Lameness

be positive said:
Unfortunately horses do go lame, sometimes they never get better, you have only owned him a few months, saw your other thread, you have not answered what the diagnosis is or what treatment has been suggested, if he is of no value to you and not going to get better then you can pts so you can get a replacement but it is not something I could do without fully looking into what is wrong and giving the poor horse a chance, it is not his fault.
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I am giving him a chance actually! Iv paid £1500 in vet bills on this one accident! It's not like I'm leaving him to starve and just going to have him randomly put down
 
Oh when you say what do you do with a lame horse that you can't keep if you can't ride it most people will think you a bit heartless.

In your first post you said about selling as a companion.
 
You are either odd, don't like animals much at all or are trolling or a mix of the above.
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Just because someone doesn't want to pay a bomb each month for a horse they can't ride that doesn't make them odd or a troll. Maybe they don't have the money to investigate.

Horsequestions1 - you have a few options:

1) Spend (what will probably be) quite a substantial amount of money in trying to investigate the cause of the lameness. It may be fixable, it may not be. You'll never know until you try.
2) Have the horse put to sleep.
3) Try to find the horse a companion home. You may find someone really nice, you may not.

If you want to give him the best life possible and love him as much as you say you do, then you could keep him and try to investigate as and when you can (but turn him away in the meantime).

What have you tried so far?
 
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SpringArising said:
Just because someone doesn't want to pay a bomb each month for a horse they can't ride that doesn't make them odd or a troll. Maybe they don't have the money to investigate.

Horsequestions1 - you have a few options:

1) Spend (what will probably be) quite a substantial amount of money in trying to investigate the cause of the lameness. It may be fixable, it may not be. You'll never know until you try.
2) Have the horse put to sleep.
3) Try to find the horse a companion home. You may find someone really nice, you may not.

If you want to give her the best life possible and love her as much as you say you do, then you could keep her and try to investigate as and when you can (but turn her away in the meantime).


What have you tried so far?
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Horse has only been lame for a month though. Surely most people would investigate and treat or at least give the horse some time? I know not everyone happy to keep an out of work horse but If not insured surely you wouldn't be discussing selling it on just yet?

It cost £200 for blocks and X-rays to find out why mine was lame and less for my mums- I don't think that is a lot compared to the other costs of horses?
 
SpringArising said:
Just because someone doesn't want to pay a bomb each month for a horse they can't ride that doesn't make them odd or a troll. Maybe they don't have the money to investigate.

Horsequestions1 - you have a few options:

1) Spend (what will probably be) quite a substantial amount of money in trying to investigate the cause of the lameness. It may be fixable, it may not be. You'll never know until you try.
2) Have the horse put to sleep.
3) Try to find the horse a companion home. You may find someone really nice, you may not.

If you want to give her the best life possible and love her as much as you say you do, then you could keep her and try to investigate as and when you can (but turn her away in the meantime).

What have you tried so far?
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Thankyou! First piece of helpful and unjudgmental advice so far!
I have spent £1500 on vets bills for flextion tests etc and he has been on box rest for 1 month but is not improving, he's getting really restless and just down in himself! I just want him to feel happy and like part of the gang again xx
 
ester said:
Horse has only been lame for a month though. Surely most people would investigate and treat or at least give the horse some time? I know not everyone happy to keep an out of work horse but If not insured surely you wouldn't be discussing selling it on just yet?
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I'm not discussing it! Just looking at my options, it's the best thing for me and my horse so I am prepared for what might be to come...
 
Horsequestions1 said:
I am giving him a chance actually! Iv paid £1500 in vet bills on this one accident! It's not like I'm leaving him to starve and just going to have him randomly put down
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If you have already spent that much and the vet still has no idea where the lameness originates and has not bothered to block to find out, I would definitely be getting referred for a proper diagnosis or just get another vet in for a second opinion, £1500 is more than enough to have most tests done, it would certainly have paid for a full workup with xrays and scans of the appropriate areas.
 
ester said:
Horse has only been lame for a month though. Surely most people would investigate and treat or at least give the horse some time? I know not everyone happy to keep an out of work horse but If not insured surely you wouldn't be discussing selling it on just yet?

It cost £200 for blocks and X-rays to find out why mine was lame and less for my mums- I don't think that is a lot compared to the other costs of horses?
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Well my vet is a lot more expensive then that!
 
Yes, he's having 2 sachets of bute everyday and had been for 2 weeks now, the vet suggested next week I cut down to one. If after his medicine he is not feeling better then we will send him for x-Rays and ultrasound
 
Clearly, you have a strangely expensive vet if mine had charged me that without any diagnostics I would be reporting them to RCVS
 
Well that's 750 at 250 a time without doing anything technical as I said possibly uniquely expensive and I would go elsewhere
 
Horsequestions1 said:
Thankyou! First piece of helpful and unjudgmental advice so far!
I have spent £1500 on vets bills for flextion tests etc and he has been on box rest for 1 month but is not improving, he's getting really restless and just down in himself! I just want him to feel happy and like part of the gang again xx
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If you really don't have any more money to stump up at the moment (or for the foreseeable future), I'd say the best thing you can do in this situation is turn the horse away for four-six months on cheap grass livery (on his own, so he can't hooley around with others and do further damage).

How lame is he exactly? Is he worse on a tight circle and hard surfaces, or does it make no difference whatsoever? Is he shod or barefoot?

At this point in time, if you can investigate further, I think it's probably worth switching practices to get a second opinion.
 
SpringArising said:
If you really don't have any more money to stump up at the moment (or for the foreseeable future), I'd say the best thing you can do in this situation is turn the horse away for four-six months on cheap grass livery (on his own, so he can't hooley around with others and do further damage).

How lame is he exactly? Is he worse on a tight circle and hard surfaces, or does it make no difference whatsoever? Is he shod or barefoot?

At this point in time, if you can investigate further, I think it's probably worth switching practices to get a second opinion.
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He is 3 tenths lame and as I cannot lunge him/ride I cannot tell!
I think the idea of turnout with no other horses is good as he likes to have a play!
Also, he is shoed on all 4 feet x
 
Sorry but I find your vets fees quite incredible. My vet isn't cheap, and an initial assessment including flexion tests which are hardly hi-tech, costs around £120 which is about 50 minutes with the vet. I know because I had two horses done last week. At your £1500 that's about 11 visits and assessments without proceeding to nerve blocks or x-rays? Tbh I'd change vet if that was really the case.
 
Horsequestions1 said:
My vet is amazing and has really helped me
And my horse by giving me the knowledge and understanding I need.
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Yep, I'll say he's amazing! What a canny business man he is.

As yet, he's got £1500 quid out of you without doing a proper work up, let alone doing an x-ray or scan. He's imparted you with so much knowledge and understanding that even now, you still have no idea where the problem lies, nor prognosis.

Get a proper vet out - for your horse's sake, he deserves better and so do you. :(
 
It is difficult with lame horses, but a month really isn't a long time for lameness. A small tendon tear or muscle damage can take a lot longer to heal! bear in mind that moderate tendon damage takes a year to fully heal (not saying it is that, I can't gather much information on the lameness from the thread. Just an example). If you don't want to pay the bills I'd leave him in a field for a few months, check on him regularly and see how he progresses- you may find cheap grass livery somewhere ? If no improvement and you really can't face the bills, PTS. £1500 is ridiculous for flexions !my mare (ddft tear) had a full lameness work up, ultrasound, surgey under GA, 3 nights in the vet and a load of bute and raised bar shoes for that...
 
I would change vets and have a proper lameness work up done, at least you know what your dealing with it could be something easily treated, after spending that much on diagostic procedures I would want to know whats going on, my horse spent over a week in Rossdales and it was not that much more.
 
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