Those of you who bute to ride

I have a bad back I live on pain killers they get me out of bed in the morning. I don't agree with given two to three everyday for long periods of time just to ride but I'm happy to take painkillers why wouldn't I give them to my horse to keep him happy just for a plod round the block
 
Maesfen said:
I couldn't agree more with this.

Personally I'm in the 'if it needs bute, it's lame and shouldn't be ridden' camp and I would find it very hard to justify doing anything else unless it was under vet instructions and only then for the minimum time needed. I certainly wouldn't bute anything up so it can be comfortable in a field in retirement, it would be gone because it has no quality of life but then I'm used to horses that have to work for their living
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I'm quite surprised at your stance on this, Maesfen. You normally can be relied on to produce a grounded, no nonsense reply. So you would rather shoot an arthritic horse as lame, than allow it to carry on, with vet's approval, in low level work on bute? (Btw, I fully understand not buteing a horse to keep it paddock sound).

Is it all or nothing? Full on hard work without painkillers or the kennels?
 
ester said:
Frankly, they do, most owners know their horses well enough to listen to them and take their care and management of them very seriously and as I said before each case is individual. If yours starts to become stiff behind in it's early twenties would you seriously just retire it to the field as opposed to keeping it moving doing some light hacking out with a small amount of bute to enable that?

What with that and your views on cushingoid horses I rather hope I am not an older horse in your care any time soon.
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Beautifully put . . . I think that, despite some of the muppets on the Forum who display a frightening lack of regard for their equine friends by competing them ON BUTE, most owners know their horses very well and take appropriate care of them . . . which includes the odd sachet of bute to keep them working so that the arthritis (for example) allows them to move enough to keep them going.

P
 
PolarSkye said:
Beautifully put . . . I think that, despite some of the muppets on the Forum who display a frightening lack of regard for their equine friends by competing them ON BUTE, most owners know their horses very well and take appropriate care of them . . . which includes the odd sachet of bute to keep them working so that the arthritis (for example) allows them to move enough to keep them going.

P
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I echo this :-)
 
I would also medicate for the reasons cited by the poster, and others, and have to agree we use analgesia in order to carry on with our usual daily functions which often involve work and play; so why not for horses. One of ours has problems with his coffin joint which we manage through supplements and avoidance of working on hard surfaces. During times when he has been out of work, he is bored and desperately wants to work. So far I have maintained him without bute/danilon on a regular basis, but did give some the other day due to on-going hard ground in the paddock causing discomfort, with brilliant results. This was a one off dose and since then he is much better. If it seems the best solution, do what you feel is right and as guided by the Vet. Sometimes people think they know more than Vets, but it needs to be taken into account that Vets undergo extensive training before gaining their qualifications, and like Doctors they are guided by professional development and research as well as anecdotal evidence. Lay people ,however knowledgeable and experienced do not have that degree of training and expertise.
 
Thank you all for your advice and support!
I do know if he's having a bad day as he's reluctant to go forward (ever so slightly, he gets very looky and spooky) so to those who are worried he may be sore and not show it I think he shows me in that way. Either that or he's a spoilt little monster! ;)
Yesterday I took him for a 25 min pootle and he felt brilliant! Ears pricked and marching out also had bit of a trot, his choice!
Days like that I do know it's the right thing to be doing :)
 
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