How lame is too lame?

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poiuytrewq

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So horse has had issues off fore for years now. It's been injected several times. He's had every bute substitute out there (no-bute alpha bute etc) danilon, real bute turmeric you name it it's been given!
The problem has been managed with my vets support and advice. It's arthritic wear and tear. He's had a tough life.
In about July he somehow mangaged to damage both back tendons. At this point although he was sound in front I decided to retire him completely to the field.
He's seemed happy. He always hated coming in and now lives out with friends and seems content.
He is now sound behind but lame again in front.
That said he canters round the field and often instigates play times even with his hobble.
I read a very good article which pointed out keeping a lame horse is cruel as they are a flight animal and not being able to flee would be stressful.
I'd always said if he was lame for longer than X amount of time it was unfair to keep him going but now that's come about he's obviously still ok
So my question is how lame or how long lame is too much for a horse?
 
I have one on 2 bute a day, suggested by vet, I was considering pts but she is top of herd, in excellent condition and seems happy. However if she gets worse (is still not sound on 2 a day) when ground hardens I will have to rethink. Other lame one is lame on one hind with torn meniscus and on no bute and like yours gallops round and plays and again looks v well, not worried about him at moment and hoping he may improve to be totally field sound. It's hard but only you know your horse, if dropping weight, losing place in herd etc I would reconsider.

Just to add my mare has been lame for ten years and retired for that long with huge sidebone, she has a lovely life and has served well as a companion. Just watching her like hawk now as is going downhill lameness wise.
 
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Its really difficult! I think I would feel guilty having a lame horse

however my horse has been lame on and off for a year and seems to be doing well now that he's had his shoes off! I thought I'd be turning him away for 6 months before seeing if he wasn't going to be sound! however after 3 weeks he was a million times better and a few months on, im riding again!

so then maybe I would consider keeping a horse that was lame! depends what reason they are lame? My 30 yr old mare has arthritis in her front left knee and in 3 years she has been sore on it twice, and only for a few days at a time!

I guess then if you're horse looks happy and is okay to gallop around, then he's happy! once he starts to look sad then you will know he's no longer okay to cope with the pain

I would not consider keeping if they had to be on bute every day to just be comfortable in a field!
 
Our old boy, 22 has been on and off lame on a fore leg for the past three years, been able to be ridden during his sound periods and only lame in winter.

This year though he hasn't gone as sound as we like and his looking tired and just old rather than up for it with a limp so we are having "the chat" with the vet tomorrow.
 
you know your horse and if he has a good quality of life a little unsoundness isn't the end of the world. however if he begins to find getting down and up difficult and doesn't have a run round the field every so often I would question if he should be kept going. its a fine line and I am going through similar with my 24 year old who seems uncomfortable on her hind so she is not being ridden and is a bit down at the moment, mind you she is still flying round the field and is plastered in mud every day so obviously is still rolling..when she stops I will be more worried...sounds like yours is still enjoying life
 
Slightlyconfused said:
Our old boy, 22 has been on and off lame on a fore leg for the past three years, been able to be ridden during his sound periods and only lame in winter.

This year though he hasn't gone as sound as we like and his looking tired and just old rather than up for it with a limp so we are having "the chat" with the vet tomorrow.
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So sorry to hear this. They are heart breakers. Sounds like your doing your best by him and that's the kindest thing.

All my previous horses have been fairly straight forward choices, this one does worry me a bit, especially as I say I'd always said if he wasn't field sound I'd call it a day.
He does genuinely seem happy though. He's currently only on turmeric and a joint supplement but I think I'll start bute again and see if we can just get over this bout.
I'm also finding his keep a bit challenging! Our field which was perfect for him grass/shelter wise has become so muddy and its soft ground he struggles with most so I've currently got him in a woodchip turnout area with yard access but that's only temporary.
The other grazing choice has way too much grass, but is currently not churned up so easier footing but he's fatter than I've ever seen him which of course is so bad for his joints so i need to find a happy medium!
 
I'd see if you could rate it 1-10, and then ask yourself if you were in that much pain consistently what would you want to happen?

Lots of people and animals have some level of daily pain- and it's not necessarily a bad thing, just a reminder to take things more slowly or be more careful.

IMO if he's still choosing to do things that aggravate his pain, then clearly he thinks its worth putting up with!
 
Horses don't know about tomorrow, they only know that today they are in pain. Many are also good at hiding how much pain they are in, because the weakest in the herd is the lion's next dinner.

I would not keep any horse alive who was not able to be kept sound with painkillers, unless I was certain that the lameness was purely mechanical.
 
In general, I wouldn't keep a horse who wasn't field sound.

If it's an old horse who has lived a long, happy life and now requires some help over the last few years, then I'd be happy to give painkillers. However, if it was still lame on two bute a day, it would be too lame for me.

If it's a younger horse, I think I'd be inclined to make the decision sooner. A horse facing years of hopeless lameness/requiring drugs to keep it field sound wouldn't work for me.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. I think that situations like this are almost harder to cope with than the sudden freak accident where the decision is effectively made for you.
 
It's a really difficult question. I had my old mare PTS at the beginning of this Winter (not that we've really had a 'Winter' here yet!). She was 28 and had been arthritic for a good few years. I think that if you know horse you know when to call time. It's not easy but you just have a feeling.

I don't subscribe to the view that a mildly lame field ornament needs to be PTS - though I wouldn't criticise those who took that route. I am frequently mildly lame myself on my left knee and hope no one has any plans to send me to the kennels ;)
 
Hes currently not on pain killers and is visably lame in trot on a hard surface.
He's not on medication as I try not to give it constantly and he's looked OK out in the field. His field buddy left and I had to bring him a mile up the rd to our little yard, this is when I noticed he wasn't sound again.
I have some bute and will start him on that again as previously said.
I hand on heart don't think it's time yet for him. He's still eager to go out and have a canter round and when the other horses are quietly grazing it's him trying to make them play.
He's 17 but has hunted and done a lot of dressage quite intensely (think upward of an hour in the school 4/5 times a week)
There have been times he's been properly lame and he's very miserable and obviously unhappy, I'd say in general he's a bit of a drama queen who doesn't handle proper pain so I'd know if he was in real pain.
Just wish I could swap places with him for a bit and see exactly what he's feeling!
I'd definitely not keep him if he was lame on daily bute
 
minesadouble said:
I don't subscribe to the view that a mildly lame field ornament needs to be PTS - though I wouldn't criticise those who took that route. I am frequently mildly lame myself on my left knee and hope no one has any plans to send me to the kennels ;)
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is it possible to compare our experience of pain with a horse's, though?. We can rationalise it, and decide that on balance the future still holds the possibility for enough enjoyment to make bearing the pain worthwhile. We can take our minds off it with books, tv, film, music, trips out, holidays away. A horse can't do that, all it knows is that it's in pain today.
 
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