how do you decide?

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riding_high

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i've been debating about posting on here about my dilema for a while as i know it may confuse me more than i am now but i would like to know of others' opinions/experiences.

i just want to add though that i've had advice from people in person and it differs. i don't think there is a right or wrong answer to be honest.

my horse is a 17.2hh ex hunter, he has been retired from hunting for over 5yrs and just been used as a light hack. in the time i've owned him (since retirement) he has had intermittent lameness in his near fore. vets have put him on box rest, small paddock rest etc etc etc.
just over a year ago his lameness got worse and more persistent so i got nerve blocks and x-rays done, nerve blocks showed it was his fetlock down. x-rays showed there was no problems with his bones (inc. navicular). i had 2 vets (different practice) tell me that it was most likely his DDFT that had either torn or stretched. i could get an mri done but it would cost alot of money to be told to do the same 'treatment'/recovery as i am now.

2yrs ago he got lymphangitis in his off hind, it wiped him out in a big way, he has liver damage so any infection/illness takes more out of him than expected. he came through the lymphangitis. he was on box rest when he got it due to the lameness so we then had to turn him out in a small paddock.

a year ago he got lymphangitis in his near hind, he didn't move from the spot for over 24hours, he was pivotting on his one good leg (off fore!) to turn. it was heart breaking to watch and i was told that if he doesn't move by the following day then the vet will take the decision from me. the groom and a fellow livery tried to coax him out the stable but he wasn't moving for them so a friend (who was there when vet visited) literally dragged him out, she knew that one way or another he was coming out!
anyway we somehow got him through that and it was a case of give him the summer and then make a decision on his future.

the vet saw him last year and was happy with the improvement so we gave him another go, he came back into light work during winter but still had days where he would be lame. a few months ago it was agreed that we would retire him from ridden work with the odd exception of my kids riding him to keep his mind active and give him a job to do.

my horse has been happy with this lifestyle and loves all the attention. he hasn't lost weight during any of this and only really looks depressed when he's not being ridden.

fast forward to the present, he is happy, looks bloody amazing (no muscle tone but only cause he hasn't been worked) and he seems to be enjoying life mooching around. however his legs are slowly giving up on him, he can walk in a straight line and trots around the field, sometimes he will be slightly lame in trot when i bring him in. to look at him in the stable, field or on the yard you'd think he was a perfect specimen of a horse ;) however it's when i ask him to turn around that i really see the problem. if i turn so his near side is on the inside then he is shuffling his feet around, he rests his near fore and off hind alot, to me it doesn't look like he is putting his hind legs under him the way they would normally do when turning.

so with all the above, sorry it was so long but i wanted to give you all an accurate description, what would you do, PTS or keep going?

BTW he's not on bute unless he's worse than normal.
 
t's difficult to say what I would do in this situation as it seems really tough.
If he's happy and not in pain and generally enjoying life, then my heart says let him continue to enjoy life. Does he have difficultiies when he's in the stable? i.e. turning around.
Does he get worse with cold weather?

My head says maybe it's best to give him the summer to be a horse and chilled and then pts.


A very difficult situation for you and I've been no help whatsoever. (((((((big hugs)))))))
I'm sure you'll do what you feel is right for him though as it sounds like you've gone through a lot with each other.
 
fidleyspromise said:
t's difficult to say what I would do in this situation as it seems really tough.
If he's happy and not in pain and generally enjoying life, then my heart says let him continue to enjoy life. Does he have difficultiies when he's in the stable? i.e. turning around.
Does he get worse with cold weather?

My head says maybe it's best to give him the summer to be a horse and chilled and then pts.


A very difficult situation for you and I've been no help whatsoever. (((((((big hugs)))))))
I'm sure you'll do what you feel is right for him though as it sounds like you've gone through a lot with each other.
Click to expand...
^^This^^
 
he is 18yrs old, gets oil and msm in his feed.

i forgot to add that he is now higher risk of getting lymphangitis and ideally needs to be out 24/7 BUT when he has been out he is very tired and seems worse. if we were to give him a choice of being in 24/7 or out 24/7 he would choose to be in, no question!

i have to bandage him at night and he has to have boots on during the day and it is starting to give him sores, his legs weep no matter what i do or put on them. he also has arthritis which does seem to get worse in the winter although it's only stiffness for a short while. strangely enough he's worse in summer even when we've had wet ground.

oh and if i don't get him in quick then he will happily jump out and bring himself in, even though he's 'crippled' he still finds it in his head that he can jump anything! lol
 
No way would I put him to sleep. It sounds as though he is generally enjoying life. I have a mare retired through injury and she is around 1 tenth lame at trot most of the time, occasionally worse, but she is very, very happy. Yes, I am gutted I can no longer ride her, espcially as she is getting naughtier and cheekier by the day. She needs some work! But her spirit is so strong that I know she has a real love of life. She is not on bute accept very occasionally if she over does it by hooning around, but most of the time she seems to be able to gallop about and buck like all the others. Yes, she may have some pain. But so do many people, and they still want to be alive.
 
I think you're in the worst position. Horse looks well (great even), but is struggling with some aspects.

Is he on anything like synaquin to help with the stiffness, and danilon as a maintenance??

Why does he need boots on in the field???

I think you will be in a position to reasses after the summer - and see how his back legs are doing.
 
basically his near fore is still playing him up, he isn't always completely sound on it, then we have his off hind, he was retired from hunting due to blowing his tendon for the second time in that leg, although he's not had any major issues with the old injury he isn't sound in that leg, the only good leg he has (touch wood) is his off fore!

if he's in we run the risk of lymphangitis which we all know will be the end of him. if he's out he gets tired and worse with lameness. it's a very fine line with him!

he wears boots in the field to give his legs more support and also the last few times he jumped out he didn't have boots on and because he isn't sound on all his legs he can't always jump clear so he made a bit of a mess of his hind legs, so protection for when he jumps out not if!

he won't touch his feed with danilon in, again i find that unusual as if he's saying what's the point! so i have to syringe phenylbutazone down his throat if and when he needs it. that's normally 1 sachet twice a day for a couple of days which for his size is nothing. i will try and get pics of him later and maybe a video of him moving so you can see what i'm saying!
 
Ah poor old man. It sounds as if you know him well. If he is looking good and is happy you will know when it is time. Our TB who had been retired was going to probably be PTS last October after a final summer. In July he looked fab, but one morning he was obviously lamer than usual and looked miserable for the first time. Bute did nothing and after trying a couple more days we decided with our vet that he could have massive doses of metacam and finadyne (sp) for 48 hours prior to being PTS. He had a lovely 48 hours pain free and then we said goodbye. It ended sooner than we planned but he was telling us it was time. Yours will let you know if you listen to him x
 
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