Just feeling down

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to start with, Jayjay's ill. bad timing as his owner (we had him on loan) pretty much made us buy him, and then the illness started within a week of sending the cheque.

it's a breathing problem that has been going on for about 4/5 months. it means that his food goes into his lungs rather then his stomache. we spent £2500 in vets bills to have it investigated and a tooth removed and the gap blocked. this wasn't on insurance as the tooth being impacted was a known condition. just as he seems to be getting better (after 2 months) he went lame. rested him for weeks, still lame, and after another month, there was grass coming from his nose again. we're putting another £1000 for a last chance at blocking the gap where the tooth was, if this doesn't work his future is uncertain. he's not in pain, apart from coughing occasionally he's normal, happily munching grass out in his field. however, i'm not sure a santuary or country park would take him (even though he's a stunning mouse dun highland pony) due to the risk of escalating vets bills. we're all hoping for the best, but it's still very upsetting, mostly for my little sister (he's her first pony, she's only ridden him a few times before he got poorly)

second up is Oscar. i just feel like neither of us are improving, i've never particularily adored hacking, which is pretty much all he can do now. it doesn't help that when he gets spooked he gets really worked up and it's ruining my confidence, and obviously me being nervous about it isn't helping his spooking either. had a 20 minute lesson today, really dissheartening, he feels so awful compared to the others, really odd movement, poor boy. also seeing my other sister sharing lifts to shows and stuff isn't helping either. she's taking her pony on a 10 mile fun ride tomorrow (is jealous) and doing posh dressagy stuff. plus she's younger then me, and keeps boasting and patronising me because she's overtaken with her riding. AND osk has been lame on and off a lot recently. thing is, i have a fab bond with him and couldn't bear to sell him, but it just feels pointless riding him, can't school, and it feels like i'm only hacking because it gives him excercise, rather then because i enjoy it. riding is really the only thing i'm any good at, and i'm so behind my age group, i mean, my jumping's terrible, i only get to jump once every month or so, when someone feels generous and lets me pop a crosspole. i used to ride a pony at the yard and brought him on loads, but he's moved away now.

and there's other school/non-horsey stuff but it's really boring so i won't put you through it :P

sorry about this long rambling post, choc-chip cookies to anyone who read it
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instructor said with lots of patience he'll be a decent horse but no competing or jumping, and tbh, i'm not sure if i have the patience to work for months and years if that's the best result i can hope for.
 
So sorry to hear about your problems with Oscar. It hasn't come as much surprise considering where he came from
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yup. doesn't help that it's impossible to rest him when he's lame. turn him out and he gallops about and fights with the other boys, keep him in or by himself and he gets worked up.

Deeble, it's better then i thought it would be, he's rideable and isn't a complete head case, but i know what you mean ;_;
 
I know exactly how you feel re: hacking for the sake of it and seeing other people heading off to shows and not being able to go. And also recurring lameness.
My girl has been on off lame for 3 years and is now semi retired.
The horse i ride regularily has just been diagnosed with arthritis and it feels like the only thing im remotely good at is being taken away.

There's nothign anyone can really say to make it better, I know, and I know how heartbreaking it is to see your beloved pony in anything but 100% health. Just keep your chin up, look after your pony well and enjoy each day... iim going to try to.
It wont always be like this and hopefully soon youll be the one going to the shows.

My sympathies and if you want to chat just PM me.
 
awww - dont get too down. I too can only hack out myself. I have a youngster who is brill but im off to uni in a weeks time...(mature student) and can not afford to take him to shows. He is only 5 and I had really planned to show him and ride western as soon as I got him but unfortunately due to lack of funds we couldnt afford to buy a 4x4 to pull my trailer.

Im also selling my trailer and once through uni and I can hopefully start again and go to more shows but it still doesnt help that my friend - who is also younger then me, is off to xc and dressage shows with her 4 yr old and her mum has just bought a 4x4 to pull her new trailer..!!
Have you thought about showing him...? That way you can still go to shows, not get worked up yourself and he looks great so believe he would do well. I thought about doing this myself...it chills the horse out so that in furture events when riding, he is alot better. Maybe go along with someone else. There are also fun rides which can be good. Shame he is lame. Do you know why this is..? Any chance of chatting to the farrier or vet about improving it..? Also can he not be stabled next to another horse so he doesnt get upset and that way he gets his rest..? Also how about having lessons yourself on something else just to get your confidence up and then having a lesson on oscar and seeing how you go. Patience is everything and it does pay off - I promise.
Although you say he cant jump etc maybe once you have more confidence with him you could work up to that...never say never in my opion.
This is my appy who is now 30 - I used to show her...she is parrot mouthed but still did well in the show ring.
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aww, she's gorgeous!! is she a british spotted pony? there was one at my old RS that looked just like her!

my confidence isn't too bad, it's just that we'd just sort of built up to hacking alone (i don't think he ever hacked before he came to us) and he had a huge bucking fit, on the road, because I tried to make him go past a really scary bit of plastic. luckily i didn't come off, and managed to get him past it eventually, but i haven't really trusted him since. yes, i thought about showing, i took him to a small show the other day just to see how he'd react, he was suprisingly good, and thought it was fascinating just standing staring at the PC games xD thing is, he's so covered in scars and huge mud fever growths all over his hind legs, i'm not sure the judge could over-look that?

yeah, we don't have a trailer, but both the PC showgrounds and the RC one are within hacking distance. and my friend is getting a 2horse trailer soon and will be sharing it with my sister. (grr)

and what's worse, the friend's mum supports her so much, intends to buy her a fab horse in spring, and in doing so, she's including my sister in everything. we went down to an indoor arena last week so that my sister and friend could see if they wanted to do the jumping comps they have every week there. i was green with envy!! (mean i kno, but can't help it!
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hey, where abouts are you based??...I ride out alone, have experience of horses throwing themselves around and could do with riding out with someone as I get quite lonely
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...I tend to go to the highclere fun ride if I can as its just down the road but go on my own. The windsor one over easter is meant to be good and my chap could do with the company if you like...?
My pony is a bs yep...she is a diamond, although I did show her with her parrot mouth and we did great. Although Oscar may have some scars the judges dont just take looks into account. They look at their tempermenat and how they are acting with you and the other horses in the ring. I never won on looks, more on the patience my pony had. He also has the typical look of an apply so should do well as they can look a little finer nowadays and dont look as nice.

Dont get too jelious of your sis....to be honest having everything isnt always all its worth...my old friend had a ex race french bred horse who was beautiful and he ran so fast and jumped everything. Although he was great, she unfortunately was far too used to having everything and didnt use him much. It was great for me cause I used her school, her trailer, her horse whenever I liked...so dont worry. When you get things like trailers, your own school etc you will just cherish it more.

Heres my chap....he too has some scars on his legs and unfortunately his last owners didnt do much with him so he had a little bit of an attitude when I got him....basically when he believed he had gone far enough on a hack would try to turn around the race home...worked hard with him and he hacks out alone really well.
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Dont be too hard on yourself either...hacking out and doing what your doing takes alot of courage and dedication with a horse...not everyone is so happy about getting onto a horse that can need some work...I would be most happy that you have such a special bond with Oscar...that can sometimes takes ages before any trust is built up.
 
I think you need to go back and find all your old posts about how you felt when you found Oscar, back then all you wanted was for him to be safe, you didn't care if you couldn't ride him. Maybe if you read them you'll realise how lucky you are.

I would also try a different instructor as I've never heard of a horse not being capable of being schooled, it might take time but thats half the fun. Try someone else and get a different opinion. You shouldn't come out of lessons feeling diheartened - stop giving her money and find someone else who can help you make a difference.

Good luck
 
it's not that he can't be schooled, it's that he's physically incapable of doing flatwork (can't canter corners, finds it difficult to trot them) and jumping.

yes, i know i'm lucky to have a horse at all, it's just that it doesn't feel that way sometimes.
 
Why is he physically incapable? Is he lame? If he can hooley round a field he can canter a circle. You just need to sort out the basics, you will get there
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yeah
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tbh, i really enjoy bringing him in and grooming him and doing his mud fever treatment and vaseline on his scars and things, and just hanging around with him in the field... i don't really enjoy riding him, it constantly reminds me that we're just going in circles really, and i'm worried to try anything new as i don't want to hurt him. poor guy, we've been told not to lunge for more then 5 mins and not in canter because he can't do it... -huggles Osk-
 
A vetting should have picked up his problems and tbh if you didn't get him vetted then I'm afraid you take the risk. Did you ride him at all when you went to see him?
 
we did get him vetted. that's the bizzarre thing. 5* and he passed, his problems described as 'cosmetic'. they also seemed to overlook the infected mud fever growth (about the size of a tennis ball) on the underside of his pastern. i think the vet wanted him out of that nasty place as well.

i'm certain the dealers buted him, but by the time we started working him enough for his movement probs to show, it was too late to get the blood samples tested.

did ride him, but only for about 5 minutes, he was sound but very slow and tired.
 
if he's got all these problems he should never of passed the vetting, as some of them must of been noticable at vetting
 
then there must be neglience(sp) on the vets behalf as if he has got deformed hips he would of had them from birth so they should of been picked up on at vetting.
 
That does ring alarm bells. When I went there they would only allow their local vet on the premises! I wonder why!
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I bet I know who the vet was and they probably have some deal with them.
 
I assume the vet has diagnosed these problems, in which case and they are congenital, the problems were there when he was vetted, I would pursue the matter with the vet who said the problem wasn't there a few months ago.
 
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