MissMincePie&Brandy
Well-Known Member
I just had a phone call from the yard, my heart sank, but it was OK I'd just forgotten to leave a cheque for the dentist! PHEW!
The reason I panic when I see the yard calling my phone is that my old horse's joints are getting worse. He's still got a strong character and is loving his routine and is eager to come in and go out every day, but he keeps tripping over and falling . It's happening about once a week that we know of, and on Saturday he fell over when I was leading him slowly to the field. There was nothing to trip on, the path was good flat ground, but he didn't pick his feet up properly and he fell over onto his tummy and scooted along the ground due to the force of it all. It was awful to witness, but he got up and he was OK after a couple of minutes.
I posted a month or so ago about how I couldn't pick his front feet out as he wont bend his knees. Well, I worked out a way of being able to do this, and I've been managing, so I was really pleased about that.
He's on daily bute (2 sachets), plus feedmarks zerobute, so I can give him maximum pain relief for arthritis. He's 33, and we've had him for most of his life, in fact he's been in the family for most of my life!
I think I am going to make the dreaded phone call to my vets before high summer. He's a shire cross and over the past few years he hasn't coped well in hot weather. Last summer he was stabled during the day and during the hottest days I had to have him hosed down every 3 hours as he overheated, even though I'd clipped him.
This is all much harder than I thought it would be. Some people are telling me it's time to do it now, and other people are telling me no way because he's still so happy and full of life (He has A LOT of fans on the yard). Both points of view are correct. In his mind he's still a young man. However his limbs are completely worn out
If he were a person he would be a wonderful old man in a wheelchair and he'd enjoy telling stories of his great life over a pint of ale and his favourite pie
Sorry this is quite a long, pointless post, but it did make me feel a little bit better writing it. I wondered about adding some photos of him, but would that make people sad if they see his cheeky little face?
The reason I panic when I see the yard calling my phone is that my old horse's joints are getting worse. He's still got a strong character and is loving his routine and is eager to come in and go out every day, but he keeps tripping over and falling . It's happening about once a week that we know of, and on Saturday he fell over when I was leading him slowly to the field. There was nothing to trip on, the path was good flat ground, but he didn't pick his feet up properly and he fell over onto his tummy and scooted along the ground due to the force of it all. It was awful to witness, but he got up and he was OK after a couple of minutes.
I posted a month or so ago about how I couldn't pick his front feet out as he wont bend his knees. Well, I worked out a way of being able to do this, and I've been managing, so I was really pleased about that.
He's on daily bute (2 sachets), plus feedmarks zerobute, so I can give him maximum pain relief for arthritis. He's 33, and we've had him for most of his life, in fact he's been in the family for most of my life!
I think I am going to make the dreaded phone call to my vets before high summer. He's a shire cross and over the past few years he hasn't coped well in hot weather. Last summer he was stabled during the day and during the hottest days I had to have him hosed down every 3 hours as he overheated, even though I'd clipped him.
This is all much harder than I thought it would be. Some people are telling me it's time to do it now, and other people are telling me no way because he's still so happy and full of life (He has A LOT of fans on the yard). Both points of view are correct. In his mind he's still a young man. However his limbs are completely worn out
If he were a person he would be a wonderful old man in a wheelchair and he'd enjoy telling stories of his great life over a pint of ale and his favourite pie
Sorry this is quite a long, pointless post, but it did make me feel a little bit better writing it. I wondered about adding some photos of him, but would that make people sad if they see his cheeky little face?
