'm sure it's down to the fact that as I'm usually in some sort of pain or discomfort already I dont want to add to it by falling off!!! I am currently on influximib which has been my absolute saviour. It enables me to lead a normal life as before having the influximib just leaving the house in the morning was a massive ordeal. Hoping you get it sorted as best as possible and I certainly think if having a horse will keep your spirits up then go for it!!

Infliximab is my saviour drug too, amazing stuff! I am hoping to be put back on this when I see the consultant on Thursday. I started to react to it in the past so had to come off it, but have not had it for a few years so hopefuly I can try again

 

[Shaznchaz]

The other thing which I found helped me was a low fibre diet, especially if you have lost a lot of weight. It goes against any diet you've ever heard before. I lost a lot of weight, and as such had to have a very high calorie diet for a while. Also, if you are on steroids, you will probably find the weight piles on - don't worry as it comes back off easily.

Also, if it comes to it don't be afraid of the surgery. I currently have a tempory ileostomy and, for the first time since my diagnosis I feel pretty well and am on no medication. I put the surgery off for over a year because I was afraid of how it would affect my life. However, it got to the point where it was the only option. I wish I had the surgery sooner. It has very little impact on my life, apart from I now no longer have to worry about where the nearest toilet is! The stoma took some getting used to and teething problems, but about 6 months in I found I could leave the house without fear. It changed my life so much that I intend to make my stoma permanent once I finish uni next year.

I would also recommend looking at Crohns and Colitis UK. The charity has lots of free online e publications which helped me learn to deal with my Crohns, as well as what to expect with various treatments.

 

[skint1]

What medication are they trying you on OP?

Asacol? I have to go and pick it up on Tuesday as Boots didn't have it in stock.

I will check out the Crohns and Colitis UK website,

and thank you all, I had no idea that so many people were living with similar conditions, I feel quite heartened, thank you!

 

[Pc2003]

I have just been diagnosed with uc. Can't say it's affected my
Life too much at all. Still ride,work, young kids etc but Imodium
Is a life changer for me!
I have just been put on mesalizine as they say the inflammation needs to be controlled. How long does it take to work?? I have been on it one week and no difference? Does anyone know?

 

[skint1]

I hope I will be the same!
ShaznCaz, thank you for the dietary advice, very useful as I have had no idea what I am doing in that regard.

 

[Crazylittlemaisey]

I have RA and am on a similar treatment to infliximab (called Cimzia) which controls it well. I'm screwed if I don't take it, I can't stand up.

I have to be careful not to encourage a flare by limiting stress, limiting what I lift, limiting tiredness. I respect my illness but generally ignore it.

I have horses, dogs, a baby and have always had a full time job. If I have a flare I do the minimum to get by:

Everyone gets food and water!! As long as the ponies are upright in the field, that's fine. The dogs get a treat treasure hunt in the house, my child watches Baby TV if I can't play with him, I cook ready meals, I don't poo pick, drink a lot of coffee, eat lots of chocolate, etc. I don't feel bad about a bit of it. Anything to get by until the going is good again!

Bonus points if you've made preparations and a contingency plan.

I have realistic expectations that I will only ever be a happy hacker with the occasional local show, so I have two field kept hacking ponies. Anything more and I wouldn't do them justice.

Set yourself up for success, prepare, pop pills if you need them, chin up & get on with it. You only get one go! 😊

 

[MyBoyChe]

Skint1, I take Asacol daily for my UC and, touch wood, it is pretty much under control. When I was first diagnosed I was given suppositries and a foam spray thingy (pm me if you want details!). Within a week the symptoms had stopped and I have been advised to keep taking the Asacol to keep them at bay. I work part time, have 3 dogs, 1 horse and a husband My life isnt as busy as some of the younger people on here, Im in my early fifties and was diagnosed 2 years ago, but so far, apart from making sure I can get to a loo fairly quickly if I need to, Im managing OK. Haffies thread in Club House about stomas is worth a read.

 

[unicornystar]

I am very sorry to hear about your illness. My daughter has just been diagnosed with colitis she is merely 15 and I am still recovering from a major bowel operation.

Is there anyway you could keep your horses out 24/7? I had one of mine on DIY but I found even the daily mucking out and having to be somewhere at a certain time, along with a part poorly teenager doing her exams was just a bit too much while I was still recovering and made the hard decision to bring my gelding home and put him out 24/7.

The muck picking is the only chore really and if I feel poorly it can wait, no harm done, and generally they are all happy, the stress of rushing around is gone, I spend more time with them and am riding more oddly.

Your illness should not define you but it is well worthwhile of changing your horses management so that it is more "doable" and not so much of a panic if you are having a poorly day (or longer!) so you can take the rest you need.

I have found horses over the years the only thing that keep me going forward and definitely felt worse if I haven't had them!!

Good luck

 

[Street_Skill]

I'm really sorry to hear that you have been poorly-I too have Crohns Disease. I was diagnosed at 8 years old and I'm now 32 so have been living with it and managing it for quite a while now. I am very, very fortunate in that I control it by diet which is something that my consultant at the time was very keen to do due to my young age. I avoid wheat, chocolate and tomatoes (I know, it's a bit of an eclectic combination!) and *touch wood* it has been under control since I had a partial bowel resection in 2003. Considering at the time I was told that I would have about 5 years disease free, I'm doing pretty well.

I've owned horses since I was 13 and I can honestly say that when my health has been bad the horses have kept me going. You find ways to cope with the jobs, my parents are fab and my current yard manager is amazing, and as other people have said as long as they have food and water they'll be OK! I was back on a horse about 4 weeks after my bowel resection (don't tell my surgeon!) and some gentle hacking on the more sensible of my two at the time really helped to lift my spirits and get those wasted muscles working again.

I currently own one horse who is on assisted DIY livery, and a dog. I ride about 5 times a week and compete about once a fortnight. I'm a shift worker in a full time job which can be stressful, demanding and tiring with limited time to eat or rest. I manage surprisingly well, but sometimes the tiredness catches up with me, especially after nights, but I find with a bit of rest and some decent food inside me it doesn't often take me long to get back on track. Now that my Crohns is settled I'm finding that my current health problem (some bizarre breathing problem which has resulted in 3 chest infections since January, a total of 6 weeks on antibiotics plus steroids and inhalers, xrays, a CT scan and more time off work than I have ever had in my life) more difficult to deal with and manage. I'm waiting for the results of a CT scan and I'm hoping they'll finally find out what's wrong with me!!

Please don't loose hope. It might take a while to work out the best may of managing your Crohns, but once you have hopefully you should be able to keep it under control. I'm a great believer in horses as healers and I'm sure they'll help you through the bad times

P.S. I'm another that finds Ibuprofen a big no, no. I find even pain reliever gels for muscle pain affect me as the Ibuprofen is absorbed through the skin. I also find that some antibiotics (oh, the irony!) set me off so it's worth mentioning this to your doctor if you ever get prescribed any.

 

[Crazylittlemaisey]

Skill street, horses are fab healers aren't they?! Mine know when I'm I'll and are more patient and gentle. Same as my dogs, one of which I owe an awful lot to. He's my rock.

 

[Crazylittlemaisey]

Street skill even!

 

[Street_Skill]

Street skill even!

Ha ha! Don't worry, I answer to most things! ;-)

After my bowel resection my Arab (who was bit of a loon) was sooo gentle and well behaved. I had lost an awful lot of weight and had absolutely no strength, but instead of being a twit like she normally would she just slopped along next to me gently nudging me and breathing on me as if she was protecting me. I owe her so much.

Even now I find that if I've had a bad day at work or am shattered time spent with my horse is time well spent. He seems to wash away all my troubles and leaves me feeling at peace. Even my other half, who is not very horsey, says the same. I often wonder about the massive emotional burden my horse must carry around with him because of me,, but he doesn't seem to mind! :-D

 

[Crazylittlemaisey]

An Arab, there you go. They're so receptive!

 

[Crazylittlemaisey]

If I'm in a bad way, my husband orders me out for a ride! Never fails to lift my mood! I'm sure this is similar with everyone, it's a good way to zone out.

I'm 30 btw and was diagnosed at 21, so have a few (formative) years experience of keeping my chin up and carrying on with what I love doing. There are always ways, means and adaptations ☺️

 

[Annagain]

I don't have any illness but have supported a friend from the yard through a major operation. I'm sure you'll be fine. If you can keep them out that would be great, but if you can't, as long as you're on a supportive yard with either friends who can step in to help or where services can be arranged as and when necessary, even at short notice, you can have the peace of mind the horses will be cared for.

When you're horse shopping I'd make a specific effort to find a horse who is ok with not being ridden for a week or so at a time just in case you're not able to. The last thing you want when you're recovering from a flare up is to be worried about getting on a fire breathing dragon or when you're ill having to find someone to ride him.

 

[sheilaclark]

Sorry, this is long!

At the end of April I lost my mare to EAM, this seemed to set off some kind of domino effect in my body and I've felt varying levels of ill since then. Yesterday my GI doctor determined that I have colitis the expectation is that Crohns is the underlying cause-this will be confirmed by biopsies taken. The death of my mare has caused a "flare" I've been prescribed some medication that the GI doctor felt confident would put me into "remission" and I should feel better soon.

Anyway, I have 2 other horses (one (Bella) lives with a friend, one (Basil) at same yard as my mare, but they're both un-ridden and belong to my daughter really) and I love them dearly but my mare was special and I feel lost without her.

I have great horsey friends who send me details of horses that would potentially suit me, and I think I would like to have my own again. I have always managed to care for my horses no matter how ill, tired, sore I've felt but I've never felt so actively unwell for so long and I am worried that now I have this...thing... that it might effect my ability to care for a horse and work full time (as I do)

A couple of weeks into feeling ill but without knowing why at that point I decided that I would make myself stick as close to my normal routine as I could, including caring for Basil and if I'm offered a ride on my friend's horse, I go, just to prove to myself that I can push through it and it seems mostly that I can, but it's summer and things are easy, would I manage a winter with deathly early starts and mucking out? And with regular riding on top of chores!

So, do any of you battle with this kind of thing and still manage to care for your horses and meet all your other commitments like work and family. How do you do it?

I have had horses throughout my illness and they have always been on diy.

 

[skint1]

This thread has done me a lot of good, I feel a lot more hopeful about the future, I couldn't imagine my life without horses in it.

I am basically looking for an older horse who is ready to retire from a more active life, I don't mind a horse who is unlevel in the school or who can't jump, so am hoping such a horse would also not mind having the odd week off as long as they had turn out every day