So...what does everyone do with their ponies that are broken on a long term basis?

My TB may or may not be ridden again... I'm currently walking him out 30 mins a day to improve his feet. When they're a bit better I'll pony him out on some longer rides from my youngster.
 
I would try to find somewhere I could put them on cheap grass livery tbh. Depends on the lameness, etc etc. There is nothing IMHO that can't be improved massively by time in the field. If it's so severe then i'd turn away with the option of PTS in the future.
 
I'm going for the turn away option, once I find him a safe companion and decent grazing. As previously stated, a good rest often works where treatment doesn't. He's had Tildren and shockwave, and now I think its ust a matter of time to let his inflamed suspensory settle.
 
What sort of problems and how broken?

My big horse is broken - he has ringbone, coffin joint arthritis, bilateral hock spavins and shivers. So he has lots of issues but he isn't retired. He enjoys his work so he has Danilon daily to make that easier and still hacks, does a bit of schooling and hunts. He just costs me a fortune in joint supplements, bute and remedial farriery!! I've tried to lower his workload but he gets more stiff so the best way for me to keep my broken horse slightly less broken is to work him.

But... he's nearly 18 and at 17hh, he won't be undergoing any box rest for further injuries. I've taken the decision (after discussing at length with the vet) that for a horse of his age and size (and after everything he's given me), if he sustains a soft tissue injury he won't be box rested; he'll be turned out for 6 months. If he comes sound enough I *may* attempt to bring him back into light work but in all likelihood he'll simply retire. Any catastrophic injury requiring surgery (hunting accident, kick in the field, break) or colic surgery would, I'm afraid, result in PTS. I don't personally feel it's fair to put a horse of that age through any form of surgery followed by lengthy box rest. He'd be miserable throughout, he hates box rest.
 
Permenantly broken and having to be given treatment for pain management?

I am a realist here, no animal deserves to be in any pain - if the pain cannot be completely prevented then they are put to sleep.

I don't have endless money and acres of land I can leave them on. They require amost as much care as a horse in work especially if they have to be brought in for treatment.

An oldy that is no longer ridden then fine if I had the grazing I'd probably be sentimental and keep them but I would also have to consider the option of if I want a horse to ride I can't have two.
 
If it was a mare I would put her in foal,which I did with mine that damaged both check ligaments. Time often heals so I would do that.

I have a gelding in my yard that damaged his hind suspensory ligament and can not compete again we hack out and if he looks a bit off he will be rested for a few days.

Often light work helps along with some medication.
 
Mine is only 10 but has terrible trouble with gastric ulcers (and various other GI issues!!), any kind of schooling or jumping work sets them off, he's an absolute s#*t to hack out (alone or in company, just gets over exicted)- however he loves little kids and is very good to plod out on the lead rein - so he has become a big lead rein pony!! Or a field ornament/companion...depending on availability of small children and leaders!...he was working at medium dressage before his 'retirement' but much prefers his new laid back lifestyle!!
 
I would not breed if I couldn't afford the ones I had already! Too many horses in the world and I don't like breeding unless you can guarantee a home for life if it doesn't sell.

Personally I'd turn away or sell as a companion... if there was no pain and just unrideable. If requiring daily medication for pain I'd probably have pts. Or have it in writing that if anything happened to you they were pts, rather than moving to someone who didn't manage the pain.
 
At the moment it is looking like just unrideable. She has been perfectly happy on field rest. She does have lovely breeding but I have no experience of breeding or of youngstock so I would be reluctant to do that - I would imagine this could also turn out to be quite expensive.

I haven't had her very long, she is quite nervous and very inexperienced for her age - I bought her to event so she isnt a plod type horse - so would probably make a very unsuitable happy hacker if she managed to come sound enough for that.

She is really lovely temprement wise and has endeared herself to me so PTS would be an absolute last resort and only if she was in unmanageable pain - which at present she isnt. I think I'm just scrabbling around for some light in the darkness since I don't have the funds or time for 2 so I'm facing up to the fact that my aspirations are going down the swanny.
 
I keep her in a very pampered retirement, as well as keeping a companion pony for her. I can't even bring myself to send her off on livery somewhere as I would miss her too much :o
 
Tnavas said:
Permenantly broken and having to be given treatment for pain management?

I am a realist here, no animal deserves to be in any pain - if the pain cannot be completely prevented then they are put to sleep.

Dangerous to jump to conclusions or assume. I am not going to go into detail, but if you can justify killing my horse because he needs half a gram of bute to keep him comfortable I will be interested to hear the reasoning.

In the meantime I will treasure his company, keep him like a king and repay him for the pleasure he gave us as both a championship winning hunter and a family pet, by ensuring he has the best veterinary care and living conditions possible.

People equally do not deserve to be in any pain, many are, me included as age and injury takes it's toll. So today and tomorrow and onwards it's bute for him and paracetomol for me.
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If my 23yr old had to retire tomorrow, she'll stay how she is, as a beloved pet, & I'd scrounge rides, even if that's another 20yrs. And if that retirement meant low level pain relief like aa's situation, she'd get that too. There's a huge gap between keeping a horse in pain going at any cost, & low level pain management to keep them comfortable.
 
littlelegs said:
If my 23yr old had to retire tomorrow, she'll stay how she is, as a beloved pet, & I'd scrounge rides, even if that's another 20yrs. And if that retirement meant low level pain relief like aa's situation, she'd get that too. There's a huge gap between keeping a horse in pain going at any cost, & low level pain management to keep them comfortable.
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^^This^^

Arthritic cob gets danilon on his stiff, creaky days and other days he is happy as larry. He's not techncially 'broken' but he won't ever do the level of work I want to do with a horse, but he has given me too many good memories just to give up on him or have him PTS because all he can manage is light schooling and long hacks in walk. Arthritis only gets worse with age and I'll manage it the best I can till he is no longer happy living out permenantly and being ridden a couple of times to loosen him up.
 
Interesting thread.
My horse was diagnosed with arthritis in both for feet about 7 years ago, never lame, just 'shuffles' in front. Tried steroids at the time and saw no difference. Vet advised use & abuse, would probably get a year out of him then hed be crocked or light hack/school and might get 2 or 3 years out of him. 7 years later and he is now facing retirement.
However I have had 7 years of light hacks & schooling on just the occasional sachet of bute with him.
Last year he became noticeabley lame in front, and we have been using remedial farriery and cartrophen every 4 weeks. Before this he was miserable and generally unhappy and I was genuinley considering pts.
He has improved no end since, but has started slipping/tripping behind which scares him and puts us at risk of having an accident/causing others on the road to have an accident. Combined with the fact he is now lame 3 weeks after each cartrophen I am contemplating his retirement, rather than investigating and putting him through any more (he also has complex stomach issues that he's on steroids for).
I feel I've had a good run, he owes me nothing, if he's unhappy being retired hell be pts else he can happily live out his days. The cartrophen will stop (its bankrupting me/my parents as it is) but hell get danilon as necessary and I'm looking for a grass livery yard where hell have lots of shelter and friends to be with (easier said than done!)
Ill probably take him out for an inhand walk/very gentle hack every now and again but he can be a bit tricky to ride and if he's likely to cause himself more damage it would have to stop.
He's only 16 so could have a long retirement ahead but I could never put him down to have another one or send him to retirement livery as the thought of someone else looking after him is horrid.
I don't have any riding aspirations as such, but then I've always been lucky, until last year I've always found/been offered horses to ride/school/compete. I've not had any other horse to ride for a while, it is slightly depressing, I do miss being able to ride properly but I know its not a permament thing (and if I get off my bum and look I'd maybe find another horse to ride anyway, just everyone seems to want financial contributions nowadays which I can't afford, only time!)
 
I have a home bred Welsh Sect D X TB that was backed as a 4 year old and at the age of 6 developed major lameness issues due to a bout of laminitis that ended up with foot abcess after foot abcess. She is sound in the field but she would go lame the moment you took her out even in hand. She is now 19 and has been sound for a few years now and is being walked out in hand but not ridden. She is happy and now healthy and I will keep her as long as she remains so.
 
PiggyB said:
Potentially a long term lameness issue in a young horse. Pretty depressing as I can't afford to run two.
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What type of lameness? My (then 15 year old) mare sustained a devastating injury in the field three years ago. She cracked the point of her shoulder resulting in several bone framents around the joint and almost tore her bicceps brachii tendon in half. The joint was very unstable and vets said she probably would never even come paddock sound. She means the world to me and I was assured that she was not in much pain once the acute injury had died down. She was on danilon and box rest for six months though in reality, when spring came I moved her into a pen inside the field which I gradually made bigger. After 6 months of this she came paddock sound with the occasional relapse where I had to box rest her for two weeks on danilon and start with the increase of paddock size all over again. After 18 months she stopped having relapses and remained pain free and on no pain medication for a further 18 months. Now at the grand old age of 18 and also having developed cushings and had two laminitis attacks I am back riding her. So far she is 100% sound but I am only walking at present. But anyway, just wanted to say that many people do not give their horses the time that they really need to get better. I never thought I would ever sit on her again but would have just retired her anyway, so long as she was happy. Obviously, all this is being done under veterinary supervision. When I rang the vet that had dealt with her at Rossdales, she said that often it is the most desperate cases that come right and she is always being surprised at the ability of some horses to overcome all the odds, with the poorest of prognosis.

My other horse is only 10 and recovering from a kissing spines op to remove five spinal processes. It's not looking too promising at the minute that he will ever return to work. I think he will just retire, but I am giving it one last shot. :)
 
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chestnut cob said:
What sort of problems and how broken?

My big horse is broken - he has ringbone, coffin joint arthritis, bilateral hock spavins and shivers. So he has lots of issues but he isn't retired. He enjoys his work so he has Danilon daily to make that easier and still hacks, does a bit of schooling and hunts. He just costs me a fortune in joint supplements, bute and remedial farriery!! I've tried to lower his workload but he gets more stiff so the best way for me to keep my broken horse slightly less broken is to work him.

But... he's nearly 18 and at 17hh, he won't be undergoing any box rest for further injuries. I've taken the decision (after discussing at length with the vet) that for a horse of his age and size (and after everything he's given me), if he sustains a soft tissue injury he won't be box rested; he'll be turned out for 6 months. If he comes sound enough I *may* attempt to bring him back into light work but in all likelihood he'll simply retire. Any catastrophic injury requiring surgery (hunting accident, kick in the field, break) or colic surgery would, I'm afraid, result in PTS. I don't personally feel it's fair to put a horse of that age through any form of surgery followed by lengthy box rest. He'd be miserable throughout, he hates box rest.
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Chestnut Cob - I am with you all the way. I nursed my horse from about 22 to 27 yrs, he then damaged a tendon and was in pain (5 Danillon a day is not acceptable) and boxrest not an option at his age so PTS. And before you all start telling me that I shouldn't feed 5 danillon a day, he susteained the injury on Monday and was PTS Friday - I did what I had to to keep him comfortable but gave him a chance just in case it was something that may improve quickly - but it didn't. He had been on 1 Danillon a day for about a year which had kept him sound and happy in light work. I hate box rest
 
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