Someone please tell me I’m overthinking

[J_sarahd]

I messaged Nova’s trainers just for a bit of history on her as I didn’t even know how long she was in training for or why they stopped with her. The trainer came back and said she’s very straight forward (I agree) but that she had some intermittent lameness issues.

This is a red flag and something I’d not been told about until now.

She was sound at vetting and has been trotted up for several professionals since I brought her home and she’s been sound. No one’s really picked up on anything at all.

But the intermittent lameness is stuck in my head. Is it likely just from the shoeing cycles at the training yard? My farrier said her feet were “good for a thoroughbred” but the condition & previous shoeing is not great and we’ve got a few more cycles to go before he is happy with them.

I just need someone to tell me I’m overthinking and to deal with the horse in front of me (that is, so far touch wood, sound as a pound)

 

[Barton Bounty]

It could have just been a case of bad shoeing! There is plenty about that have had to be rehabbed from this. I hope she stays sound ?

 

[tda]

Nothing else you can do except stay positive and continue good foot management ☺

 

[Polos Mum]

Definitely work with the horse in front of you - but maybe take care if you know she has a history

Be over cautious of the ground conditions she works on - not too deep a school or too much pounding around on hard ground.
Take time to warm up and cool down
Keep shoeing spot on
Keep regular physio to spot anything early
Keep regular saddle checks - badly fitting tack can really impact levelness

All things we should all do anyway but worth an extra thought to avoid trouble if she's had niggles before

 

[J_sarahd]

It could have just been a case of bad shoeing! There is plenty about that have had to be rehabbed from this. I hope she stays sound ?

This is what I wanted to hear haha (not that I’d be that person who would discount every response that wasn’t this!)

 

[J_sarahd]

Definitely work with the horse in front of you - but maybe take care if you know she has a history

Be over cautious of the ground conditions she works on - not too deep a school or too much pounding around on hard ground.
Take time to warm up and cool down
Keep shoeing spot on
Keep regular physio to spot anything early
Keep regular saddle checks - badly fitting tack can really impact levelness

All things we should all do anyway but worth an extra thought to avoid trouble if she's had niggles before

Very true, thank you. She’s treated like an absolute princess anyway and at the moment she’s getting 6-weekly physio, she’s recently had a brand new saddle that will be getting checked in the next month or so and all we really do at the moment is walk hacks and very light schooling/in-hand work in the school.

Obviously as she matures and her workload steps up, it will be watched like a hawk to make sure she’s only exercised on good ground/surface and any sign of lameness is caught early.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Not going to lie it would worry me.. but definitely work with the horse in front of you. Sounds like she’s going well!

I sold my gelding (cheap) last year as a happy hack and declared all his intermittent lameness issues. He hasn’t had a days lameness since and he’s done camp, jumping, dressage.. much more than I thought he would.

 

[J_sarahd]

Not going to lie it would worry me.. but definitely work with the horse in front of you. Sounds like she’s going well!

I sold my gelding (cheap) last year as a happy hack and declared all his intermittent lameness issues. He hasn’t had a days lameness since and he’s done camp, jumping, dressage.. much more than I thought he would.

That’s interesting and hopefully a similar case here. Like I said, so far the only lame step she’s taken is when she stood on a stone and it was just one hobbly step and then sound again.

 

[Fieldlife]

It so much depends on what it was. Horses so get growing pains.

I’d reply along lines of -

“Lovely to hear she was uncomplicated. She’s settled in beautifully and is a lovely horse (if that’s true). Any information regarding the intermittent lameness would help me know what to keep an eye out for and manage preventatively.”

 

[NR88]

I would take her shoes off and let her hooves heal.

The assumption is that she has been shod since two, if not younger, and hooves are not developed at that age. Even less so kept in flat paddocks with limited turnout as is the norm for so many horses in training.

If you read any good farriery texts they all say to allow a horse at least twelve weeks without shoes to enable the hoof to recover [from the damage that shoes cause].

Given that she is only three I would pull the shoes now, whilst keeping her comfortable be it with boots or boots and pads, and give her young body a chance at a healthy long life.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

That’s interesting and hopefully a similar case here. Like I said, so far the only lame step she’s taken is when she stood on a stone and it was just one hobbly step and then sound again.

Everything crossed for you and her. Don’t get to hung up on it!

 

[tristar]

should could have had a hoof infection that that took time to clear

always a good idea to treat like a princess, i ride mine like they are made out of glass, they are not of course!

if she is ok, she is ok, so very young, she has another 5 years to make herself into maturity, to put things in perspective

barefoot would give her a lot more foot underneath herself to walk on 24 7, and allow her feet to grow into what they need to be

a good dose of vits and mins, a decent holiday, say xmas for 1 month, then another, late spring, you might see a different horse

 

[meleeka]

Is it worth worrying about? What I mean is if you worry about what might happen, will it make any difference to the outcome? You are already doing everything you can to ensure soundness. You don’t have any idea why she was lame and intermittent could make foot issues likely.

I’d enjoy the horse in front of you and just keep it where it’s useful, at the back of your mind.

 

[J_sarahd]

Is it worth worrying about? What I mean is if you worry about what might happen, will it make any difference to the outcome? You are already doing everything you can to ensure soundness. You don’t have any idea why she was lame and intermittent could make foot issues likely.

I’d enjoy the horse in front of you and just keep it where it’s useful, at the back of your mind.

Okay you win for my favourite reply - a verbal shake and a slap round the face and a “just get on with it and stop being an overthinker!!”. Thank you!!

 

[Carrottom]

I would call the trainer and ask if they would be kind enough to give you some details of the cause of the issues. Then you will know if it is something you need to worry about.

 

[Leandy]

Well I would certainly want to know more about what they know about the causes of lameness if the trainer will share the information. Then you are forewarned and know what to look out for and keep on top of. However if the horse is now yours there is not much you can actually do about having discovered a red flag too late, you will just have to deal with what is in front of you. Noone here can tell you whether it is a shoeing issue or not but certainly ensuring good foot balance etc can only be of benefit whatever the actual problem has been.

 

[J_sarahd]

I’ve replied to the message from the trainer asking for a bit more info on the lameness so will hopefully have a clearer understanding of it soon enough

 

[rara007]

Sorry I’ve not kept up/ how long have you had her and where was she from. This should have been disclosed if the seller knew. Assuming she wasn’t a gift and they seller was aware of this I’d be very unhappy…

 

[Leandy]

This should have been disclosed if the seller knew.

That really isn't true. It all depends on the type of seller eg dealer, private sale etc and exactly what the buyer asked and what the seller said at the time.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would want to know what kind of lameness and I would be asking the seller why it wasn't disclosed.

I know your only doing short hacks but she is 3 and I presume backed now so I would be thinking of giving her the winter off in a field somewhere shoes off and let her mature until next spring.

 

[Cortez]

So what was the lameness? Tendon? Joint? Hoof? Fore? Hind? Which leg/s? Recovery times, can you speak to the treating vet, etc., etc. Before you get hung up on what ifs arm yourself with as much information as possible.

 

[bonny]

Did she race or did they have to stop her training ?

 

[J_sarahd]

Sorry I’ve not kept up/ how long have you had her and where was she from. This should have been disclosed if the seller knew. Assuming she wasn’t a gift and they seller was aware of this I’d be very unhappy…

I got her 3 months ago, so not very long. She was from a retrainer/dealer who said no known vet history and she wasn’t raced as she wasn’t fast enough. Trainer said she trained her for 18 months and then stopped training as she “didn’t warrant the cost of training”.

 

[J_sarahd]

I would want to know what kind of lameness and I would be asking the seller why it wasn't disclosed.

I know your only doing short hacks but she is 3 and I presume backed now so I would be thinking of giving her the winter off in a field somewhere shoes off and let her mature until next spring.

She is having the winter off - for my sanity as well as hers. Shoes will come off and she will be off until she turns 4 at the earliest

 

[J_sarahd]

So what was the lameness? Tendon? Joint? Hoof? Fore? Hind? Which leg/s? Recovery times, can you speak to the treating vet, etc., etc. Before you get hung up on what ifs arm yourself with as much information as possible.

I’ve messaged the trainer back asking for more detail so hopefully he will give me some more info. He said it “wasn’t anything sinister” but like you said, I’d like as much information as possible.

 

[rara007]

Unpopular opinion but do you still want the horse and did it’s value reflect what you now know? I wouldn’t want to take on something with known intermittent lameness (especially non disclosed).

 

[J_sarahd]

Unpopular opinion but do you still want the horse and did it’s value reflect what you now know? I wouldn’t want to take on something with known intermittent lameness (especially non disclosed).

I think if I’d known a out the intermittent lameness when viewing, I may not have proceeded with the sale simply because of what I want her to (hopefully) eventually do. However, she sailed through her vetting and hasn’t been lame since I got her. I understand it’s only 3 months and that may not be enough time to fully judge if the intermittent lameness is a long-term problem I’ll have to deal with. She was priced at the average price for a 3 year old TB out of racing/training who hasn’t had time put into her retraining yet.

I adore this horse and I am glad I bought her. I think I was just a bit taken aback by the trainer’s message. And I think, like others have said, I need more information about the lameness to fully assess how to prevent it becoming a problem with me.

 

[SilverLinings]

Hopefully the lameness was either due to something age related that was exacerbated by being in work so young, or was something minor and passing like a niggling foot abscess/infection. It sounds like a good sign that the trainer has said it was nothing sinister, I hope that when you hear back from them it sets your mind at ease.

Don't forget that you could have bought a horse with a completely clean medical history who'd never been lame before and within a month of arriving with you it could have broken a leg etc. As others have said, to a degree you can only work with what you have in front of you on the day, and the fact she passed a vetting and has been sound with you so far is a positive sign.

Years ago I owned a connemara who had been sound for the two years I'd had him at that point; by chance I found out from a vet that he had actually been sold by the previous owner because she couldn't keep him laminitis-free for more than a month or two (not the reason I'd been given for the sale!). I had him for years in the end, and he never had laminitis with me; the point being that management can affect horse soundness in some cases.

 

[J_sarahd]

Hopefully the lameness was either due to something age related that was exacerbated by being in work so young, or was something minor and passing like a niggling foot abscess/infection. It sounds like a good sign that the trainer has said it was nothing sinister, I hope that when you hear back from them it sets your mind at ease.

Don't forget that you could have bought a horse with a completely clean medical history who'd never been lame before and within a month of arriving with you it could have broken a leg etc. As others have said, to a degree you can only work with what you have in front of you on the day, and the fact she passed a vetting and has been sound with you so far is a positive sign.

Years ago I owned a connemara who had been sound for the two years I'd had him at that point; by chance I found out from a vet that he had actually been sold by the previous owner because she couldn't keep him laminitis-free for more than a month or two (not the reason I'd been given for the sale!). I had him for years in the end, and he never had laminitis with me; the point being that management can affect horse soundness in some cases.

Very true - I know a few horses who apparently had a clean bill of health and then just broke after a few months. She’s sound and happy at the moment, that’s all I’ve got to really focus on. And put my all into giving her the best management I can to ensure she stays sound.

I forwarded the email to my physio and farrier is coming a week tomorrow so I will let him know too.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Hope the trainers reply Is helpful. At 3 years old it could be feet, she is also still growing so could be that, she could also have had sore muscles which she probably won't have now. It is worrying but hopefully with her being so young you can iron out any issues.