Quick question.

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Elvis

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If you have x-rays done because you suspect a problem, and they come back clear, can the insurance company exempt the area because you have suspected something is wrong, even if x-rays are clear?
 
It hasn't happened yet, there is some suspicion that something isn't quite right in Elvis' hind end, possibly back. The vet has said that the next step would be x-rays but he personally wouldn't do them as he thinks Elvis just needs building up. However I'm still not 100% happy with his way of going so would like to have x-rays done, but bearing in mind the vet doesn't necessarily think anything will show up, I didn't want to go ahead with them, then they come back clear but the insurance still makes the area x-rayed exempt because there was some concern something wasn't right.

My other worry is if the x-rays show something minor, and the vets either want to try rest or smaller treatments and then a year runs out and I can no longer claim on that issue. Whereas if I waited and tried to build Elvis up and then he still wasn't right and had x-rays done the vets might be more proactive and go ahead with treatments. Or even by waiting what shows up on an X-Ray will be substantial as opposed to minor if x-rayed now? Tbh I'm in a bit of a muddle as I don't want to think of Elvis in any pain, and I do want the x-rays done.
 
Your danger is that if there is something there that the vet comments on in report to the insurance then it would become exempt.

Is the horse lame? If not I would be inclined to side with your vets and work on the lunge over poles for a month, you can easily see in a month if building up is the answer.

If he is lame, I would be booking x-rays
 
If there is something there it would hopefully be treatable and I'd encourage the vets to go full throttle ahead with treatments as Elvis is the sort to cope with pretty much every kind of treatment.
He's not lame. Sound on the lunge, straight etc, passed flexion tests. He's sticky under saddle, doesn't move 100%, shows minor signs of being cold backed. (Not bucking/broncing, just reluctance to let rider on and puts his back up and sometimes tail swishes) He's big, young and under developed. So the vet wants to see if he improves with proper work. He was doing very well the last couple of weeks but the last 2 times he's been ridden he's felt quite bad, he's got 2 days off as it could just be a case of he's knackered and his muscles are sore, then the physio and I'll go from there.
 
Ok if he was mine, I would lunge all week then go out hacking at the weekend, nothing more than walking and a little trot.
Give it a month then try and school him.
Sounds like you need to give him the tools to be able to be ridden.

Fingers x it works out
 
We have done all the lunging/ walk work/hacking at the beginning, we have followed the vets programme for getting him back in work, and it's been over about 2.5 months, he felt fine during all the lunging and walk work it was when we introduced trot work that he felt off. We then have him a week off, got the physio out who couldn't find anything awful, put him back in gentle work on vet and physio's advice.

He felt no better, then we got the vet out again who advised 3 weeks schooling, hacking, lunging, working up to introducing canter, as by this point he'd done a lot of walk work and hacking and was actually quite fit. After 3 weeks with no massive improvement the vet put him on a bute trial, which again changed nothing. He then suggested 2 weeks just schooling work as on the lunge he was fine, and hacking he was using his adrenaline and felt fine. So we've now come to the end of 2 weeks intensive schooling, and although his work has definitely improved, the cold backed symptoms haven't and now he's just had 2 bad days at the end of the 2 weeks.

So as much as I could, and am open to, a week off and then just hacking and lunge work, I can't see it making a difference since it hasn't before, and we've followed a very slow and structured programme for re-introducing work which has been closely monitored by vets and physio's.

Thank you very much for your thoughts and comments.
 
Hard as it is, I wouldn't let concerns about insurance influence the decision to investigate further. from my experience, once you call the vet for a problem, the insurance will do their utmost to make an exemption anyway, regardless of whether a cause was found or not.
 
as the vet has already been involved I would go full steam ahead and find out what is going on, if you go into another insurance year with no diagnosis your insurance company could refuse to cover hind legs and back as he has already had issues.

most insurance companies will ask for a full history on an animal when a claim is put in, this allows them to see ANY previous problems that may be thought to be linked to what you are claiming for, wether you claim for them or not is irrelevant the fact the vet has been involved indicates a problem and insurance companies will and do exclude on a whim
 
Thank you, and no I wouldn't ever let my worry about insurance company exclusions influence my decision to investigate a problem. My only hesitation is the vets reluctance to x-Ray, he seems to think it'll show nothing, hence why I was asking whether despite clean x-rays an insurance company might still exclude his back for example.
 
Not sure I can help but your situation seems very similar to what I have just experienced. I took a sound horse to equine hospital because something was niggling behind I felt he was a bit stiff and had already had mild infection in both hinds I looked a right prat when he looked sound and couldn't find any source of lameness when flexed but they did x ray hock because I said he had some swelling in there after schooling no heat etc never lame and they showed he had had previous surgery as he's got a screw through top of cannon bone. So I would recommend getting them to x ray and if they find nothing great or if like me they find something totally unexpected you then can deal with the problems which in my case will no doubt arise! And because of that they xrayed his other hock to find he has bone spavin in that one as well !
 
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