How far would you take a LOU horse?

[Ziggy_]

I've owned my LOU mare for a year now. She is a very quirky mare and after a lot of confidence and schooling issues over the past few months I have finally plucked up the courage to start competing her. We have been doing loads of local shows, jumping 2'9''-3'. And she is fantastic.

She hasn't touched a single pole, had one run out or refusal, and we've come 1st or 2nd in every class we've entered. Considering that until our 1st comp I had never jumped a course in my life, I am even more impressed with her. She absolutely loves it and has a whole new lease of life, where she could be a bit sullen and moody before she now trots over with her ears pricked when she sees me in the field.

With my confidence growing, now I would like to do a bit more - maybe hunter trials, XC schooling, one of those long sponsered rides with jumps. Perhaps some bigger jumping shows too, although I would need a vet certificate to affiliate her. But once again I'm getting paranoid about her legs!!

The LOU was done 2 years ago, for bone spavin. She was insured for affiliated eventing. She is on cortaflex and worked for 1-2hours a day with no signs of any problems. That said, she is a very tough horse - she is very accident prone but no matter what she does to herself, never seems to show even a hint of lameness

I'd be interested to hear of anyone that has a horse with bone spavin, or a LOU horse, that is still competing? I'm not going to push her if the general opinion is that she might struggle with more work, but its always been an ambition of mine to go cross country and I think she's the only horse I've ever known that I'd feel safe to do it on! What do we think?

I'm after honest opinions, if you think it would be unfair on her please don't hesitate to say...

 

[longtalltilly]

I saw a LOU horse at the Riding club horse trials champs! It was competing in the 3 day and i think it was in the open!

 

[scotsmare]

If she's jumping happily and her fitness is good then try something small and see how you get on. Just be aware that if it does go wrong again then you'd have to fork out all the vets fees yourself as the insurance won't cover a single penny of it.

 

[natalia]

Why would you have to have a vets cert to BSJA? this sounds very odd, normally they take any thing, as long as you pay them! I know a few good horses with spavin and they compete fine and get on with life, sometimes a little stiff behind but really once a spavin has settled they shouldn't matter.

 

[Kallibear]

If her bone spavins fused (sounds like it may have if she's totally sound) she will be totally sounds and painfree, if a little stiffer. It's not going to get any worse.

There's no reason you can't take her out and do everything you want with her, as long as she's happy doing it and you listen to her if she tries to tell you she's not.

If you're still worried why not get a lameness work up done. It'll cost you £100-£200 probably but will give you peice of mind.

 

[Ziggy_]

[ QUOTE ]
If her bone spavins fused (sounds like it may have if she's totally sound) she will be totally sounds and painfree, if a little stiffer. It's not going to get any worse.

[/ QUOTE ]

thats what my YO keeps telling me. but if that is the case, why would they pay out loss of use for spavin? not just in my horse's case, in any horse with spavin?

it seems a bit odd to me?

not trying to be awkward, just genuinely confused when most companies will try to avoid paying out LOU claims if they think they can argue their way out of it?

 

[Orangehorse]

If I were you I would just keep going, just bear in mind that the horse might go lame - but that can apply to any horse that has just passed a vetting too!

Maybe the LOU included dressage, when I guess some stiffness in the hocks would affect a competition career.

I had a horse that X rays showed a spavin, but she passed a vetting 100% and the buyer took a chance (cheap horse) and the horse has remained sound 4 years on.

 

[Kallibear]

Because firstly there is no guarentee the joints WILL fuse without interventions, and secondly it does make them stiffer - an entire, admittedly low motion, joint is fused solid. It won't affect her doing low level general riding but it would affect her movement for higher level dressage.

 

[lizzie_liz]

I have a LOU mare, we claimed LOU for her back in 2002/2003 with navicular syndrome in front feet and *i think bone spavin in her hock*. She has never had a days lameness since she was freezemarked.

I took her to Trailblazers SJ finals (85cm) in 2006 and we were in the JO on both days and she was sound after that.
Last year I did some affliated dressage with her and went to Area Festivals.
This year I have started jumpiing on grass as beforehand I was a bit apprehensive but the ground hasnt been hard and *touch wood* she is still sound.
I am going to start taking her xc soon and maybe start doing some hunter trials next year with her.

If your horse is fit and sound then I dont see why you cant doing a bit more with them.

 

[Natassia]

I am in a similar situation to you and finding it very difficult to judge how much I do with my horse as well. I've got him on full permanent loan, his owner claimed LOU for eventing (he was eventing at BE pre-novice level when he injured his suspensory ligament), as due to injury he developed a non-articular high ringbone. She turned him away for 5 months after diagnosis then he came to me and I've brought him back into work and put him on a good joint supplement and he hasn't been lame at all since I got him 7 months ago.
He's in full work now, doing a mixture of hacking and light schooling, and lessons more recently. I've done trotting poles with him and he jumps things out hacking (I don't make him do it, he jumps things that other horses step over!) and I think he'd be brilliant at doing some sj on a good surface and some dressage. I know I can and need to do more challenging things with him, I think he'd enjoy it, but its deciding how far he can go without causing him unnecessary lameness.
If you're doing well and enjoying your horse, and he's happy with it then I'd continue; the work is good for his joints anyway and like others have said, when spavins have fused they shouldn't cause any problems.