Sad talk today ... From BE hopes to retirement talks

Batgirl

Batgirl

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My boy is still lame after 2 weeks ((not hopping but enough) and he has a small niggly back problem. He turned 20 the other week despite that we were planning my first BE together, now thinking about not riding him at all.

Have had to have a heart wrenching discussion with his owner about retiring him (I have him on full loan). We have decided that unless he bounces back bright an breezy this month we may retire him. One of his old loan owners wants to keep him in his old age which is great.

Tough one for me is that although I had a horse for a year a few years ago I wasn't sad when I sold him, I was choked up just talking about it today. My gorgeous baby :(

Then I have to start thinking about the next horse to get and I have no savings at the mo so would have to stop riding to save up enough to buy which would tear me apart so would have to look for some sort of share to keep the hand in and I can't nail down what I would even look for if/when I can afford another :( (plus side is that I would save up quite quickly as he is on full livery)

Whiny whinge I know but wanted to get it off my chest to people who would understand (very un-horsey family here)
 
Oh that's disappointing for you, but that is pretty much the way things tend to be with horses. Keep hoping, saving and trying and one day your turn will come to have some real fun with a great horse. Horses teach people patience and resilience if nothing else. :cool:
 
Do you actually know why he's lame? Only saying as my horse is 21 this year (I've had him since he was 4) and he is still full of it and will still compete this year. He can get the odd abscess though and has ben lamefor 5 weeks before when noone could find the root of the problems (turned out to be an abscess!). I have mine checked over by a McTimoney guy about every 6mths though as well anywayand I think that helps as mine can also get back issues (mainly due to his general conformation).

I wouldn't necessarily rule things out yet - unless the lameness diagnosis is known anyway.
 
Coming out this wed, he has a history of mild lameness and vet recommended via phone to box rest/small paddock him for a week or two as he is only barely lame in trot. He is barefoot but thin soled so bruises/abscesses/non specifically goes lame a lot anyway (has one insurable leg, if he were insured)

It is the mildness that is the issue really, it just has that feel of never coming sound again.

He will probably be perfectly sound on Wed for the vet and bounce back right as rain but I just have a bad feeling :(
 
Thanks guys, it has been a weird few weeks really, he has been really eventing fit for the last couple of months, no one believes his age but I have just got this negative head on and his owner has similar doom and gloom feelings.

Still, positive head on, grooming, massaging his back and ice gel booting him regularly and hope for the best :)
 
If he regularly has issues with his feet (is this with his fronts?) have you considered maybe putting shoes on him, at least in front? Mine could not work unshod, my farrier agrees with this and he is happy to just trim a barefoot horse - well he's happy to do what's best for the individual horse. Mine could not do barefoot. I'd like to keep my youngster barefoot but, if that doesn't work he'll have shoes put on.
 
He is barefoot because he couldn't hold shoes the same issues that lead to his regular lameness lead to regular throwing of shoes. The shoes came off at the recommendation of farrier and vet otherwise a good suggestion.

We were pondering on some stick ons though.
 
I hate to say this but have you tried speaking to one of the barefoot peeps on here? I really am not into all that but some of them speak a lot of sense and it does seem a lot of barefooters are going lame at this time of year.

Sounds like maybe it's just the ground or grass coming through!

Good luck!
 
Thanks Moomin, his owners are experienced barefooters. You are right with the time of year, plus the dry to wet, to really really wet doesn't help.
 
Susie, good suggestion, I have asked that he is box rested properly at least until wed when Vet is coming. He has boots for hacking. Bruise is a popular suggestions too.

I guess I should be more upbeat about it all :) Not the end of the world but just very depressing.

Thanks for all the suggestions xx
 
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