Someone please tell me I'm being ridiculous!

[EquestrianE01]

On Saturday, Grace lost a shoe. Farrier already booked for Friday, and she's not in work at the moment so thought it would be fine to leave it.

This morning, she's come out of her stable absolutely dog lame ?. Looked like an abscess to me so farrier was called and arranged to come at 1 this afternoon. Couldn't burst it, but opened it up and said poultice and we'll see.

Now this would all be absolutely fine and a totally normal occurrence in the horse world. However, two years ago, around this time my last mare came in from the field hopping lame. Very long story cut very short, it was and abscess. It wouldn't burst, we tried for ten days with the vet. It then went into the pedal bone, she had a pedal scrape. Everything went very very wrong in the healing process and 6 months later we had to put her down. It absolutely broke me and I still don't feel over it at all.

I know I'm being ridiculous to have gotten myself so worked up over what is just an abscess this time, but I just can't stop with the 'what ifs?'.

I rang my vet after the farrier came, just to keep her in the loop as I'd messaged her this morning to ask if farrier didn't think it was an abscess would she be able to come and have a look. She's said after everything that happened before with the other mare she'd feel happier coming to have a look so is coming out this evening.

Not really sure what the point of this is, just think I needed to vent and probably someone to give me a slap and tell me I'm being stupid to worry so much!
Thank you if you got this far

 

[meleeka]

That’s really rotten luck, but unlikely to happen twice I’d have thought. Keeping everything crossed for puss!

 

[Michen]

Nope I totally understand. I lost my horse this time 4 years ago due to colic, from cold weather and not drinking, and his leg breaking when he stood up from surgery due to a kick in the field a week or so before.

I have been extra neurotic and on edge the entire time especially with the cold snap. I've even felt tearful, completely ridiculous.

So I understand, and do whatever works for you to put your mind at ease IMO a vets visit even with a bill is worth the money

 

[ester]

We will commence the pus dance immediately.

And horses worry us, if the vet coming out makes us worry a bit less I'm all for it. What a lovely vet it sounds like you have

 

[Polos Mum]

You're not ridiculous, you're burned by your past experience - understandably.

You're doing all the right things and nobody should even raise an eyebrow for you wanting to double check.

Most of us have learned lessons the hard way and do things that look weird to strangers because we've had a bad experience or 17 !

Horses are so creative in their methods of self harm that you think you've seen everything until they dream up something new!

 

[ycbm]

No you aren't being ridiculous, I imagine every horse of mine has whatever was a big problem in the horse i owned before it. But you'd be incredibly exceptionally unlucky to have it happen twice.

Fingers crossed for pus.

 

[doodle]

Definitely not being ridiculous I would be the same. I also lost a horse to a pedal bone infection, they cut a lot away but infection came back. He did it by putting leg through fence and ripping hoof off. Last week Robin did the same thing putting leg through fence. He got himself out but trotted off lame. I burst into tears expecting the worst. Luckily he trotted it off in a few steps and has been fine. I probably call the vet too quickly. But I would rather pay for a “wasted” call out and the vets are always very happy to come and give reassurance.

 

[Quigleyandme]

Definitely not the least bit ridiculous. I lost a young horse to sinusitis and if one of mine presented with a snotty nose now I would be very concerned. Sending pus release vibes to you. X

 

[PSD]

Not at all!

I lost my mare to laminitis last year and I’m now absolutely paranoid about feeding, grass, weight etc.

fingers crossed for puss, keep us updated! They do like to worry us.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Not ridiculous. But also it will most likely be an abscess or bruise that resolves easily rather than a repeat of previous trauma. I wish I could convince myself the same. Ever since losing Granny horse it's like the bottom falls out of my world every time any of mine even twitch wrong. (With hindsight I noticed she wasn't quite right quite a way before it came to crisis point, not that I could have changed the outcome BUT it just means the slightest thing going a little off now is catastrophised out of all proportion). I wish I had an answer.

Grace will be fine though. Pus dance commencing.

 

[Sir barnaby]

My mare died in 2012 she escaped the field and got on to the road and collided with a car I had her from a foal and she was 20 it was horrendous and I still see her laid in the road when I go out and think of her every day

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

My previous horse had a lengthy 'is he lame, is he not, if he is where is it' that after a long time, resulted in a Navicular diagnosis. I am completely neurotic about lameness and trot up my horse probably once a week and am constantly analysing his way of moving. I see lameness in so many horses and dogs I see out and about, I just can't turn it off.

So no, you aren't being silly.

 

[EquestrianE01]

Thank you everyone, very reassuring to know I'm not the only paranoid owner out there. Everyone on the yard thought I was insane to pay for the vet and the farrier in one day; I did start to question myself slightly.

Vet's been and gone. Still no pus ?, but she's glad I called her as thinks it's probably going to be more of a vet job than farrier, if that makes sense. It also made me feel a lot better having her out, as much as I love my farrier, he's tough as old nails and doesn't really do 'comforting' ?. Vet's coming back Friday so I will keep everyone updated.

We will commence the pus dance immediately.

And horses worry us, if the vet coming out makes us worry a bit less I'm all for it. What a lovely vet it sounds like you have

She's absolutely wonderful ester, I would be lost without her. She only qualified a couple of years ago and my last mare was one of her first patients, it was sadly her first case not to make a recovery so I think it's probably stuck with her too.

 

[dogatemysalad]

I don't blame you for calling the vet out either.
Vets aren't there just to diagnose a problem, they're there to also say, it's ok, or it's ok now, but let's keep an eye on it and see how things develop.

It's a bit like going to the doctor because of a cough. Usually a cough is a trivial inconvenience, but a medical expert has the knowledge to tell you when it maybe something more serious.

 

[ester]

That also means you already have a plan too (vet back out friday) and plans general help reduce the anxiety a bit.

 

[EquestrianE01]

Update!

Abscess burst at the weekend, and bl00dy hell did it stink! Farrier been today to shoe her and all is looking good ?.

Thank you everyone for reassuring me I wasn't being ridiculous!

 

[TPO]

Late to this thread but another that doesn't think you are ridiculous at all.

Excellent to have the back up of a trustworthy and knowledgeable vet

Do glad you now have pus ?

 

[ycbm]

Update!

Abscess burst at the weekend, and bl00dy hell did it stink! Farrier been today to shoe her and all is looking good ?.

Thank you everyone for reassuring me I wasn't being ridiculous!

Great news. We love a bit of pus!
.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I missed this post first time around but you weren't being ridiculous and I'm so pleased you have pus ??

 

[Cinnamontoast]

So relieved for you! Last time mine had one, the vet got the drill out! Immediate success.