santander123
New User
I bought a lovely horse that had kissing spines. I knew this from the outset and it was very much reflected in the price. In short, I had myself a cheap schoolmaster dressage horse. Incredibly, he had got up to a very good level despite having pretty bad overriding processes.
Once I had bought him he had the kissing spines ligament snip. I sent him down to south Wales, four hours away, to be operated on by the surgeon who pioneered the ISLD, and the operation was very successful. He then went on to be a much happier horse - a lovely ride, and just generally ace.
Fast forward to 2020 and he went lame. My own vet up here said it was his hocks, they were arthritic. He wasn't insured so we discussed options and decided that, as it was quite likely that arthritis was the problem, we would medicate the hocks. After this he was much better but still 1/10th lame. They said ride him as much as possible and it will improve once he gets stronger. So I stayed patient for a few weeks and when he hadn't come right I consulted the vet and went back. They scanned and examined him and said his SI joint was very sore, and it looked like that needed medicating. I agreed with this as palpating it was very sore for him.They said there were arthritic changes there. I was told that he could be medicated there and then if I wanted. I said yes that sounds sensible.
At this point, I started to smell a rat about the actual spine, so I asked the vet to take an xray of it. She said it was not sore as she had palpated it and he was ok. She knew his history of kissing spines. I said please could you just take an xray for my peace of mind, she said fine.
She came back 20mins later, bootfaced. The kissing spines were back, she said, and he was basically unrideable. I was devastated. She showed me the xrays and I saw what she meant. They looked awful. We discussed options for him and it was decided that I would move him from the yard that I'm on and turn him out in a field that I have and he could live there. I am very lucky to have a field or I don't know what I would have done. I couldn't retire a horse on livery forever. She said he would be pasture sound, but come winter I may be a different story. I was heartbroken - I would never sit on my lovely lad ever again. I couldn't believe it - in 20 mins my world just changed in a heartbeat. My poor boy - his kissing spines had come back and he never told me.
In the meantime my trainer said he knew of a horse for sale that would fit the bill for me since I was probably going to need another. I tried the horse and it was lovely but quite expensive. I knew it was a good buy though so I bought him. So, new horse.
Meanwhile I kept my kissing spines boy at our livery yard for a few weeks while I sorted out my field. I cried every time I handled him - I was heartbroken.
On the morning of moving him I decided to message the vet that did the snip, and show him the xray. I figured he would appreciate seeing how the case went even though it was an unfortunate outcome. I sent him the xray with the words 'I assume this is a write off'.
He phoned me back there and then. What did I mean, it was a write off? I told him and he was speechless. He said there was nothing wrong with it and that was the spine that he operated on, the operation was a great success and the xray is the same as it was straight after surgery. What you see has no bearing on the result, he said. He said he always tells his young vets to look at the horse, not the xray, and that this xray had been misinterpreted. He said that the vet had been 'let's say sloppy, to say the least'. This vet pioneered the ligament snip and is internationally renowned and respected. He wouldn't say it was fine when it wasn't. He was completely confident that this back was of no concern. He said the vet was probably right on the money about the SI needing medicating because of the changes on the xray, and also the hocks were flexing fine now suggesting that the lameness was in that area. He couldn't believe that they had, in is words 'almost sent your horse to heaven, right there'. It was indeed true that I had almost asked them to pts there and then, since we were at the hospital anyway. I came away from that phone call with my head spinning.
So, I'm beyond relieved that the KS are not back, and that I will ride my lad again. But I am also very angry about this.
My friends think I should take this further - at the very least ask for a decent credit on my bill. I have gone through this awful time, nearly euthanised and bought another expensive horse.
Should I, can I, take this further? I'm not a litigious person by nature but I'm getting angrier and angrier every day. I know that I was dumb for not going straight to the surgeon straight away, but that xray looked like a foregone conclusion. And to be honest I didn't want to bring him bad news about his work. Stupid I know.
But what would you do? Anything or nothing?
Sorry for the long post by the way!
Once I had bought him he had the kissing spines ligament snip. I sent him down to south Wales, four hours away, to be operated on by the surgeon who pioneered the ISLD, and the operation was very successful. He then went on to be a much happier horse - a lovely ride, and just generally ace.
Fast forward to 2020 and he went lame. My own vet up here said it was his hocks, they were arthritic. He wasn't insured so we discussed options and decided that, as it was quite likely that arthritis was the problem, we would medicate the hocks. After this he was much better but still 1/10th lame. They said ride him as much as possible and it will improve once he gets stronger. So I stayed patient for a few weeks and when he hadn't come right I consulted the vet and went back. They scanned and examined him and said his SI joint was very sore, and it looked like that needed medicating. I agreed with this as palpating it was very sore for him.They said there were arthritic changes there. I was told that he could be medicated there and then if I wanted. I said yes that sounds sensible.
At this point, I started to smell a rat about the actual spine, so I asked the vet to take an xray of it. She said it was not sore as she had palpated it and he was ok. She knew his history of kissing spines. I said please could you just take an xray for my peace of mind, she said fine.
She came back 20mins later, bootfaced. The kissing spines were back, she said, and he was basically unrideable. I was devastated. She showed me the xrays and I saw what she meant. They looked awful. We discussed options for him and it was decided that I would move him from the yard that I'm on and turn him out in a field that I have and he could live there. I am very lucky to have a field or I don't know what I would have done. I couldn't retire a horse on livery forever. She said he would be pasture sound, but come winter I may be a different story. I was heartbroken - I would never sit on my lovely lad ever again. I couldn't believe it - in 20 mins my world just changed in a heartbeat. My poor boy - his kissing spines had come back and he never told me.
In the meantime my trainer said he knew of a horse for sale that would fit the bill for me since I was probably going to need another. I tried the horse and it was lovely but quite expensive. I knew it was a good buy though so I bought him. So, new horse.
Meanwhile I kept my kissing spines boy at our livery yard for a few weeks while I sorted out my field. I cried every time I handled him - I was heartbroken.
On the morning of moving him I decided to message the vet that did the snip, and show him the xray. I figured he would appreciate seeing how the case went even though it was an unfortunate outcome. I sent him the xray with the words 'I assume this is a write off'.
He phoned me back there and then. What did I mean, it was a write off? I told him and he was speechless. He said there was nothing wrong with it and that was the spine that he operated on, the operation was a great success and the xray is the same as it was straight after surgery. What you see has no bearing on the result, he said. He said he always tells his young vets to look at the horse, not the xray, and that this xray had been misinterpreted. He said that the vet had been 'let's say sloppy, to say the least'. This vet pioneered the ligament snip and is internationally renowned and respected. He wouldn't say it was fine when it wasn't. He was completely confident that this back was of no concern. He said the vet was probably right on the money about the SI needing medicating because of the changes on the xray, and also the hocks were flexing fine now suggesting that the lameness was in that area. He couldn't believe that they had, in is words 'almost sent your horse to heaven, right there'. It was indeed true that I had almost asked them to pts there and then, since we were at the hospital anyway. I came away from that phone call with my head spinning.
So, I'm beyond relieved that the KS are not back, and that I will ride my lad again. But I am also very angry about this.
My friends think I should take this further - at the very least ask for a decent credit on my bill. I have gone through this awful time, nearly euthanised and bought another expensive horse.
Should I, can I, take this further? I'm not a litigious person by nature but I'm getting angrier and angrier every day. I know that I was dumb for not going straight to the surgeon straight away, but that xray looked like a foregone conclusion. And to be honest I didn't want to bring him bad news about his work. Stupid I know.
But what would you do? Anything or nothing?
Sorry for the long post by the way!
