neurological hind limb lameness - experiences please?

Aw I'm so sorry. :(
I truly am so gutted for you.

I hate to put a dampener on things, but I am surprised that the vet has suggested trying to get him rideable again :eek:
Henesy had late onset Wobblers in exactly the same place as yours. My vet told me there and then that I couldn't ride him ever again. It was just too dangerous.
Please understand that I am not trying to put doom and gloom on things - apart from anything else it makes things very difficult from an insurance point of view.

The worst part is not knowing - so at least you do know now what you are dealing with.

I wish you all the best.

More *hugs* in case you need them.
 
I'm so sorry hun cos yours has exactly same as mine same place as well. I know how terrible and gutted u feel. Did they grade him?

Pls pm me if you want to talk. I'm here to listen and help if I can. Hugs x
 
Always Henesy said:
My vet told me there and then that I couldn't ride him ever again. It was just too dangerous.
Please understand that I am not trying to put doom and gloom on things - apart from anything else it makes things very difficult from an insurance point of view.
Click to expand...


I wish my vet would do the same AH. At the moment he is making "we can improve him" noises. I have had to make it very clear to him that he is a horse who can only be controlled in a curb bit and he is also very big (16.3 +) and that I am not prepared ever to get on his back again unless he presents no neurological symptoms of any kind, because of the danger of him falling with me on him while powering around the arena as he does. (did !)

He cannot become a light hack even if he is fit enough to do it. I live on 1 in 4 hills, and apart from that he made it perfectly clear since he was 4 years old that he absolutely loathes hacking out.

He is not insured so thankfully there is no problem there. I can afford his treatment, so no issues there either as long as there is some point in the treatment. I can get the hunt to shoot him whenever I choose, I do not need the vet's permission. My expectation is that will probably happen before the winter, unless there is some kind of miracle in the meantime. And if he deteriorates, it will be sooner of course.

As it happens I am on holiday next week and he is going to the rehab yard for intensive therapy while I am away. I will assess at that point what difference the therapy has made and make plans for his future then.

Thanks for the condolences everyone, you are very kind.
 
Last edited:
cptrayes said:
I wish my vet would do the same AH. At the moment he is making "we can improve him" noises. I have had to make it very clear to him that he is a horse who can only be controlled in a curb bit and he is also very big (16.3 +) and that I am not prepared ever to get on his back again unless he presents no neurological symptoms of any kind, because of the danger of him falling with me on him while powering around the arena as he does. (did !)

He cannot become a light hack even if he is fit enough to do it. I live on 1 in 4 hills, and apart from that he made it perfectly clear since he was 4 years old that he absolutely loathes hacking out.

He is not insured so thankfully there is no problem there. I can afford his treatment, so no issues there either as long as there is some point in the treatment. I can get the hunt to shoot him whenever I choose, I do not need the vet's permission. My expectation is that will probably happen before the winter, unless there is some kind of miracle in the meantime. And if he deteriorates, it will be sooner of course.

As it happens I am on holiday next week and he is going to the rehab yard for intensive therapy while I am away. I will assess at that point what difference the therapy has made and make plans for his future then.

Thanks for the condolences everyone, you are very kind.
Click to expand...

You are dealing with this in a very realistic and pragmatic way. Well done. Not many people are brave enough to do that and I think you are thinking of the horse's best interests as well as your own... I know I wouldn't like wobbling around all over the place, getting frustrated because i didn't know what my legs were doing... I'd be screaming 'somebody shoot me now!!'

Enjoy your break. Take care. And if you want to chat, we're here! x
 
So sorry to head your news, I had hoped it would be more positive for you.
At least you know what you are dealing with, & you have a plan of action. What ever happens next, you've given your boy a fighting chance.
Kx
 
cptrayes said:
I wish my vet would do the same AH. At the moment he is making "we can improve him" noises. I have had to make it very clear to him that he is a horse who can only be controlled in a curb bit and he is also very big (16.3 +) and that I am not prepared ever to get on his back again unless he presents no neurological symptoms of any kind, because of the danger of him falling with me on him while powering around the arena as he does. (did !)

He cannot become a light hack even if he is fit enough to do it. I live on 1 in 4 hills, and apart from that he made it perfectly clear since he was 4 years old that he absolutely loathes hacking out.

He is not insured so thankfully there is no problem there. I can afford his treatment, so no issues there either as long as there is some point in the treatment. I can get the hunt to shoot him whenever I choose, I do not need the vet's permission. My expectation is that will probably happen before the winter, unless there is some kind of miracle in the meantime. And if he deteriorates, it will be sooner of course.

As it happens I am on holiday next week and he is going to the rehab yard for intensive therapy while I am away. I will assess at that point what difference the therapy has made and make plans for his future then.

Thanks for the condolences everyone, you are very kind.
Click to expand...

I know you will do right by your horse CPT and I also know that you are being very stoic, pragmatic, sensible and selfless. Your boy is lucky to have you.

The therapy sounds like a good plan -

If/when you make the decision I will be right behind you offering my support. God knows how hard these things can be on the heart.
 
So sorry to hear the diagnosis, but well done for being so clear and objective about how you will make decisions for your boy.

If you are even vaguely wondering whether or not he'd be suitable for the op, then you could always try ringing Tim Phillips at Liphook, which certainly used to be the only place in the UK to do the "bagby basket" operation on wobblers. I don't know whether other places do it now, but it was the place that was recommended to me when I had a potential wobbler 6 years ago.

From the scribbled notes I made at the time, I think the operation was about £5,000 then, and that there was about a 50/50 chance of success. I was told that not all horses are suitable for the op (I seem to think it was a myelogram which would show whether they were suitable or not). And definitely I was told that there is a greater chance of success the sooner it is done.

I don't know whether late onset wobblers has a different prognosis to other wobblers, but might be worth asking?

Whatever you decide, it sound like you have the best interests of your horse at heart.

Best wishes

Sarah
 
flintfootfilly said:
If you are even vaguely wondering whether or not he'd be suitable for the op, then you could always try ringing Tim Phillips at Liphook, which certainly used to be the only place in the UK to do the "bagby basket" operation on wobblers. I don't know whether other places do it now, but it was the place that was recommended to me when I had a potential wobbler 6 years ago.
Click to expand...

Sarah thankyou but my vet told me today that Tim has retired and that no other vet in the country will do the operation because no-one believes in it. I think in any case that it is the degeneration of the vertrebra that is more serious than the narrowing and the ledge, and that is not reversible :(

I have spoken to the physio, where he is going on Sunday, and she says that she is certain that she can help the narrowing and the step ledge, but that she has no confidence that she can improve his condition with the crumbling of the interior aspect of the vertebra. Basically, he has a load of bone chips floating about loose in the tube that his spinal cord runs through :(

I think we all know where we are going (except him, bless him!) it's just a question of time to be sure we are doing the right thing before we do it.

It's a devastating change from a week ago when I had a horse with a personality the size of a house, who was approaching Grand Prix movements. But I do console myself at times like this by reminding myself that others are far, far worse off than me. I have two other lovely horses. I have a wonderful supportive partner. Truly, things could be a lot worse overall than they are. Not for him I suppose, but he doesn't know that and I'm not going to tell him :)
 
So, so sorry for you and Jazz. Your attitude and approach to this sad turn of events is to be admired. Despite your heartache, you've really got your head screwed on tightly. Well done, you.
 
I’ve been following this thread and I’m so so sorry to hear your news, I know how heartbreaking this must be for you, and I agree with RutlandH20, you really do sound like you’ve got your head screwed on and have your boys best interest at heart.

My mare had late onset wobblers  I’m sorry I can’t offer any good advice, other than (sorry for stating the obvious) please please please make sure anytime you are handling him you must have your fully charged mobile phone ON you, either in your pocket, hand, tucked in your jodhpurs, whatever, especially if you’re on your own...might sound silly, but I speak from experience!!

I really hope physio can help
I wish you all the best
 
CBFan said:
I know I wouldn't like wobbling around all over the place, getting frustrated because i didn't know what my legs were doing... I'd be screaming 'somebody shoot me now!!'
Click to expand...

I agree with you. That was the worse thing about Rommy's late onset wobblers - that he clearly didn't know where his limbs were (he had no proprioception) he also suffered from swinging his hind legs out wide (circumduction). For a flight animal this must have caused him great stress. To be honest if I were in the OP's shoes I think I would have him PTS now. Think how the OP would feel if he went down in the field and was unable to rise and she didn't see him for hours and he'd been soaking wet and cold. When the vet said there was a good chance of that happening that did it more for me than the thought of him falling on me.

Rommy's gap in the spinal column to allow the spinal cord through should have been 51mm. In his case it was 17mm. This is why he was graded 3 to 4. I still think I did the right thing and wouldn't hesistate to have my current boy pts, in fact as soon as he was diagnosed to save all the suffering and heartache, both for him and me.

Sorry to be so blunt OP. I know she has her horses best interests at heart. I am sure she doesn't need any of us to tell you what to do. xxxx
 
Last edited by a moderator:
We have talked about it at length and if we do, we will always feel that we rushed into it so that we could get away on our holiday. We would never stop wondering if a week's physio might just have produced a miracle, or at least allowed him a few months in the field with his mates before the winter.

I am certain from looking at him that with the bute he is on he is not in pain. He is lying down and getting up again. He is stable on his feet if he doesn't move and can lock out and sleep standing up. He is circumducting (thanks for the word :) ) but not to excess and as long as he can amble about slowly picking his way, he is not falling over or particularly unstable. That only happens when he turns tightly or too quickly. In himself, he is bright and interested in life.

As long as he is not in pain, he will enjoy a week of being massaged three times a day and fussed over by people, which he has always loved. I owe him that, at least.

Bearing mind that only 8 days ago he was doing extended trot and offering me piaffe and passage, it's not an easy decision to give up before we try some therapy. I can see why other people would choose otherwise, but I do think this is right for him, for me, and for my husband who also loves him.

I am a realist. I know he will never be ridden again. I do not expect to bring him home. It would upset him pointlessly to bring him back to his old mates only to have him put down days later. But if he is fit enough to have a holiday before he dies, and if we think that would be the right thing for him and for us, then he can have it.
 
Just found this thread today, didn't realise who.
Am shocked and sooo sorry to hear of your boys problems, no wonder you have been incognito for a while:o(
Sending you some {{{{hugs}}}} hopefully all these messages of support will help just a little.
We can all see you have thought this out and done everything humanly possible for him, he truly has an especially caring and compassionate owner.
All my best wishes
 
Cptrayes, I've followed your blog for ages (friend of Tetley's from Oakington) and I'm so sorry to hear of Jazz's problems, especially when he's come so so far. You must be devastated. Much love x
 
Bloomin' marvellous, isn't it Bubbles? The second horse I train for six whole years and love with all my heart who didn't make it. Thankfully Tetley is still alive and having a whale of a time in Colorado as an expat :) If feels so unfair :( Jazz was the second horse I have ever said "this one is with me for life". Tetley was the first. I'm never going to say it again!

I am very relieved tonight. He isn't my responsibility now. He's in an enormous corner box at the physio's and he is going to have a week of total pampering. He found the ramp a struggle but he travelled very well and he seemed to settle very quickly and tucked into a haynet. After what a headcase he's been all his life it's a relief to find out that he seems to just accept that his back legs are all wobbly. It doesn't actually seem to be bothering him mentally at all and I am pretty certain that he isn't any great amount of pain, if any at all.

In a week's time we will review but I'm not expecting any miracles, and I think we would need one for him ever to recover.

Thanks again everyone for your support.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top