uninsured.... WWYD??

A full lameness workup will cost you a couple of hundred pounds.

Regardless of you wish for no negative comments, if you can't afford the most basic of veterinary treatments, why on earth have you got a horse?
 
Is there any reason why he can't be insured? No advice on the lameness beyond as others have said call the vet out.

I know you said that your not big or fat being a size 14 at a height of 5ft 4 but i hate to burst your bubble and hope this won't be taken as a personal insult as its something I also struggle with but you are overweight for your height.
 
yes I'm a little confused as to when this horse went lame, did he only go lame while jumping yesterday? I read most of the thread assuming (given that we were talking work ups and that it is def higher than foot) that this lameness had been around for some time. Can you clarify op?

Certainly to say that because he is uninsured a full work up is out of the question is just not right. When you choose not to insure you choose to pay the bills as necessary/save in your own insurance scheme. Also lameness work ups aren't always £££, my lads issue was in his feet so a couple of nerve blocks and an x-ray and we had an answer.

ETA why are we now having a PTS decision being mentioned on a horse that has poss only just gone lame and for which there is no diagnosis :confused:
 
Id call the vet on Monday and make an appointment. Is his back sore under the saddle after you have worked him? Saddles should never go past the horses last rib as then they have no support, so if that's the case then it could be causing the problem.
I would just quietly hack him until the vet comes out and if the vet requires a demo then he/she can see the problem.. whereas if you turn away and the brusing on his back heals the vet wont see anything and you will have the same problem when you start working again. However if he isnt sore under the saddle after work then i doubt thats the problem and i would rest him until the vets been.
 
Pearlsasinger .. can I ask why, they aren't particularly cheap themselves and the OP has no idea what is affecting this horse's performance
 
alex2601 said:
moneys not a issue if he needs a vet he will get a vet.

im merely asking what other people would personally do? would you turn him away? sell him? or get him checked out by a vet no expense spared.
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See how he is on Monday and give him the weekend off. It may be a muscular tweak which only manifests when jumping. If no better get the vet out or go there and discuss options stating he is uninsured.

That is what I would do in answer to your question, however in addition:

You seem to be jumping the gun talking about PTS, no good for eventing etc. His dressage will be tense at times - he's an ex-racehorse and you've had him for 9 months. I have had mine for 7 years and he can do a 47% test one day and a 68% the next - still awaiting the elusive 70% :p. I am an amateur as are you and we will struggle more than the pros to achieve a consistent result with these special boys.

Having had 2 ex-racers, I would always insure them - I have had other uninsured horses in the past, however my experience with both boys OTT is that they tend to cost a lot in vets fees as they don't do things by halves.
 
Im confused to be honest..& in no way am i having a go, but in your first post you say hes not insured & so a full lameness work out is out of the question & then you say money isnt an issue if he needs the vet??
As for your saddle if hes got big shoulders pushing your saddle back get something straighter cut that wont interfere with his shoulders & should sit in the right place....surely your saddler should have suggested it? Also if your saddle doesnt fit (which it doesnt from what youve said) is there a chance this is contributing to his lameness?
 
Sounds like OP is over reacting, even if insured she would have to pay an excess, often the cost of a vets visit, and four days Danolin [standard practice round here].
If horse is lame after jumping stop jumpimg! find out what is wrong, no need to assume the worse. Mind you most vets have no idea about saddles/backs.
 
Goldenstar said:
you must have awful vets round your way ,but I would advise OP to get a specalist equine vet .
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I am recalling a top equine vet who I asked for particularly as I thought pony was intermittently lame [I think he stood on a stone], he looked at conformation, said he will never be any good. Never looked at saddle which was new, and has since been replaced.
Trotted him up a short distance, and went away. No flexion, no hands over muscles, nope.
Pony has never ever been unsound and with food and work [four years!], is now transformed from weedy [vet] to chunky [instructor].
 
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What would I do! I don't insure either and never have.

I would leave him for the week end and get the vet out next week.
Go from there.

What I have learnt is my vet is more carefull how my money is spent as I'm not insured.

My most recent horse, full lameness workout and nerve blocks then 3 x rays on feet = £350. I thought that was very good.
 
I would get the vet out if no better on Monday. The big shoulders you are describing need careful saddle fitting as it is easy for the saddle to tip backwards meaning the seat is not flat and it puts a strain on a very small part of the back.

Fingers crossed you get to the root of it
 
YasandCrystal said:
Well as you are in Cambs - I would send him to Donna Blinman a most excellent Holistic vet at Higham also osteopath and acupuncture trained. She sorted out my WB who had chronic SI dysfunction. If you send him there to stay her livery is inexpensive and the weekly charge very affordable. Take a look at her website and I would give her a call no hesitation. Treatment at her yard is just £300 per week. My boy spent 2 weeks there and benefitted so much. I have recommended her to many and they have all hailed how brilliant she has been for them.

A normal vet is going to be charging you minimum £200 just to investigate briefly, so you cannot lose in my opinion going to a holistic one who can immediately treat the problem with her set of skills. She is very refreshing indeed and will source the root problem.

http://www.donnablinman.co.uk/
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^^^^ This, and put it on a credit card and pay off monthly.
 
First of all, stop jumping. If a horse is not cantering properly, then they should not be jumping.

From the way you describe it, your horse proably has a back or pelvis problem which is being compounded by an ill fitting saddle. If you are a size 14 and only 5' 4, then you most probably need a 17 1/2 inch saddle. How big is your saddle? The fact that he is lame after landing from a jump is one of two things, either (and most likely) you landing back in the ill fitting saddle is jolting his back, or else he is straining something in the effort of take off.

What would I do?

Get the vet. Get the physio. Get the saddler. Good luck.
 
If money is no object get the vet then.

Find out first it could be nothing or something and then decide what you want to do.

After my first claim NFU wouldnt insure(13 years) so I just stopped the policy got BHS GOLD for liability etc and then as the insurance was going to be £400 + year decided I needed to put some money away for such eventuality ie that I would just pay out of pocket.From 2005 until this week I could have saved any money to cover any bills(never had a call out after that). I wouldnt spend £ks treating a horse anyway unless it was completely curable and they had same 100% quality of life as a healthy one.

As long as you can afford to pay and have public liability just pay.
 
Leave the horse until Monday & then contact the vet (you don't want weekend call out fees). Tell the vet that you are paying yourself for any treatment & that way, if he's any good, he will advise you what tests need to be done & what they will tell him & will not do a variety of others that insurance would ordinarily pay for. Until a vet has checked out your horse & you know what the trouble is it's impossible to really discuss further. This could be an easily treated problem or something more serious but either way you need the input of a vet.

You may need physio or saddler or both but at the moment you need the vet & he'll tell you if the next call is the physio etc.

Good Luck
 
I can't see where you are but someone said Cambs. We use Newmarket equine vets and they have free callout on Thursdays to this area (east cambridge), you could see if they go to your area and find our when the free callout is?

I think saddle fitting will be important (have you watched him canter on lunge or loose over jumps? Not that I'm suggesting that now if there's a problen) and will only be 40 quid plus if your current saddle can be made to fit another 20-40 too, so not bad if it helps!

Not surprising for an ex racer to have canter problems, mine does too.

It won't cost much for a vet to come and tell you what further investigations can be done and then you could possibly turn him away or at least light hacking til you can afford it?
 
Haven't read all the replies as just going to work, but wanted to say, when our horses weren't insured, the vets were great at suggesting cheaper options to try, so would be worth a call to them.. I almost think the vets were better when we weren't insured!
 
amymay said:
A full lameness workup will cost you a couple of hundred pounds.

Regardless of you wish for no negative comments, if you can't afford the most basic of veterinary treatments, why on earth have you got a horse?
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oh because everyone else has one, and i think its really cool to own an ex racer!!! i have absolutly no idea of how to ride to or look after a horse whatsoever!!!!!

horseloaner said:
Is there any reason why he can't be insured? No advice on the lameness beyond as others have said call the vet out.

I know you said that your not big or fat being a size 14 at a height of 5ft 4 but i hate to burst your bubble and hope this won't be taken as a personal insult as its something I also struggle with but you are overweight for your height.
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well maybe i should go buy myself a nice big fat hairy cob because clearly any other breed cant carry weight!! dont you think im aware of that and trying to do something about it. if my instructor thought this was an issue, dont u think she would say something?

navaho said:
Im confused to be honest..& in no way am i having a go, but in your first post you say hes not insured & so a full lameness work out is out of the question & then you say money isnt an issue if he needs the vet??
As for your saddle if hes got big shoulders pushing your saddle back get something straighter cut that wont interfere with his shoulders & should sit in the right place....surely your saddler should have suggested it? Also if your saddle doesnt fit (which it doesnt from what youve said) is there a chance this is contributing to his lameness?
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ill explain in simples terms..... im a spolit brat and my horse is kept at home, yes i had the money to buy him, but the upkeep i.e bedding and feed and vet bills falls on my mum, who pays for all of my older sisters horses. so in a way money is not the issue my mum has the money she just wont pay for investigative work

Nicnac said:
See how he is on Monday and give him the weekend off. It may be a muscular tweak which only manifests when jumping. If no better get the vet out or go there and discuss options stating he is uninsured.

That is what I would do in answer to your question, however in addition:

You seem to be jumping the gun talking about PTS, no good for eventing etc. His dressage will be tense at times - he's an ex-racehorse and you've had him for 9 months. I have had mine for 7 years and he can do a 47% test one day and a 68% the next - still awaiting the elusive 70% :p. I am an amateur as are you and we will struggle more than the pros to achieve a consistent result with these special boys.

Having had 2 ex-racers, I would always insure them - I have had other uninsured horses in the past, however my experience with both boys OTT is that they tend to cost a lot in vets fees as they don't do things by halves.
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i never suggested this my mum did. i dont want him pts at all. she told me not to insure him as it was a waste of my money and she would pay for any vet bills he incurred so i stupidly listened to my mum and didnt insure him
 
So basically, get him insured asap and ring the vet monday. It could be a number of things, not something folk on a forum could tell you.
If your mum is reluctant to pay, can you nit ask her to then pay her back in installments or something?
 
I think spoilt brat you misunderstood most of the responses are trying to be helpful wanting the best for the horse and realise not everyone does have deep pockets which initially was what I thought you didnt have.
 
Tinap555 said:
Sorry, just seen that you said money is not an issue. In that case I would definately get the vet out & just see what he says. Make a decision to treat/pts after his diagnosis xx
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pts? isnt that a little prematurely radical? :confused:

he only went lame 'yesterday' and is 2/10th lame anyway from OP's description!
 
CobsGalore said:
So your mum said not to insure him because she would pay for vets bills, but now she won't pay for vets bills? yes exactly!

Do you mind me asking how old you are?
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in my 20s hence why i called myself a spoilt brat!!


i know everyone who has replied is trying to help i am grateful of the replies.... this situation is very difficult to explain over a forum, those who know my family would understand alot easier.

im not condemming my horse to early grave or giving up on him, i am merely saying what people around me have suggested. pts is absurd and will not be happening without my say so and after a definitive diagnosis.

he has obviously not been diagnosed with anything yet, i just wanted peoples opinions if they would call a vet asap, chuck him out for a few months then see how he was, carry on riding but no jumping or what they would do.

none of this came across right in my first post i was in a bit of state when i wrote it after my mum decided it was a great time to tell me her real thoughts! so yes i may have over reacted but when someone is saying your horse is dangerous pts, you cant help thinking ***** is he actually dangerous?


i apoligise if i have offended anyone in anything i have said, the vet will be out during the week to give my lad a once over and a decision shall be made. of the way to go.
 
alex2601 said:
oh because everyone else has one, and i think its really cool to own an ex racer!!! i have absolutly no idea of how to ride to or look after a horse whatsoever!!!!!



well maybe i should go buy myself a nice big fat hairy cob because clearly any other breed cant carry weight!! dont you think im aware of that and trying to do something about it. if my instructor thought this was an issue, dont u think she would say something?



ill explain in simples terms..... im a spolit brat and my horse is kept at home, yes i had the money to buy him, but the upkeep i.e bedding and feed and vet bills falls on my mum, who pays for all of my older sisters horses. so in a way money is not the issue my mum has the money she just wont pay for investigative work



i never suggested this my mum did. i dont want him pts at all. she told me not to insure him as it was a waste of my money and she would pay for any vet bills he incurred so i stupidly listened to my mum and didnt insure him
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Corr calm down love! You've been given good advice - to get the vet out and see what's going on and if it needs treating. If you knew your mum wouldn't pay for vets bills (and before you start screaching that she will pay for vets bills just not investigative work you should have planned for that as well) you should have insured him.

ETA: Just seen your last post, glad you are getting the vet out, let us know what happens.

Edited yet again to say a similar thing happened to me with my dog. I had assumed my parents would pay vets bills but they where reluctant (they said they could see she was fine, that I was overreacting and it turns out they where right) but it scared me so much to think my animal's health was in someone elses hands that I went out and got her insured. I suggest you think about doing the same. If your mum pays for everything else surely you can afford the insurance?
 
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StrawberryFields1 said:
Corr calm down love! You've been given good advice - to get the vet out and see what's going on and if it needs treating. If you knew your mum wouldn't pay for vets bills (and before you start screaching that she will pay for vets bills just not investigative work you should have planned for that as well) you should have insured him.

yeah slight over reaction my bad, my immature childish side escaped, i wont let it happen again!
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I would give horse a spin on the lunge without tack on both reins, and see how he was on a circle. I would then get the vet next week. A lameness work up shouldn't cost the earth, especially if you tell them he isn't insured. If it is intermitent and only with certain things, I would still get the vet. I had a horse I struggled to get weight on, which turned out to be a low grade pain issue associated with the sacrililac area.
I wouldn't worry too much.
 
Also, if you tell your vet you are not insured upfront, and you need an idea of costs that won't hijack you, that way you can keep within some sort of budget.

And a straight cut saddle is NOT the immediate answer for a big shoulder. It's where the tree is fitted, not the flap. As an eg, am Albion K2 SJ saddle, whilst not my favourite in terms of rider comfort, is normally pretty good on horses like this.
 
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