Rockley Farm - experiences please?

[Leg_end]

I've read the blog and had a search through the old posts on here but gave up at page 10 when there was nothing on Rockley directly!

It's something I am currently looking into for Buddy and I'm interested to hear of experiences, good and bad. I've emailed Nic so will wait to hear back but in the meantime would be grateful if anyone on here could comment.

Fat free yoghurt (or custard creams if you're feeling naughty) on offer

 

[dreams579]

best decision i ever made to send my last boy down there. Nic is straight talking, down to earth and gets results. the horses all love it there, settle in quick and don't tend to want to come home again. Nic has totally changed how i keep horses and my outlook on things, and i would never hesitate recommending her and sending another horse to her

PM me if you have any specific questions, happy to discuss

 

[Bikerchickone]

Ditto the above. My lad went when dreams579's went home, we shared transport costs

Nic is amazing and I have seen lots of horses improve steadily whilst there to then go home ready to work with their owners again.

My lad is sound, happy and healthy thanks to Nic and Rockley. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend Rockley to anyone who has a horse with a soundness issue in the foot.

We had navicular, collateral ligaments damaged and pedal osteitis with the vet suggesting remedial shoeing and he might come back sound in a year or so for light hacking. Well you wouldn't know it now! We cover miles of roadwork, do flatwork clinics, practice dressage and generally do all the things we did before. All thanks to Nic.

If you have any specific questions please do message me, but I'm sure Nic will put you in touch with some owners whose horses had similar problems to your Buddy.

 

[Leg_end]

Thanks both

Bikerchickone - Buddy sounds similar to your boy but he doesn't have any collateral ligament damage. We've been lame since end of Aug and he went into straight bars with a light wedge on 1st Sept which did make him more comfortable but not 100%. We injected the LF a few weeks ago and he did look sound in walk (and on a tight circle on hard ground) but did a bit of trot on a circle last night and he wasn't right. He had been shod so will try him tonight but I know he's not going to be right, hence looking at Rockley.

 

[nic83]

My boy went to Rockley in 2011. He has been home a year

His main issues on MRI were had DDFT, navicular, pedal osteitis (plus a few other more minor things - I forget the list it was so long!)

He went lame in January, tried the remedial shoeing route including some pretty horrific wedges (hindsight and all that) - did n't work. He went to Rockley in the June after I was pretty much told 6 months box rest for a 5-10% chance of being a happy hack or PTS.

Rockley was the best decision I ever made, I couldn't have done it at home - Firstly I didn't have the knowledge or experience and secondly the facilities to transition and rehab him.

Nic has an amazing knowledge and experience of what she is doing. She doesn't make promises because they are animals but her success rates speak for themselves - just look at all the rehab horses who she regularly updates about on her blog.

If you want to ask anything else feel free to PM me.

Wishing you all the best for your horse whatever you decide.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=562123

 

[sjp1]

I would certainly have her out to look at your horse.

She came to look at mine and said he was the worst she had seen and she couldn't guarantee she could help him.

He was a 12 year old TB who had been in racing from a 2yr old til he was 10 and I had him straight off the track. He had a nearly concave foot, and was lame often, despite a lot of remedial shoeing and vet x rays and scans.

He was quirky and not that good at standing up for himself with other horses, and when I got him, he was scared and generally nervous and institutionalised.

I decided that he had had two good years with me where he was happy and loved, and as there was no guarantee from her that she could help him, I decided to have him PTS.

She is very straight forward and doesn't beat about the bush which personally, I think is very good indeed.

I am sure that there aren't that many that are as bad as he was, and had he had better conformation, I probably would have bitten the bullet and sent him to her.

 

[Leg_end]

Thanks all, I've been doing some reading and will speak to my vet and insurance company about it tomorrow. I must admit I'm terrified of sending my beloved boy away for 12 weeks!

 

[Lancelot]

My lad has been home from Rockley about 9 months and is doing great. Search for Solar on the blog if you want to see his story
We are having lessons, schooling, hacking and, at the rehab reunion, did our first ever XC jumping - not bad for a horse given a "very guarded prognosis" just over a year ago!

It's not a quick fix, Nic will point your horse on the straight and narrow and then you have a lot of hard work to get on with!

I echo what others have said though, Nic won't soft-soap you. She is down to earth & honest, if she feels she is unlikely to be able to help she will tell you.

As for the place itself, it's a real horsey utopia! What struck me is how quickly Solar relaxed and settled in. He really did almost breathe a sigh of relief when he arrived, its perfect for letting a horse be a horse!

Please feel free to PM if you want any other info & best of luck with your boy

 

[Bikerchickone]

Leg end I'd had wedges tried on my lad which gave temporary relief but luckily for him my vet didn't suggest any kind of straight bars because of the collateral ligament damage.

Nic will never make a guarantee that she can fix your horse simply because she isn't a god (although some of us would happily start a cult worshipping her) but in the time that Dom was there I saw all of the horses in her care go from strength to strength. One of whom seemed utterly crippled upon arrival and he's now out enjoying ridden life with his owner.

It's not easy and honestly, having them away with Nic is the easiest part of it because it is really hard work making everything right for them when they come back, but it is so worth it.