Should I work him?

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Evergreen

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I have a lovely chunky TB ex racehorse nine years old who has been diagnosed with bone spavin and kissing spine in nine places. He has had cortizone injections in both hocks and in twenty places down his spine. He is no better and I am waiting for the go ahead from the insurance company for him to have a bone scan as the vet and I am sure he has yet more issues. The last time I rode him was 3 weeks ago and he was awful. Very tentitive until he warmed up and even though he did some lovely trot in the end, I was only riding him to see if the injections had worked really. But people are saying I should keep exercising him, both in the pessoa (which he doesn't tolerate) and ridden in case when he goes to the horsepital I might need to ride him for diaognostic purposes. What do you think? I don't want to ride him as I feel he must be in a lot of pain, but don't want him to explode with me when we get to a strange place and I suddenly have to ride him. :(

ETA he looks completely sound on the lunge and our problems are all ridden - refusal to canter etc, so may well have to ride at the horspital.
 
When you say "people" are saying you should keep riding him, who do you mean? If it's just friends or people at your yard then it's none of their business what you do. The only person whose advice you should be taking WRT this sort of thing is your vet. What does the vet say?
 
How long had he been wrong for before injections? There is a chance that if he has been very wrong for a while then he has learnt that being ridden hurts and it will take time for him to realise A) it doesn't hurt and B) he can move better/different to how he used to before when compensating. If you are going to be waiting a while perhaps ask vet about a bute/danilon trial to identify whether there is still pain or just needs to learn how to move again. If you had said that he did soften I wouldn't consider this but when he did it is worth trying to establish that.
 
It's friends mainly. The vet has not instructed me either way. I just assumed I would leave him until he went to Newmarket, but then a couple of people have said I should keep him fit and possibly ride him else hot spots won't show up on the scan if he's been totally rested and it will be a massive shock to him if I suddenly get on him in a strange place as he's a sharp type of horse. I think I will give my vet a ring. Thanks.
 
amage said:
How long had he been wrong for before injections? There is a chance that if he has been very wrong for a while then he has learnt that being ridden hurts and it will take time for him to realise A) it doesn't hurt and B) he can move better/different to how he used to before when compensating. If you are going to be waiting a while perhaps ask vet about a bute/danilon trial to identify whether there is still pain or just needs to learn how to move again. If you had said that he did soften I wouldn't consider this but when he did it is worth trying to establish that.
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Thanks. Yes it is possible. He has never really been right but he was coming on quite nicely with his schooling until quite recently. Well to be truthful, I have had around 6 weeks of lovely work from him after initial 'stiffness' problems, but then he suddenly went really doddery and I find myself here. The first time I rode him after a long rest and after the injections, there was a definite improvement in his walk. Trot was still stiff but a lot loser than before, but canter was terrible. The second time I rode him, he was awful to begin with even in walk, (I had warmed him up on the lunge and he looked good). The trot was poor to start but then came lovely. Canter was awful. So I do wonder if he had some relief from the rest and then me riding him made him bad again, bless him.
 
i have my horse booked in for a bone scan next month and im not riding her at present. i made the decision based on the fact that i am beginning to lose my confidence on her because she behaves really badly when being ridden because she is so sore. in my opinion it was a downward spiral and i dont want the horse to resent me or being ridden if and when we get to the bottom of her problem.
 
Me too! My horse also has KS and hock problems, and who knows what else. I am not riding him at present because he is obviously so sore. However, I can tell by the way he canters on the lunge when he is sore and so hopefully I won't need to ride him when he goes to Rossdales.
 
Thanks everyone. I have now spoken to my vet who says to work him on the lunge and if possible ride him depending on how he looks day to day. But not to put any pressure on. She says to do this so that when he has the bone scan we get a true reflection of where he is sore. Which I guess makes sense. So my friends were right. I must admit though I am not relishing the fact of having to keep him working.
 
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