opinions please on arthritic mare and confidence ????

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swampdonkey

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I am feeling a bit confused and surprisingly down tonight.
I have had terrible confidence issues since breaking my back nearly 18 months ago. I bought my boy shortly after my accident and although I adore him he is not the one for me.
He is for sale after much heartbreak and soul searching.
Shortly after I had decided to sell him a friend on the yard offered me to ride her mare, with a view to buy.
Now the mare is 14 and as safe as they come, I have been riding her a couple of times a week for just over a month and haven’t felt this confident on a horse in years.
Now that sounds all good but there is two problems.
First is that the mare has arthritis in both hocks, she has had injections in both hocks but they didn’t make her sound, she has a supplement and an occasional danilon but some days when I ride she still isn’t sound. Her owner is lovely but doesn’t manage her the way I would, I.e she is fed competition mix and doesn’t have regular gentle exercise, she doesn’t feel the need to give her danilon unless she is really hoppity. (Whereas I feel she should probably have a regular dose until she is more comfortable and her supplement that I have bought her kicks in.
Second being that the owner wants to keep her until she finds something else (bearing in mind she is looking for the impossible and has been for 6 months) which is fine in principle but I can’t change her management to see if she would become sound with better management, and to be honest having no say in her management is frustrating me.
Sorry this is so long and if I hope it makes sense as got on a roll there.
Any opinions or ideas or should I just stay with current arrangement and take a chance seeing as she fills me with confidence.
 
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Depends on what you want to do, our 18 yr old mare has recently been diagnosed with arthritis, is on cod liver oil and half a bute per day, yesterday she only managed half an hour hack at walk before we led her home.
We will see if she is more comfortable on a full bute daily, part of the problem is the heavy mud on the route to the stables, I think it could be aggravating the arthritis but I won't see her uncomfortable even as a field ornament. we are looking at other routes from the field to the stables
There will be other confidence givers out there, good luck in your decision
 
I would ask if you could have her on 'full' loan with view to buy for a certain period, on the basis that you will try her on the supplements and Danilon full time, and if she's sound/more comfortable you will buy her. If not, you won't.

It would be different if this horse were just a loan.
 
Honestly I dont think she will be able to sell her. People cant give horses like this away at the moment.

I have two oldies who I manage and buy every supplement there is for, but I have owned them for many many years. I would not take on something with known problems, enough can go wrong with a sound horse.

Basically you would be buying a horse which might only be rideable for a short time, which is going to cost money in vets bills and supplements, and you wont be able to insure properly. Also some horses manage on regular Bute or Danilon, some you have to keep upping it and that has long term health and cost implications. Its a recipe for heartache in the future.

I understand the problem with your confidence, perhaps a sound oldie would be suitable. If they have no underlying problems they can go on into their thirties
 
I have to say I wouldn't ride a horse that needed danilon to remain sound due to arthritis, so for me it wouldn't be an option to buy one like her as a riding horse.
 
I kind of agree with little legs , when the vet told me my mare needed half a danilon a day to be comfortable she retired, one year later I have had to have her put to sleep as I could now longer manage her pain. This horse would never pass a vetting, you need to think very carefully
 
thank you all for you replies. I know what you are saying makes sense.
I would love to loan her and love her and look after her as if she was my own, trouble is her owner wants her cake and eat it.
She wants me to continue to ride and look after her 3 week nights, the nights she can't do and her have her the weekends and her days off in the week.
I think she thinks she is doing me a favor and that she would be able to sell her easily because she is so good.
She wants to keep this arrangement until she finds herself a new horse and then for a month after until she knows the new horse is the right one for her.
I feel a bit put upon in that she expects me to wait for her to find new horse and just take her off her hands when she no longer wants her.
The stubborn side of me wants to tell her that I either full loan her now to see if I can get her sound and comfortable or I will have to leave it.
This is a risk because as I say the owner thinks she will sell easily so would probably say no, so would I be cutting off my nose to spite my face.
I really don't think I would have the confidence to go and get myself a new horse, although I would have the money to do so once my boy is sold.
Arrgh!! Once again my confidence stops me from doing the things I want!
 
littlelegs said:
I have to say I wouldn't ride a horse that needed danilon to remain sound due to arthritis, so for me it wouldn't be an option to buy one like her as a riding horse.
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Sorry, I really disagree with this. My pony has arthritis and the best thing for her is to be ridden. She pulled a tendon the other week and needed two weeks rest - well, it absolutely crippled her. She must have aged about five years in two weeks. All her legs swelled up and she was walking about stiff legged and uncomfortable and this was on two bute a day and on field rest not box rest. It was painful to see. I have started to bring her back into work with some walking hacks and in hand work in the school (leg yielding and shoulder ins) and yesterday I did some walking and slow trotting, very gentle lateral work in the school. This is turning around the arthritis and the pony is tracking up again and looking much brighter and happier.
It has underlined for me that I will probably never be able to retire my pony, and when she CAN'T work anymore that will probably be it (she is only 22). But when she is in regular work she is really happy and enjoys going out galloping. A few weeks ago she did a gymkhana at a local show and won a working hunter popping round a 2'3 course.
OP, what supplement are you feeding? Mine is on riaflex and I also add micronized linseed. If they are deficient in copper this can affect joints so it can be worth having your forage analysed. Tumeric can also be good. I give her danilon whenever she needs it. I also have her shoes off to reduce the concussion to her joints. She has rubber mats in her stable for warmth when she is in there (and a nice big stable) but she is still out 24 hours at the moment to maximise her movement.
The absolute key thing in managing a horse with arthritis is to keep them moving and well exercised. If mine comes out stiff we do in hand stretches like leg yielding to shoulder in to get her to shift her weight behind and flex her hindlegs - she never wants to at first then she sighs, her eyes go soft and she licks and chews and she starts wanting to work because she is feeling better. It is best to avoid having days off as much as possible. If she is feeling stiff, I try to crack on and do something anyway because I know it will make her feel better - giving her a day off will make it worse.
The arthritis causes secondary pain in the muscles of the hamstrings and the lumber back so it is important to stretch and massage these. I have an equilibrum back pad for my pony and she wears that a couple of times a week. I hand massage her as well and she has massage boots and magnetic therapy boots that she wears if she is in.
 
unbalanced said:
Sorry, I really disagree with this. My pony has arthritis and the best thing for her is to be ridden. She pulled a tendon the other week and needed two weeks rest - well, it absolutely crippled her. She must have aged about five years in two weeks. All her legs swelled up and she was walking about stiff legged and uncomfortable and this was on two bute a day and on field rest not box rest. It was painful to see. I have started to bring her back into work with some walking hacks and in hand work in the school (leg yielding and shoulder ins) and yesterday I did some walking and slow trotting, very gentle lateral work in the school. This is turning around the arthritis and the pony is tracking up again and looking much brighter and happier.
It has underlined for me that I will probably never be able to retire my pony, and when she CAN'T work anymore that will probably be it (she is only 22). But when she is in regular work she is really happy and enjoys going out galloping. A few weeks ago she did a gymkhana at a local show and won a working hunter popping round a 2'3 course.
OP, what supplement are you feeding? Mine is on riaflex and I also add micronized linseed. If they are deficient in copper this can affect joints so it can be worth having your forage analysed. Tumeric can also be good. I give her danilon whenever she needs it. I also have her shoes off to reduce the concussion to her joints. She has rubber mats in her stable for warmth when she is in there (and a nice big stable) but she is still out 24 hours at the moment to maximise her movement.
The absolute key thing in managing a horse with arthritis is to keep them moving and well exercised. If mine comes out stiff we do in hand stretches like leg yielding to shoulder in to get her to shift her weight behind and flex her hindlegs - she never wants to at first then she sighs, her eyes go soft and she licks and chews and she starts wanting to work because she is feeling better. It is best to avoid having days off as much as possible. If she is feeling stiff, I try to crack on and do something anyway because I know it will make her feel better - giving her a day off will make it worse.
The arthritis causes secondary pain in the muscles of the hamstrings and the lumber back so it is important to stretch and massage these. I have an equilibrum back pad for my pony and she wears that a couple of times a week. I hand massage her as well and she has massage boots and magnetic therapy boots that she wears if she is in.
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I agree with everything you are saying but the owner did't like me interfering too much, as I said just wants me to wait for her to find a new horse then buy her mare.

As of last night she has said that she feels guilty asking me to wait for her to find something else so has said that I should stop riding her and find something else.

I can't believe how upset I am, the thought of not riding her has brought me to tears.
In a bit of a mess this morning and can see me being horseless for the first time in years.
 
rockysmum said:
Honestly I dont think she will be able to sell her. People cant give horses like this away at the moment.

I have two oldies who I manage and buy every supplement there is for, but I have owned them for many many years. I would not take on something with known problems, enough can go wrong with a sound horse.

Basically you would be buying a horse which might only be rideable for a short time, which is going to cost money in vets bills and supplements, and you wont be able to insure properly. Also some horses manage on regular Bute or Danilon, some you have to keep upping it and that has long term health and cost implications. Its a recipe for heartache in the future.

I understand the problem with your confidence, perhaps a sound oldie would be suitable. If they have no underlying problems they can go on into their thirties
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I would not buy and think its sad she is selling a horse who clearly has no more use for her long term and will just get worse over time. So No dont buy just ride as long as horse is comfy, and really it is maintenance riding when a horse is having this kind of treatment(whats best for it not you). Cost of drugs is not cheap so thats probably why she wants to sell. Just keep riding but I do feel a bit sorry for the horse its had quite intensive treatment and masks the underlying problem. If you do buy its to keep it ticking over, thats all. Good luck. In fact reading back dont be a mug and stand back to see whole situation in reality. You will regret this, I just had horse PTS arthritis over many years he was never sound again for past 6 years.
 
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swampdonkey said:
I agree with everything you are saying but the owner did't like me interfering too much, as I said just wants me to wait for her to find a new horse then buy her mare.

As of last night she has said that she feels guilty asking me to wait for her to find something else so has said that I should stop riding her and find something else.

I can't believe how upset I am, the thought of not riding her has brought me to tears.
In a bit of a mess this morning and can see me being horseless for the first time in years.
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Thats such a shame, she might have read or heard about this thread.

To be honest its probably for the best, long term I am sure you will find something suitable. Can you afford the time and money to keep two until you sell yours. If so, why not set the HHOs a task to find you a new horse. It can be great fun and very exciting, I think you might have forgotten that with your confidence loss.

You could also try offerering to share the mare until you get something else or she is sold. Her owner might appreciate the money and help without pressure on either side to buy/sell.
 
There is a difference between managing an arthritic horse which has given many years of good service and desrves to be looked after and BUYING someone elses responsibilty. I would class this horse as unsaleable, unsound and not something you should be preparing to take on. The arthritis will get worse eventually and then you will have further hard decisions to make. There are plenty of horses out there that don't have soundness issues which could do the job you're looking for. Wise words (which I don't always heed): never buy a problem.
 
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