TicTac
Well-Known Member
due to a permanent unsoundness, old age or recovering from an injury or illness what do you do?
I don't think I can put my horse through major kissing spine surgery. She is fine at the moment having had the drug treatment and I am going down the physio and drug route with her. I have thought long and hard about this and I believe that the op would be too much for her and I to cope with. Her KS is something she was born with. She has never violently objected to anything because of her condition ie having the saddle on, me getting on or bucking constantly etc but has shown a shortening in her stride in trot and canter, however she has always come good after a warm up process. She has only just turned 10 and I guess without the surgery she may only have a couple of years that she stays comfortable enough to continue as she is, but then again she couldl cope for much longer, who knows.
I am no spring chicken and am getting a bit stiff myself, to to give up riding having had the opportunity over the years to do a bit of everything ,is probably a natural progression for me and I will still keep my mare for as long as she's happy because I will still be able to play with her on the ground and maybe do some in hand showing with her. I enjoy looking after my horse as much as riding but I do have my daughters horse to ride if I want.
However for those of you who don't have another horse to ride what do you do? This is my third horse in the last 10 years that has been diagnosed with a serious permanent problem. I don't think I will get another horse after this but I've said that before and 40 years later...............
I don't think I can put my horse through major kissing spine surgery. She is fine at the moment having had the drug treatment and I am going down the physio and drug route with her. I have thought long and hard about this and I believe that the op would be too much for her and I to cope with. Her KS is something she was born with. She has never violently objected to anything because of her condition ie having the saddle on, me getting on or bucking constantly etc but has shown a shortening in her stride in trot and canter, however she has always come good after a warm up process. She has only just turned 10 and I guess without the surgery she may only have a couple of years that she stays comfortable enough to continue as she is, but then again she couldl cope for much longer, who knows.
I am no spring chicken and am getting a bit stiff myself, to to give up riding having had the opportunity over the years to do a bit of everything ,is probably a natural progression for me and I will still keep my mare for as long as she's happy because I will still be able to play with her on the ground and maybe do some in hand showing with her. I enjoy looking after my horse as much as riding but I do have my daughters horse to ride if I want.
However for those of you who don't have another horse to ride what do you do? This is my third horse in the last 10 years that has been diagnosed with a serious permanent problem. I don't think I will get another horse after this but I've said that before and 40 years later...............
i am in a similar position, my mare is 19 and has intermittant lameness and have decided that i will ride her on 1 danilon a day and if that doesnt keep her sound and happy she will be a field ornament for as long as she has a good quality of life. i would love to keep riding(i am not a youngster myself) but cannot afford another horse so have no option.