louf
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
I don't post much, but lurk a lot, and now I have a query that I can't answer alone. It is quite a long story, so bare with me!
I have had my mare for 4 and a half years, and about 16 months ago she was diagnosed with kissing spines - she has always been a bit quirky and had a habit of broncing for no obvious reason, but for a few months before diagnosis she was really unhappy, bolting with me and behaving much worse, both when being lunged and ridden. She had injections first, which didn't work, and then the op in June last year. I spent from June last year to January this year rehabbing her and she came back into work really nicely - she was much happier, worked better on the lunge and I began schooling her properly in January with really positive results. She has had regular physio and hasn't been pushed hard at all. I was really pleased with her progress.
In February, (during a winter of virtually no turn-out) her behaviour became erratic again and she began broncing, as well as becoming really girthy and quite aggressive when tacked up. I persevered for a few weeks, but nothing improved so I stopped riding her and got the vet out. The vet said it was probably ulcers and that she needed more turnout first of all to see if that was the problem. At the beginning of April I moved yards (back to my old yard) and turned her out for 2 weeks to allow her to be a grazing horse, and to see if her behaviour changed. She chilled out almost immediately so after a fortnight I started to lunge her. The first time I lunged her she seemed lame, but I left her a day or two to see if it was just stiffness due to lack of work. She was still lame, particularly on the left rein in lunge. Not on the flat in a straight line either in trot or walk, but definitely on the lunge.
To cut a long story short, I have had the vet out and x-rays, nerve blocking and box-rest/bute trials for the last 10 weeks with no change at all. Yesterday she went to horsepital and had the full lameness workout with ultrasound and x-rays as well as more nerve-blocks.
She has a hole in her right hind suspensory. A hole...!!! I am absolutely gutted. The rehab is 8-16 weeks of box rest with in-hand walking only, then, dependent on her response, 16 weeks ridden work in walk only. 6 months rehab. I have barely ridden her in 16 months and now another 6 months. They can't guarantee she will be anything other than a happy hacker. I am going up to the hospital today for more in-depth discussion but I don't know what to do anymore. She is 12 years old, an ID x.
I can't afford to keep her as a field ornament and I am struggling with it all hugely at the moment - I know this is all new information and massively shocking, but I just don't know what to do.
I also feel extremely emotional about it.
Sorry to pour all this out but I just wanted to hear others' points of view if possible.
Thanks for reading this far...
I don't post much, but lurk a lot, and now I have a query that I can't answer alone. It is quite a long story, so bare with me!
I have had my mare for 4 and a half years, and about 16 months ago she was diagnosed with kissing spines - she has always been a bit quirky and had a habit of broncing for no obvious reason, but for a few months before diagnosis she was really unhappy, bolting with me and behaving much worse, both when being lunged and ridden. She had injections first, which didn't work, and then the op in June last year. I spent from June last year to January this year rehabbing her and she came back into work really nicely - she was much happier, worked better on the lunge and I began schooling her properly in January with really positive results. She has had regular physio and hasn't been pushed hard at all. I was really pleased with her progress.
In February, (during a winter of virtually no turn-out) her behaviour became erratic again and she began broncing, as well as becoming really girthy and quite aggressive when tacked up. I persevered for a few weeks, but nothing improved so I stopped riding her and got the vet out. The vet said it was probably ulcers and that she needed more turnout first of all to see if that was the problem. At the beginning of April I moved yards (back to my old yard) and turned her out for 2 weeks to allow her to be a grazing horse, and to see if her behaviour changed. She chilled out almost immediately so after a fortnight I started to lunge her. The first time I lunged her she seemed lame, but I left her a day or two to see if it was just stiffness due to lack of work. She was still lame, particularly on the left rein in lunge. Not on the flat in a straight line either in trot or walk, but definitely on the lunge.
To cut a long story short, I have had the vet out and x-rays, nerve blocking and box-rest/bute trials for the last 10 weeks with no change at all. Yesterday she went to horsepital and had the full lameness workout with ultrasound and x-rays as well as more nerve-blocks.
She has a hole in her right hind suspensory. A hole...!!! I am absolutely gutted. The rehab is 8-16 weeks of box rest with in-hand walking only, then, dependent on her response, 16 weeks ridden work in walk only. 6 months rehab. I have barely ridden her in 16 months and now another 6 months. They can't guarantee she will be anything other than a happy hacker. I am going up to the hospital today for more in-depth discussion but I don't know what to do anymore. She is 12 years old, an ID x.
I can't afford to keep her as a field ornament and I am struggling with it all hugely at the moment - I know this is all new information and massively shocking, but I just don't know what to do.
I also feel extremely emotional about it.
Sorry to pour all this out but I just wanted to hear others' points of view if possible.
Thanks for reading this far...