Some words of wisdom needed please...

Dolphin

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Will try and keep this as short as possible. Got my first horse at the age of 29 after 20 years of riding/sharing, and have now had had her for 6.5 years. She means a hell of a lot to me and I have been on a huge learning curve since owning her.

She damaged a tendon around 3.5 years ago, had 6 months off, and I successfully got her back into work (it took me 18 months but we got there in the end!) and we were doing everything we did before (i.e. competing at local level in SJ DR CT etc etc) although I decided not to do XC or ODE any more.

She then damaged the same tendon again last year - out in the field. She has just had 9 months off and I was given the OK to start riding her (for 5 minutes in walk!!) last week. Last night I got her in and it appears she has sustained the same injury (the tendon has "popped out" again - its the only way I can describe it but it looks exactly the same as it did the second time she did it). She is not lame, there is no heat in it but she hasn't been lame during the whole process.

My vet is coming on Monday to scan the leg, but I am pretty sure that she has done the same thing again, and as this is the third time I have an idea what the long-term prognosis is going to be.

I only have the time and finances to have one horse so another is not an option. I am trying not to think ahead until the vet has been but I am only human and already my brain has been going over and over my options.

I think they are: 1) keep her as a field ornament (which means I will be able to hack out once or twice a week on a friend's horse but that will be about it) 2) find her a companion home (easier said than done I know) and get another horse that I can compete or do more on.

I think I will go with Option 1, as Option 2 feels like I would be getting rid of her as she is no longer any use to me and she means to much to me for me to feel comfortable with that.

However, I admit I am a bit emotional about it all just now so I guess I am hoping that by posting on here I may get a different/wiser perspective on it all!
 

BlackDiamond

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Can't you loan her out as a companion and get your own riding horse?

So long as you do the right thing by the mare, you shouldn't feel guilty at all. I assume you got her with riding in mind, so there's nothing wrong in admitting you want to ride (if you do)
 

Hullabaloo

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You're getting ahead of yourself. Try not to worry too much until the vet has been. There could also be options 3, 4 and 5, but you won't know until you get a proper prognosis. This comes from someone who would probably be doing exactly what you are doing and my OH would be saying exactly what I'm saying to you. In that annoying way OH's have, he is often proved right!

Good luck with the vets and make sure you let us know how it goes.
 

Dolphin

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Yes I know I'm getting way ahead of myself - the problem is my brain doesn't have an "off" button! I wish I could stop thinking about it until the vet has been but....

And the mare involved is 13
 

Pilib

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I really feel for you. I don't have any words of wisdom but am sending you ((((((((HUGS)))))))))

Pilib X
 

Hippona

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If she not lame and no heat/inflammation etc - could it be a purely cosmetic thing, in that she can still be ridden/competed but she just happens to ahave a funny/bowed looking tendon??

This is me also trying to be optimistic...fingers crossed - if she can't be competed but could be ridden/hacked out I'm sure you will find a buyer/loaner who just wants to do this, not everyone wants to compete ..
 

Grumpy Herbert

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If you keep her as a field ornament, then perhaps you could find a good share somewhere? Then you could carry on with riding as you want to. As I know only too well, good caring sharers are very hard to come by so I'm sure someone would appreciate your help!
 

stencilface

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Might not be all bad, one of ours has a mahoosive tendon on one leg - he is an ex-racehorse and we got him at the grand age of 21 as a companion/hack so he hacks out a little but I have done a bit of jumping on him.
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Anyway, my point is that the lady that had him before competed him (sj, xc) with his b*ggered tendon and was fine. He is not lame or sorry, just has one big leg. And the vet always lets his students go and feel his leg, for a good example of how truly b*ggered a horses leg can get.
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Hope everything pans out ok
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