shocking x-ray results

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MissMincePie&Brandy

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I am gutted and now have a dilemma.

Basically horse went in for full x-rays, after a poor performance examination failed to diagnose conclusive results. The x-ray results were shocking beyond anyone’s expectations:

Severe kissing spine along whole length of back, including lytic lesions (holes in the bone)
Severe navicular disease in both front feet, including large holes in the pedal bone.
PSD in right hock

This horse appears sound on the straight, and only slightly unlevel on his off, hind leg on circles, and was originally being assessed for poor performance, unusual stiffness and recent unusual bad behaviour when ridden. He has never had x-rays done before, but has had his back checked twice a year for years, and the back man only prescribed massaging, and nothing to be overly concerned about.

The vets are surprised by the x-rays, as the horse appears to be much more sound than the x-rays show that he should be.

Treatment, which will be ongoing, will include Tildren for Navicular, and shockwave for his spine and hock.

The vets have advised against doing any future dressage, jumping and lunging, and suggested with the advised treatment he'll live a comfortable life doing light hacking.
I am gutted. I’m devastated that for a few weeks I mistook his pain for laziness and I made him work through it (even my instructors mistook it for laziness & bad manners). He’s such a brave horse. I’m sure now, that he is hurting more than he allows us to see.

He is only 9 years old, but is an ex-racehorse and started his career young.

Having seen these x-rays I think, despite his young age, it would be kinder to retire him, and allow him to live a comfortable and stress free life with minimal drugs possible. I have heard some of these treatments are quite traumatic for the horse, and he would have to be boxed over to the clinic to have these done every 3 - 6 months. For example Tildren is given through an intravenous drip, and the horse is also given an anti-colic drug, and they need to be monitored to prevent them from collapsing as it can alter their heart rate. These are also very expensive. Tildren is £1000 per treatment. Insurance will only cover it for 1 year, and then we'll need to continue with it twice a year indefinitely. I don’t know how much the shockwave therapy costs at the moment.

Also, I fear he will be difficult and possibly dangerous to ride just as just a 'light hack'. He's a sharp, feisty TB and in the past I've always managed his 'freshness' by keeping him in a lot of work, and allowing him to let off steam and have a blast regularly, which he won’t be allowed to do any more.

Is it morally right to retire a horse so young, or should I pursue these new treatments since they are now available?
 
So sorry to hear about the x-ray results and the problems your horse has. Tbh I would go down the route of retirement, as it sounds as even with the treatments it would not be guaranteed that he could return to full work. The treatments also sound as if they would be stressful for your horse, he will not understand why he has to put up with them of course. We retired a tbxwelsh D at age 12, for very different reasons (she had food intolerances that made her dangerous to ride) We kept her until she was 24 and she never seemed to miss working. She still got the same care and attention as the others, including grooming etc and was kept with a small stable herd, which I think helped her to cope with being retired for so long. Hope it all works out for you and your lad
 
Sorry to hear your awful news.
I agree with the retirement option, if you can afford it.

Could you possibly ride one and lead him?
I had a wee mare I used to do this with and it kept her interested. Only did it about twice a month but she loved going out and made her retirement a bit more interesting for her instead of being stuck in one field all the time.
 
Poor you, this must be awful.

I agree also with retiring him, maybe you could take him as a companion to the odd show to keep him interested, take him for walks and do in hand work? He would surely be much happier doing that than going through all the stress of treatment to simply be hacking out very lightly.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
 
Firstly Tildren isn't that bad, saw it administered last week. Yes they have to be monitored in case of colic or changes in heart rate, but they start the drip slowly and increase gradually to check for any reaction. This is the 3rd horse I personally know of that has had this drug and none of them has reacted or required anti colic drugs. Thus if it is under insurance I would have that for the year (or for long as you can claim), then see how it goes.
 
Sorry to hear about your horse. I thought (having considered the options for my own horse who had severe ks and suspensory problems) that a horse recovering from ks has to be worked to ensure correct musculature is maintained over the back, would light hacking be sufficient for this, given that he can't be lunged etc?

Don't beat yourself up about working your horse, I worked mine too as nobody picked up his back problem for ages, I even mentioned ks to the physio who did a thorough examination of his back, and the vet who discounted my concerns. At least you know now. If Id known about the blood bank, that's the option I would have gone for with my horse. Maybe in your situation, I would try the treatment and see how it goes?
 
Very sorry to hear this. It is gutting I know. My daughters TB was diagnosed with PSD SI injury and soft tissue damage with arthritic changes to the coffin joint over a peroid of a couple of years. She tried hacking him but like yours he was fiesty and tricky to hack and she believed he was probably uncomfortable. He retired very nicely and had a lovely (if short) retirement until last month when he looked uncomfortable in the paddock aged 12. Like you I believe they are often in more discomfort than they allow us to know. Once you know they have problems I think it is difficult to hack or ride them well as any naughtiness is hard to distinguish from pain so you never really get to grips with anything as you are afraid to push them. Every time my daughter got on him she would be paranoid if he tripped or spooked that it was due to discomfort. Neither of them enjoyed it anymore.
Retire him and enjoy him. If you wanted he could still have some treatments. Ours actually lived out happily - something we never ever believed he would do.
 
As I understand it, Tildren isn't particularly effective on severe lameness.

How the vet described it to me was that it'd be the last thing he tried. Say other treatments had succeeded in bringing a horse from 6/10ths to 1/10th lame, then he would suggest using Tildren.

Cost of treatment versus level of imrovement = not worth it if more than 1/10th lame.

This wasn't in respect to my horse, it was general conversation as I am nosey and ask lots of questions about things that interest me :).
 
I think if your horse had just one of these conditions, or two, it would be entirely reasonable to go for treatment with the idea of keeping the horse in work. My personal view is that there is just too much wrong, if you resolve one problem you will just highlight another and the horse is never likely to be completely sound and comfortable.

Therefore, complete retirement for as long as the horse is coping with it sounds like the best choice, although on a personal level I would be keeping putting the horse to sleep as a possible in the background too if he doesn't settle to retirement
 
Firstly, I am so sorry! What shocking results and completely unexpected.

To be honest, if you can aford to keep him, I would go for the retirement option. HOWEVER I personally would have NO hesitation in PTS. The fact that he is showing such low level lameness is because he is bilaterally lame in his front end ad therefore in quite a severe degree of pain. I wouldn't want to keep an animal alive in ths state for the sake of it. it's just not fair on him or yourself.
 
So sorry, what an awful position to be in. You are being honest with yourself about how he would probably not cope with being a light hack so retirement is likely to be the best option for him I would also, as others have said, be keeping PTS in mind for when he starts to look as though he is in too much pain to be enjoying his life.

I feel for your horse but think he is lucky to own someone who thinks about his well being enough to consider all the options. Good luck with him. x
 
Tildren is not as bad as you think having had experience of it on my mare, it was more the vet who was in pain than her as she caught his leg and wanted to bite him so did. She did colic after but had injections and was fine - was very stressed out over other things so not just tildren to blame. And she improved so much after it was worth the treatment for her, however she is a quite mare who can be left for months unridden then got on and as if no time off ever.

If i were you would retire as well, and see what you can get on insurance now to make sure hes in the least pain poss.
 
So sorry to read this. I don't think 9 is too young to retire though if he is comfortable in himself. I had to retire mine at this age when he tore his DDFT badly, I decided that as long as he was 'field' sound without medication then I would keep him. He settled to his new lifestyle really well.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

JDx
 
There for the grace go many of us - just go with what YOU can or cant do, it is obvious from your post that you think the world of this horse - but do not feel pressured into giving him a long retirment at your detriment - and i do not wish that to sound heartless - but its easy this side of the computer to say "keep him till hes 30" - but that is a long long time to keep an unsound horse. Alternativly if you can afford too - and he is happy being an orniment and you are happy with his care - keep him for as long as you can.

Just do what is best for you and the horse, but i would rather pts than give away, i would rather pts than see him neglected and i would rather pts than start to feel resentful of the time and money being spent.

My old lady was kept for 14 years being unsound and i limited my whole riding ambitions for her - now i have two boys - and one is on/off sound (sound at the mo) and he is only 10 - and i will be honest if the prognosis is not good i will consider pts - but i know i wont be able too because at the moment i can afford to buy and run another one - and look after the lame one and my old schoolmaster - but should things change then i would have to reconsider.
 
Nothing useful to add except ((hugs)) for you and horse.

Very impressed with your responsible attitude in perusing diagnosis and treatment. So many horses work through pain wrongly labelled nastiness, yours is very lucky to be owned by someone who understands the difference between a horse as a living being and a riding machine (so many horse owners should really stick to bicycles!).

Wishing you both the best for a long happy (partial-)retirement.
 
if he were mine unless you have the means etc to keep him as a sound painfree companion/retired field ornament then I would have him pts.
 
This is so sad, I'm so sorry. He is sooooo young. This is what the racing industry should be deeply ashamed about. :mad:

To cut to the chase, I would agree that the horse's working life is over, as in not being ridden again, but just being led out as suggested. There is no way I would put him thru the treatment suggested, as it must be so painful, and there's no guarantee at the end.

Are you insured for Loss of Use ?

I really hate to say it, but if it happened to me, and I knew what you know now, I would PTS. I'm so very sorry to say that, but my reason would be that there could always be pain somewhere, I wouldn't know it was there, and horses can't tell you. That said, he may blossom in retirement, so only you can decide.

Huge (((((((((hugs)))))))) sm x
 
First of all so sorry to hear your news. As others have said - it is a lot to fix. Wonderful that you are looking for the best options for your horse.

I have become very cynical about the 'experts'. I have a five year old stallion bought at 4 years old, he had a 5 stage vetting for our breed society and pre-purchase vetting.

We spent a lot of money having him backed and trained but he did not want to canter on the left rein - although he never behaved badly. Three more vets were consulted and insisted he had NO BACK PROBLEM - I thought he did but what does a hack happy geriatric like me know?

On the advice of our dressage trainer we took him to the vet school at Nantes - the Professor agreed with me and x-rays showed kissing spines on two articulations and an old neck fracture and arthritis - likely occured in the first six months of life.

It made me realise what a lot horses cope with in order to please us. I now have my youngstock x-rayed before I offer them for sale.

Really sad for you. I am sure you will do the best for your horse.
 
What a sad predicament you are in. I'm very sorry.

Go with your gut feeling. You know your horse and love him, but only you can make the ultimate decision as so much depends on it. Hopefully you have a good rapport with your vet, then maybe he/she can guide you.

I know that if I was in your situation with my horse, and I could be 99% sure he was field sound, pain free and could be maintained basically drug free, I would keep him and retire him. I personally care more about him as a pet than the riding itself. However, if he'd require high maintainence care just to keep him comfortable for my benefit, I'd make that awful decision and have him PTS.

But those are my thoughts and I'm not in that situation ...... you are, and you are the one who knows best.

Whatever you decide, rest assured it'll be right for you and your horse.

Good luck.
 
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I am so sorry to hear of this, you must be devastated.
You know your horse best and perhaps you could try retirement and see how he gets on.
Plenty of us humans beings enjoy a happy life with some aches and pains and as long as the horse is happy and appears to be content then why not keep them in the field. It really is a very personal choice but I wish you all the best with him
 
I'm sorry for your news.

Regardless of whether you can afford to retire or not, I would PTS.

With that many problems, no amount of pain killers will bring him totally pain free - and thats not fair on a horse. I would PTS.

I'm so, so sorry. Everybody's worst nightmare.
 
shysmum said:
This is so sad, I'm so sorry. He is sooooo young. This is what the racing industry should be deeply ashamed about. :mad:

To cut to the chase, I would agree that the horse's working life is over, as in not being ridden again, but just being led out as suggested. There is no way I would put him thru the treatment suggested, as it must be so painful, and there's no guarantee at the end.

Are you insured for Loss of Use ?

I really hate to say it, but if it happened to me, and I knew what you know now, I would PTS. I'm so very sorry to say that, but my reason would be that there could always be pain somewhere, I wouldn't know it was there, and horses can't tell you. That said, he may blossom in retirement, so only you can decide.

Huge (((((((((hugs)))))))) sm x
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Wow that is some list.

I have to say that I agree with Shysmum and would also follow the PTS route. I realise that is a little abrupt but:;
Can you really assure that he is pain free?
Can you afford the treatment, that is not a cure once the insurance cover ends?.
Can you afford to keep him as a field ornament and still fullfill your equestrian dreams?
Can you be assured that he would never fall into the "wrong" hands and end up ridden should you be unable to keep him or something happens to you and other people without the understanding step in.
Would keeping him be for your interests or his?

I do not envy you your situation. <<<<<hugs>>>>>
 
Thank you for your thoughts everyone. There is lots to think about.

He looked a bit delicate when I collected him from the Clinic to bring him home this morning, and with his shoes removed for the x-rays, he's noticably lame now. He also had a gurgly tummy and watery diareah from yesterdays sedation I presume.
Luckily the fields are a bit softer, so I have turned him out at home and he now seems relaxed and is mooching around eating grass, and the yard is keeping an eye on him for an colic signs.


It's all happened so suddenly, I'm not able to bear thinking about PTS right now. I do think it would be pointless to put him through shockwave and tildren just so that I can lightly hack him, particularly as he is not the type of horse you can do that on easily, especially if he has no means to let off steam occasionally. I also do think he would find going back and forth to the clinic for treatments very traumatic.

My initial thoughts, whilst I research this more, and talk to the vets more thoroughly is to retire him for now with corrective shoeing and daily Bute or Danilon.

I suppose I'll want to think about another horse at some point in the future, but not right now. It's all too raw :(
 
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