Well that was interesting....

[Annagain]

Took Arch the vet last night. Luckily the vet's yard is only about 1/2 a mile from us so easy to get to despite being late out of work and stuck in awful traffic. Loaded him up, and off we went. Vet was dealing with someone else so left him on the trailer for a bit and spent 5 minutes watching some acquaintances from the yard across the road who had hired the arena and then got him off to take his boots off. People in the arena left and we had a brief chat on the way out. This was long enough for Archie to believe they were best mates so he got a bit twitchy when he realised he was on his own. He pulled back, and broke the bailing twine so I grabbed him and tied him to the other side.

I thought it would be wise to go and close the gate just in case. I was half way to the gate when all of a sudden I heard a big twanging noise and this giant white thing went flying past me, out onto the road and disappeared off into the distance. I had no chance of catching up with him and knew he'd head for home so I ran back, jumped in my car to go and get him. I was just praying he'd manage to avoid the cars. Luckily, that bit of road is quite straight so they would have seen him coming, I was just hoping they'd be able to stop in time as they go so fast on it. I knew once he was off the main road and onto our lane he'd be safe so I was very relieved when I pulled out of the vet's to see him over the hedge trotting nonchalantly up the hill.

The people from the yard across the road were fab. Two were still mounted so went after him, the other two got in their car and followed too. As I approached the yard one of them had caught him and he was grazing on the verge quite happily. I didn't know whether to hug him or hit him. He wasn't best pleased at being stuck straight back on the trailer.

Got back to the vet, *shut the gate*, got him off and started our appointment. Trotted him up, and then vet wanted to lunge him on the hard surface in the car park. Every single time he was facing the gate he'd tank off towards it, dragging me behind him. I thought he was going to jump it at one point. We did manage to lunge for long enough to see he's actually lame on both front feet, not the back as I thought. He was totally sound in a straight line and on a soft surface so vet said he's ok to go to camp next week. He's had wedges on his front feet for years due to dodgy foot conformation but we removed them in October to treat an abcess and he seemed to be doing ok without them so we left them off. It seems that wasn't the best move so he's going to have them back on asap and he has a course of bute.

Quite relieved it's the recurrence of an old problem rather than something new. I still can't believe he behaved like he did. I haven't seen him this morning as I was in work early but my friend texted to say he's much brighter already, has had a huge roll and was trying to play with all the other horses so I suppose all's well that ends well.

 

[ester]

Eek, we have a pull backer but thankfully her only real jolly was round an even field when another horse has gone first and set her off.

I'm surprised how long he's has wedges on/they are keen to put them back on as long term most vets and farriers would say they only crush heels after more than a couple of cycles and make the problem worse. Does he have a diagnosis?

 

[Annagain]

He's never done it before. 21 and he decides to learn a new trick!

We had the diagnosis 10 years ago - although his feet look the right shape on the outside, the internal structure is different and all the angles are wrong which makes him very prone to concussion type injuries. I agree it's odd for them to have the wedges so long but as the inside is so different to the outside even a decent shape hoof on the outside isn't enough for him.

It was only because he had an abcess and we had to remove the wedges to get to it treat it that we took them off. Initially it was only supposed to be for one shoeing cycle but he seemed to be doing ok so we left them off as his heels were growing so well. It's taken 6 months but the old problem seems to have come back without them so he has to have them back on. I'd rather not, but it's obvious now he does need them.

 

[SusieT]

ermm.. if he's lame on both front feet I'm amazed any vet would say go to camp... surely it warrants either rest or a work up? The reason he's not lame on a soft surface or straight line is it is just mild lameness but it's still lame...

 

[AmyMay]

I have to agree with SusieT.

Yesterday he was feeling sorry for himself - but today he gets passed fit to ride at camp? 🙄

 

[Doormouse]

ermm.. if he's lame on both front feet I'm amazed any vet would say go to camp... surely it warrants either rest or a work up? The reason he's not lame on a soft surface or straight line is it is just mild lameness but it's still lame...

Horses are all individuals and the OP has clearly owned him for a long time, the vet has clearly been treating him for a long time so I would guess they probably between them know a great deal more about the horse than you do.

 

[twiggy2]

Lame is lame and I would not work the horse.
And after all that galloping about the lameness may be completely unrelated to any previous problem.

 

[Annagain]

Thanks all for your concern. He has his wedges back on, is on a course of bute and is now sound as a pound (lunged him on the hard surface yesterday to check) and like a different horse in himself. As Doormouse has said, vet and I know him very well and if he's happy for me to take him, I'm happy. He will be doing some basic flatwork and a bit of hacking for 2 1/2 days (I'm also taking my other horse so he won't be working too hard) and at 21 I have no qualms in using a bit of bute to keep him active and comfortable at the same time.

He was *slightly* lame before the galloping twiggy and, thankfully, is none the worse for his escapades.

 

[AmyMay]

Still don't get it - sorry.

 

[SusieT]

Doesn't sound like the best interests of the horse are here I'm afraid - camp is purely for you not him and I have to say I think it emphasises all that is wrong about horse management

 

[SpottyMare]

I think Annagain and her vet who have been managing this horse for a few years by the looks of it are far better placed than internet randoms (who have no idea of his history or management) in deciding what is best for him. I'm not sure how anyone can be qualified to make an assumption about how a horse is managed based on a couple of posts...

As for learning new tricks at 21 - I've got one of those - keeps life 'interesting'...

 

[AmyMay]

Poor old Archie is still not much better so it's off to the vet we go this afternoon. He seems perfectly happy bearing weight and he isn't unlevel, in as much as there's no dipping or shortness of stride, but he's just not moving properly. He's feeling pretty sorry for himself too, he looks really sad and wants cwtches all the time. He does love a cwtch normally but not as much as he does at the moment.

This was posted on the 6th. But on the 7th proclaimed fit and well enough to go to camp.

 

[Goldenstar]

Bute is good stuff .
But seriously it's up to the owner and vet to decide what approach is best might not be what I would do but it does not mean it's wrong .

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

Another who agrees I wouldn't be taking him to camp. I wouldn't even hack if my mare hinted at a slight bit of lameness and wouldn't be covering problems with bute, especially at an older age where you don't know the root cause of the lameness

 

[Annagain]

This was posted on the 6th. But on the 7th proclaimed fit and well enough to go to camp.

Have you never thought your horse was ill/injured only for the vet to tell you it's not as bad as you first thought and then been thoroughly relieved at the diagnosis you get?

He has a long term condition that's never going away. All we can do is manage it whether that is physically by putting the wedges back on or medically by giving him pain relief. If you could see the difference in him you wouldn't be questioning it. Trust me, this is a horse that has been treated with kid gloves for 10 years. For 10 years I've been managing this and he's had plenty of time off when he's needed it. I have always put him first, withdrawn from competitions when I've had to, not competed on grass in case the grounds isn't right for him, cancelled a riding holiday and lost hundreds of pounds as a result. When he was diagnosed at 11 I was told he'd be lucky to see 18. From that day onwards he hasn't jumped, he hasn't trotted on hard ground, he hasn't been worked hard. He could have retired but he made it very clear he didn't want to spend all his life in a field so we've had to find a way to make that work. Most people would have sold him on or shot him 10 years ago if all they were thinking of was themselves. There was no way I was doing that.

Nothing we do is going to make his condition worse or better we just have to keep him pain free and happy for as long as possible. The wedges were doing that and, with hindsight, keeping them off after the abcess had healed was a mistake. They are now back on which will help long term and if he needs a bit of bute to manage the issue short term now then so be it. I'm not medicating him just so I can take him, he would be on the bute whether he's at home in the field or coming to camp. The fact he's 100% sound on it so can go to camp is a bonus. The vet who knows him and has seen him in the flesh is very happy it's a short term issue and he's fine to go. I would not be taking him otherwise. I trust his professional training, 40 years of experience and 10 years of dealing with this horse more than some people on a forum.