Please give your horse the benefit of the doubt - Muffin update

[ycbm]

A lot of you know that I have had a 9 year old TB who was bred and trained to hurdle for about a year and a half. I've had a gut feel for a while that the minor issues he had with schooling had an underlying cause. Vet said he was fine. Physio said he was fine. Trainer said he was fine. Multiple experienced horse owners said he was fine and 'just a thoroughbred'. My gut said he wasn't fine.

So I took him for neck and back x rays this morning. The resullt is no big surprise to me, and I would have been more shocked if there was nothing. They are disappointingly bad, though. He has x rays showing severe arthritic changes at the facets of C4/5, 5/6 and 6/7 at the base of the neck and associated kissing spine behind the wither.

This is the second horse I've had where multiple people have told me that the issues were behavioural. I dread to think how many other long suffering and good natured creatures there are who are not being given the benefit of the doubt

My plan is to nurse him along on Devil's Claw/boswellia/MSM doing what arena work he can do easily, and hacking, which he seems to have no problem with, until he isn't coping. The vet confirmed my thoughts that injections won't last, if they even help, and we will simply end up repeating them at increasingly frequent intervals. No other treatment seems appropriate given the amount of damage found. He can't tolerate Bute, it gives him ulcers. He can't be retired, he needs work to keep his back and chest muscles strong. The vet told me this but I saw the result of laying him off when I bought him, it was appalling back atrophy, and probably when the kissing spines happened.

When he doesn't seem happy any more, I will do the right thing by him.

Quite sad right now, but glad I know what his issues are.

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[ITPersonnage]

Sorry to hear this, he seemed to be doing so well..

 

[J&S]

Disappointing for you, sad for him, but much better to know what you are dealing with.

 

[bonny]

I’m sorry to hear your news and hope he will be ok for light work for some time to come. I will admit to seeing his advert before you bought him and I had alarm bells that he was the age he was and had been in training but not raced. Easy to say with hindsight though.

 

[ycbm]

Sorry to hear this, he seemed to be doing so well..

He is, that's the bummer. He looks a picture. He has improved and improved and his schooling issues are so slight. He locks in trot on the right rein maybe once in a session, does one minor back shrug and then is fine again.

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[meleeka]

Sorry to read this.

 

[shortstuff99]

I'm really sorry to hear this, poor little guy . At least he has had you looking out for him and doing your best for him.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Such a shame but thank goodness you had the courage of your convictions!

IME very few horses have genuine behavioural issues, there will be a cause, although it might be difficult to find. I'm glad Muffin has a responsible owner.

 

[ycbm]

I’m sorry to hear your news and hope he will be ok for light work for some time to come. I will admit to seeing his advert before you bought him and I had alarm bells that he was the age he was and had been in training but not raced. Easy to say with hindsight though.

Yes, the red flags were there, but I needed a companion/hack at very short notice, so I wasn't too worried. He's been fun to puzzle out and I'm sure he's a lot more comfortable a horse now than he was when I bought him. He was completely locked up in front for a while. He is a lovely natured creature, and very pretty!

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[Roxylola]

Oh so sorry to hear this. Good on you for following your gut, knowing is always better than wondering

 

[zandp]

Oh that's not good but well done for investigating. My half TB has always had "behavioural issues" and I'm about to get her xrayed to see where we are, she's always had stifle and SI issues but still most people tell me she's sound and it's that she's sharp. Which she is, no denying that.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

So sorry to hear this although your plan of action sounds ideal. I'd do exact the same in your situation with Devils claw/Boswellia.

Work definitely helps horses with arthritic necks, long and low is best the specialist said. As soon as I retired my cob (as had no options left) that was when he fell to pieces.

 

[Carrottom]

How disappointing for you. Hopefully you can both enjoy some hacking.

 

[Bellaboo18]

Sorry to read this. Lucky Muffin to have an owner that listened. I hope you can have some fun time hacking out, it sounds like you've got a good plan.

 

[ycbm]

So sorry to hear this although your plan of action sounds ideal. I'd do exact the same in your situation with Devils claw/Boswellia.

Work definitely helps horses with arthritic necks, long and low is best the specialist said. As soon as I retired my cob (as had no options left) that was when he fell to pieces.

He has a happy place for his neck when schooling which is up from the base, out and low. Pretty much exactly what you want for prelim work. He can really bounce and bend when he works there, it obviously isn't painful to work like it. Hacking he is happy with the neck up or down, but not in the middle, so no problem there either.

I'm reasonably sure I can tell when he is and isn't in pain, thankfully.

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[ycbm]

I'm just musing and it's all a bit of a strange feeling. Recently he has been doing some super leg to hand changes of bend on serpentine and figures of eight that he's never been able to do so nicely before. I'm a bit shell shocked that the x rays are quite so bad. I expected some arthritis at C6/7, I'm a bit gobsmacked by 'severe' at that one and the two above it.

I've just got the pictures through, and I'm confident that the kissing spines is from the dipped back when I bought him. They aren't actually touching and the damage looks slight. That fits with them not being active now, and he gives me no sign at all that they are active now. Just in case I have bought a £130 VIP pad, which is shockingly expensive but if it helps him he is worth it.

Thank goodness he has a gut intolerance to pain. I will know when it's breaking through because he will get ulcers and start kicking out on a right bend. For the moment, aloe vera keeps him happy in that respect.

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[Abi90]

Sorry to hear this YCBM but well done for listening, I know you’re a massive advocate of it and told me I was right when I was having issues with Rosie and other people were telling me she was just a naughty Irish draught

 

[Nari]

I'm so sorry to read this, but by God he's a lucky horse to have found you!

 

[poiuytrewq]

If only all owners didn’t listen harder To you x

 

[ycbm]

I'm so sorry to read this, but by God he's a lucky horse to have found you!

That's so nice of you, thank you.

I have considered loaning him as a gentle hack but I would be devastated if he became one of those horses who get stolen by a loaner and he ended up passed from one low end dealer to another because he's such a quiet, good natured and pretty boy.

So he won't be leaving here on his feet, but he will have a kind and pain free end at some point, even if it does make me cry to think about it.

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[HufflyPuffly]

He is lucky to have you.

Though this does nothing for my paranoia and wanting to x-ray both of mine head to toe...

 

[southerncomfort]

That's really rotten luck. Sorry it wasn't better news.

 

[ihatework]

Such a shame, but unfortunately very common in the ex racers.

It doesn’t mean he is a write off necessarily and it’s good if he shows behaviours that alert you to when he is feeling it. Careful management and correct work with targeted injecting might work. If not at least he has known a nice life post racing, not all are so lucky

 

[PSD]

I’m so sorry it isn’t better news ycbm. But we all know how much you have his absolute best interests at heart and you know what to do to keep him happy. Horses are so lucky to have owners like you that actually listen and don’t just think they’re being naughty. Well done for listening to your gut, I wish you both all the luck in the world.

 

[ycbm]

I'm on the lookout now for heavyweight combo rugs, to keep his neck as warm as possible in winter. Recommendations at the budget end of the market, anyone? I've never used a combo in my life!

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[bonny]

Such a shame, but unfortunately very common in the ex racers.

It doesn’t mean he is a write off necessarily and it’s good if he shows behaviours that alert you to when he is feeling it. Careful management and correct work with targeted injecting might work. If not at least he has known a nice life post racing, not all are so lucky

He’s not an ex racer, there are enough people on here quick enough to write them off as it is !

 

[planete]

Really sorry to read this. I hope you can keep him as pain free as possible for a long time.

 

[SEL]

It's so sad when your deep gut feeling is correct. Hopefully you'll be able to keep him fit and happy for years, but having a responsible owner is what every horse "with issues" needs.

 

[ycbm]

He’s not an ex racer, there are enough people on here quick enough to write them off as it is !

Well ... he was bought from a trainer, and he had been in training, and it looks very likely that the reason he never raced was that he had a neck crunching rotation fall, more likely in training than in the field ... so personally I call him an ex racer and the likelihood is that his issues are directly related to him having been trained as a racer .... so if it quacks like a duck .....

Actually I really will be worried if he starts to quack ?

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[Fransurrey]

That's so nice of you, thank you.

I have considered loaning him as a gentle hack but I would be devastated if he became one of those horses who get stolen by a loaner and he ended up passed from one low end dealer to another because he's such a quiet, good natured and pretty boy.

So he won't be leaving here on his feet, but he will have a kind and pain free end at some point, even if it does make me cry to think about it.

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Sorry to hear of his issues. I'd agree to not even loan him out. I did that with a horse that was an amazing hack, but who had mild arthritis (didn't need bute at that stage). All my instructions were ignored and it turned out her yard only put him out for 3 hours a day, resulting in a rather stiff and uncomfortable horse. That did not end well (it did for him - I took him back).