Lifes sh*t - What to do.......

Halfpass

Halfpass

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I'm sure most of you know about my 4 year old Warmblood mare Aleeta.

In a nut shell - Nicely bred, very lightly backed last summer, turned away over winter and bought back into work about 3 months ago only to find that she was bilateraly lame. Counter rotated pedal bones diagnosed and remedial shoes fitted, both vet and farrier are optimistic for a return to full work in which ever discipline I choose.

Now me - Diagnosed with 2 prolapsed discs 2 years ago. Sold my very difficult last horse and bought Aleeta (yes I know a youngster probably wasn't the best idea!!) had 18months ish off with very limited riding and then backed Aleeta and all was fine back held up well with no problems.

6 weeks ago I fell over and crashed onto my back. Have since been suffering from severe sciatica and very stiff back unable to do very much. Haven't worked and haven't ridden. Hopped on Aleeta last monday for the first time since lameness and hopped straight back off. She was full of it understandably and I felt too nervous - probably due to lack of riding - to keep her in check.

Back felt much better yesterday - however the stong painkillers are probably covering most if it up so I hopped on our semi retired cob for a hack yesterday and now I am suffering this morning.

Dilema - Aleeta is 4 1/2 and due to her problem needs to be worked to allow the correct muscles to start to build up to suuport the new structure that the remedial shoes have given her. Due to my back I am unable to do this and unfortunatly can't really afford to pay someone else.

So what do I do?

I have come up with a few options all of which have their negatives:-

Send her to someone for a month - Would break the bank but solve alot of problems
Pay someone to ride her - would probably cost more than sending her away
Loan her out for a year to someone very experienced - Would struggle to let her go as I wanted these first parts of her life to be ridden by me!!
Just chuck her out for 6 months - very difficult to find grass livery over winter round here and current yard only does alternate day turnout if the grass is very wet!!!

Help please I really can't see an answer to my probelms or am I just being over dramatic and its staring me in the face!!!???
 
i would probably send her away.
then when she comes back hopefully your back will be much better and she'll also have had plenty riding and educating.
or look into paying someone to ride her for you and see if it really will cost more than sending her away.
 
Send her to boot camp and have a competant sharer lined up to share the costs, the challenges and the fun when she comes back.
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Sorry to hear about your back. I have a bad back injury too and its so painful and restricting. I sympathise.
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Trouble is for the next 4 weeks she should only be doing walk so surely to send her away would just be wasted money!!??
How long should I send her for and what sort of money am I looking at?
It would mean putting more money on an already existing loan, is it worth it?
I have the physio coming tomorrow who should be able to shed some light into how much she should be doing. Vet has suggested hacking her on ACP which I could probably manage. Trouble is don't want to ruin my back then never be able to ride her.
I had considered selling her and having a year or 2 off. Trouble is she is my baby and I think I would strugle emotionaly to sell her. Plus she is worth mothing really with the problems she has...........
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Send her to boot camp and have a competant sharer lined up to share the costs, the challenges and the fun when she comes back.
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Sorry to hear about your back. I have a bad back injury too and its so painful and restricting. I sympathise.
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How easy is it to find someone competant enough though?
I have looked for a sharer for our semi retired cob and I really think I would struggle to find someone suitable!!
 
If she can only walk at present i would look into someone coming to ride her for you and keep her where she is. I used to ride for my friend who had young children and she was afraid to hack out and do the canter work in fields so i did that and she did the schooling, it worked really well. I used to get £10 but she was my friend and lived locally and i didn't really want to accept that much even! I hope you can find a solution.
 
Will your back allow you to long-rein her for a few weeks - might help you to work her in walk in an outline, further her education and so on until you're up to riding again? Or is that worse than riding??
 
I would turn her away until she comes right, then due to your own health problems i would seriously think about selling her, it is hard when you become emotionally attached, but you have to look at the bigger picture, i should then look for something a bit more experienced that you are not going to feel nervous about riding.
 
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Will your back allow you to long-rein her for a few weeks - might help you to work her in walk in an outline, further her education and so on until you're up to riding again? Or is that worse than riding??

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i was just thinking that
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great minds think alike, or fools seldom differ lol
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Will your back allow you to long-rein her for a few weeks - might help you to work her in walk in an outline, further her education and so on until you're up to riding again? Or is that worse than riding??

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Its definatly a thought and what I have been doing since monday. She long reins well as we did loads last year. Certainly worth a thought and I'm pretty sure I can get someone to ride her once or twice a week.
 
I could possibly come and ride her twice a week for you if you like??
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It would possibly be in the evenings and you may have to entertain my kids while I ride if I have to bring them
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I could possibly come and ride her twice a week for you if you like??
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It would possibly be in the evenings and you may have to entertain my kids while I ride if I have to bring them
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Now that might sound like a plan. I can do entertaining kids no problem...... only thing is I would have to find someone to hack with you........are you serious........ OMG you could be the answer to my problem....... OMG OMG..... I LOVE YOU!!!!
 
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you really will do anything to get some peace from the kids during the hols won't you
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on a serious note. what a lovely offer. sounds like a fab idea
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[/ QUOTE ]She hasnt seen my riding yet !!!!!
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* TT goes to dust off her hat*
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That would be up for debate I think
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OMG now I'm worried.
Although to dance like that a certain amount of balance is needed to i'm guessing she won't fall off too quickly when Alee decides 2 legs are better than 4!!!!!
 
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Hmmm, I was hoping this would be a good opportunity to get to grips with my rising trot
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Don't you worry we can practice the uppy downy thing in walk first......
 
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i just hope you appear in suitable attire.
shorts and open toe sandals
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[/ QUOTE ]What in this weather
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A jolly good set of rustely waterproofs is needed
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I have green wellies already in the shed
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I would consider doing long lining and lunge work (with side reins to get her learning to stretch into a contact). There will be quite a lot you can do on the ground, over poles etc.
I would also then get a qualified person to come in and ride with a view to educating/developing her, say twice a week.
 
Also could you do some long reining a couple of times a week to keep her ticking over, she could work long and low to get her some muscle and then your friend can hop on a couple of times a week too, that way you are also knocking some steam out of her so she is happier on 4 legs?
 
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