My hunter is lame and has been for 4 days, HELP!

[JustKickOn]

I echo the "can't afford the vet bills, can't afford a horse". If you're not willing to pay for the vet to help your horse, but are willing to pay your hunting cap, then you need to check your priorities. I'd suggest you get the vet our before the weekend though, otherwise your call out fee is going to be a lot more.

As a bottom note, when I was 16 I had to fork out for vet/chiro bills. I borrowed money off my parents to cover the costs, and gradually paid them back.

 

[LaurenM]

If you can't afford the vet bills, you can't afford a horse.

Get the vet out. You can set up a payment agreement with them.

 

[AmyMay]

Horse was not right before you went hunting, and returned home worse...

Your first port of call OS obviously the vet. And yes you can afford it - after all you hunt every weekend...

Let us know how you get on.

 

[Brigadoon]

He can't be fit enough to hunt if you only got him in Sep!! You needed to get the vet out long ago ( before you went hunting) as he was not right. Tendons and ligaments can be damaged beyond repair and you may not feel any real heat/see swelling or indeed the horse may not be that noticeably lame. Thats why vets go to Vet School for 6 years then specialise. But your honest lad was giving you MAJOR clues he was sore!
To ask people to be nice to you then come away with something like that...well niceness is not gonna happen. Re-read your post's and imagine it was someone else posting Get the vet out first thing and see if you can get anymore hours at work. Your hunting cash..ie transport/cap will surely pay a large chunk of a vet bill !!!!!!!
I hope your horse is OK.

 

[Tnavas]

Because I'm not made of money...I'm 17 and in full-time education with a job that pays £4.50 an hour. I know what you're all saying about the vet and obviously given the amount of opinion focused on the vet I will call them out. I just tend to put faith in his own healing process as he doesn't have a history of going lame. The answer I was looking for is something more in the direction of him possibly having something building up over time that I didn't know about, or if it is just one of those things that happens - a better peace of mind, a pre-veterinary second opinion. Not the third degree!

I understand that you are struggling financially but this horse pulled up suddenly lame after slipping and is still not right - he should have been seen on the day at least he could have had some pain relief.

Unfortunately this is one of the problems of owning horses on a limited budget - I'm currently unemployed and have three horses and a vets bill that I am paying off. Vet is more than happy for me to make small regular payments. I just have to economise more - which is hard as I also have a mortgage. But I scrimp here and there - maybe you will have to not hunt for a time to pay off the bill.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=498939 ........... slightly contradictory?

I'm confused too. OP posted this at 4.59pm saying that her horse was fine. Is he lame or not ?

 

[Mince Pie]

You can afford to hunt but not call the vet out? Shame on you... 17 or not you need to learn what is important and what isn't. Your horse needs looking at by a vet so get one out. Poor horse

I'm afraid I agree with this as well. I have been signed off work for 5 months (another 2 to go) and I am currently running myself and 2 horses on £160 a week. If I can put up with and make arrangements to pay off a £400 vets bill, then the OP who is paying £600 ish (for my hunt anyway) subs and then cap on top of that every week then she can make arrangements for her vets bill to be paid off - in instalments if feasible.

Besides you only have to look at a few threads on this board to know that the majority of posters will say "we can't diagnose online, ring the vet".

 

[Wagtail]

I'm confused too. OP posted this at 4.59pm saying that her horse was fine. Is he lame or not ?

From what the OP is saying there it seems like a back problem. That would tally with the slipping and going disunited, and the reluctance to take one lead. Whatever it is, the poor thing needs the vet.

 

[navaho]

I'm afraid I agree with this as well. I have been signed off work for 5 months (another 2 to go) and I am currently running myself and 2 horses on £160 a week. If I can put up with and make arrangements to pay off a £400 vets bill, then the OP who is paying £600 ish (for my hunt anyway) subs and then cap on top of that every week then she can make arrangements for her vets bill to be paid off - in instalments if feasible.

Besides you only have to look at a few threads on this board to know that the majority of posters will say "we can't diagnose online, ring the vet".

Totally off topic, but £600? Really? Thats extortionate! I dont go every week, so i havnt bothered to take out a subscription with my hunt, but its £10 week days & £15 weekends for visitors. I have to admit to sitting here & wondering why people were saying she could use her hunting money to pay her vets bills, i was thinking £15 wont get her far.

 

[sane_and_sensible]

i really hope you've got the vet coming today.

Most of us will have kept horses on a shoe string at somepoint or other (or still do).

But, if you cannot afford vets bills you should not have a horse. End of. It is appalling behaviour to allow a horse to be in pain because you can't afford to pay the vet - yet you can afford to hunt??

I've been there and had to get a credit card or overdraft to pay a bill.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Totally off topic, but £600? Really? Thats extortionate! I dont go every week, so i havnt bothered to take out a subscription with my hunt, but its £10 week days & £15 weekends for visitors. I have to admit to sitting here & wondering why people were saying she could use her hunting money to pay her vets bills, i was thinking £15 wont get her far.

You are lucky!

The cheapest day ticket for a non -subcriber with my local hunt is £65 - that is a weekeday - Saturdays are £90

 

[lcharles]

I think your all being a bit harsh!! x

If my horse was lame i wouldn't panic and get the vet out straight away. I've had the vet out before and unless the horse is hopping lame they'd say to give him a week off then book him in for scans if there is no improvement! x

My mare had similar symptoms and is going in to horspital tonight for an operation in the morning, she's done her suspensory ligament, but was not that lame just 'slightly off' in herself x You'll never know if he's tweeked it, pulled something, factures something until you have a vet out. I wouldnt be trotting him up everyday though as if you are going to box rest him for a week or so you need to rest him not keep trotting him up x

Its always hard to know what to do, no-one wants avoidable bills and its the worse time of year for it to happen but if you want the vet out, i would get one sooner than later otherwise you'll be hit with the xmas call out fee charges soon! x

If he's not insured, i get him insured pretty quickly and wait two weeks until you can claim! x

 

[rhino]

Totally off topic, but £600? Really? Thats extortionate! I dont go every week, so i havnt bothered to take out a subscription with my hunt, but its £10 week days & £15 weekends for visitors. I have to admit to sitting here & wondering why people were saying she could use her hunting money to pay her vets bills, i was thinking £15 wont get her far.

This. Our local hunts were £10 per day for under 18s.

 

[marmalade76]

Mine is currently lame (hind) after hooning round the field like a complete loon on slick ground. He's not hopping and there was no swelling, the only difference is the windgall is more firm than usual. Vet said he has strained something in the fetlock area and gave him a course of Bute and recommended rest for two weeks, then see how he is. If he is sound then, I can start walking exercise on the roads, if not, further investigation will be needed.

I will probably rest him for more than two weeks, may aswell given the time of year and there is something else I can ride if I get desperate. Often these things just need time.

ETA, as the OP is under 18, she can probably hunt quite cheaply or free if her parents are landowners.

 

[AmyMay]

I think your all being a bit harsh!! x

If my horse was lame i wouldn't panic and get the vet out straight away.

In the original post the OP says that the horse wasn't right before she went hunting. It was worse then after hunting.

The tone of the post indicates that the OP doesn't have the knowledge or experience to know if the vet should be called at a later date - hence the advice to call the vet.

 

[bellatrix]

Don't have any advice/suggestions but thought I'd send some get well soon/quick recovery vibes his way