What did you do with your machine, when it developed arthritis?

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SkewbyTwo

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I've a 15 year old, very heavy, hideously put together but insanely able hunter who has very recently (last 6-12 months) degenerated very rapidly. He has very advanced arthritis in his front coffin joints (MRI) and has been medicated (joint injections) accordingly.

Just about to bring him back into full work after treatment and rest and rehab, and see what I have, I've no idea until I try. But if the prospect of work (he's always sulked whenever not worked) does not bring him back to what he was (a livewire who just adored life) I'm going to have to make sure he's happy at a lower level (he has plenty more to do!).

Basically, has anyone had a horse who has hunted/competed/whatever and very much lived the "high life", out and about a lot of the time, just a keener - naps away from home and other odd stuff! - and found that a lower level, when physically things are not as they were, they were still happy just to be working?
 
I rehomed a mare with bone spavin to a hacking home where she lives out as much as she needs to and only comes in when the weather leaves no other option. She is doing great.

I PTS my horse of a lifetime when he was diagnosed as chronically lame following a field accident. He wouldn't have coped physically with extended turnout due to laminitis and other health issues.

Each horse is different. I don't have any hard and fast rules, just whatever is best for the individual horse.

Sorry, that's probably not a huge help.
 
Flicker said:
Sorry, that's probably not a huge help.
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Actually, it is! You have made me see, that I am lucky in that he is extremely hardy and 200% in every other way, bar utterly frazzled coffin joints. So from that point of view, which I had not considered (Thank you!), his chances are improved.

I also wonder, would he adapt, so long as he felt useful - simply because by the time he came up unlevel at most (I had to trot him up 4 times for the vet before she saw something), we were all astonished at the state of his legs. Meaning his that workmanlike, he was working through it.

Not sure how long that can last though. I think my main concern is the extent of damage to that joint.
 
Well I think you should look after your 'Machine' as well as possible - and hopefully you may find someone to take on your 'MACHINE' who cares about ==== wow ==== lets think about this...... yes got it a living = breathing= wonderful= horse,,,,,, but obviously you wear Huge Blinkers
 
Is he barefoot? That could help with slowing down deterioration. I should think if he's someone that likes to work he will like to work, regardless of what the work is.
 
I wish you the best of luck! I hope he comes back into work ok. We have one with a mild form which we inject treat. We were told her could go back to normal if the injections worked. He's very stiff but we are lucky enough to have a solarium which we try to use for him.
 
Keep in work as much as possible but lower the intensity and give longer recovery, and ease back in cold weather/rug more/use solarium/bandage legs when stabled/don't clip back and leave legs hairy/plenty of turnout when not in at nights in winter.

I loaned out my 16 yo to a hacking home as he had started stopping when jumping. The break in intensity has meant he has come back to jumping and fortunately his loaner enjoys coming to a show with us every month or so.
 
I do sympathise, OP. These horses who just adore their work don't always take to retirement :(

My old girl has arthritic changes in her fetlocks, but gets very sulky and upset when others go out hunting/jumping and she doesn't. We keep her ticking over on bute, and she does the occasional half day. It cheers her up for days if she has been allowed to go for an outing:)

I really think when she gets too bad to cope with occasional outings, we may have to call it a day, because she simply isn't happy stuck in the field for days, even though she always has companions.
 
Chestnut horse said:
Well I think you should look after your 'Machine' as well as possible - and hopefully you may find someone to take on your 'MACHINE' who cares about ==== wow ==== lets think about this...... yes got it a living = breathing= wonderful= horse,,,,,, but obviously you wear Huge Blinkers
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Think this is a little harsh, the way I read the OP post was that she uses the term 'machine' in the sense that the horse loves to work and is a 'bit of a machine' in terms of thriving off constant hard work. Dont feel OP meant anything negative by the use of the word machine.
 
I too wondered about the use of the word 'machine', then I read the post. I think the term is used to mean a horse that just keeps going, loves his work and is a stoical chap, the post doesn't read as though the OP doesn't care.
 
Chestnut horse said:
Well I think you should look after your 'Machine' as well as possible - and hopefully you may find someone to take on your 'MACHINE' who cares about ==== wow ==== lets think about this...... yes got it a living = breathing= wonderful= horse,,,,,, but obviously you wear Huge Blinkers
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I think it is fairly clear that the OP meant that he was a 'machine' in his way of working and on the field. If OP really thought he was a machine in the way that you suggest then she would be unlikely to have come on here asking for ways to keep him sane and happy, she would have PTs if your assumptions were correct. How rude.

Perhaps you owe Op an apology...
 
Paint Me Proud said:
Think this is a little harsh, the way I read the OP post was that she uses the term 'machine' in the sense that the horse loves to work and is a 'bit of a machine' in terms of thriving off constant hard work. Dont feel OP meant anything negative by the use of the word machine.
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Yes that is exactly it and thanks for making that clear when I perhaps didn't. As far as I'm concerned, he has a myriad of options re lower level career (and yes I mean with me). My concern is simply that, knowing his character as I do (had him since a 4yo) he has always adored his work and has always been a very busy chap and thrived on it. I've plenty of options for him. Just sort of perhaps preparing myself for the prospect of a frustrated horse.
 
Admittedly my old horse didn't have particular soundness issues, he was just getting old ( in his thirties ), but I just let him slow down without stopping him. So, instead of 2 hour rides, we would go for 45 min or an hour. He did still go out 3 or 4 times a week though, and we started to learn long reining and "ground work " so he could do some work without too much physical strain.
He also started to nanny younger horses, which he loved.
I had to be aware that the "mind was willing , but the body wasn't" somedays and hold him back for his own good.
He coped well ( and he had been a horse that had worked hard all his life ), mainly because he still had a job to do, he wasn't left in a paddock. That wouldnt have been beneficial to him.
OP I hope your horse comes back into work without too many limitations. Ive never hunted, but is it possible that he can do a half day and not take so many of the jumps? that way he still gets to party?
Kx
 
Chestnut horse said:
Well I think you should look after your 'Machine' as well as possible - and hopefully you may find someone to take on your 'MACHINE' who cares about ==== wow ==== lets think about this...... yes got it a living = breathing= wonderful= horse,,,,,, but obviously you wear Huge Blinkers
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Wow calm down a bit. Ha you would get highly offended over here where a horse is described as a machine quite often...ie He's a machine in the ring or she's a machine to jump...it's a compliment!!!!
OP I would start away as normal and let him tell you how it's going.
 
I think they are all different so what works for one won't work for another.

My ex-eventer retired from competition at 12 for numerous niggles, we tried him as a happy hacker, but it didn't keep his brain occupied and decided it was better for him (and those riding him) to stop work. He has actually taken to a life in the field exceptionally well.

I have a 7yo that has had an accident and won't compete again :( Luckily for him though he does have the temprement to be a happy hack.

In you circumstances, fo arthritic changes it tends to be better to keep them in work. I've known plenty of slightly unsound hunters keep hunting. A bit of bute and picky on the ground and opt for the quiet days.
 
It depends on the horse, but even the most 'machine' like horses can adapt to a slower pace / be happy retired. My girl had a very full on busy life (showing / dressage / hunting) until she was 20 & always lived in. She 'retired' at 20, had a foal, spent a couple of years doing light hacking / schooling & has been fully retired for the last few years. She does live in a settled herd, so has a 'social life', and comes in @ night in the winter.
 
My old lady has always been a workaholic, been a competition horse solidly from 4yo to 16yo.
She evented to a low level then competed in dressage to Inter I and did all the GP work when I put her in foal at 16yo.
I ended up riding her through to almost 10 months preggers as she just went looking for trouble (kicked a fence rail out and jumped the fence at over 9 months gone when I tried to stop riding her :rolleyes: ) but just lightened the work gradually so she was just in walk from 7 months but that kept her happy.
She was a good Mum but again started looking for entertainment once foalie was around 7 weeks old and becoming more independent. Rode her lightly with foal at foot and she came back into full work once weaned.

This all made me feel she would never be a good full retirement prospect, although she retired from competition at 19yo when I felt she was no longer enjoying the level of work needed to be competitive. She did go on to have two more foals but showed signs of arthritis towards the end of pregnancy 3. This was investigated after foal was born and ringbone was found in one leg - she was 22yo at the time. Treated that and then a few weeks later she almost severed a tendon (>90% of SDFT gone) in the field. Against all veterinary prediction she has come sound (probably because she spent most of her time flat out in bed for 6 months :D normal for her) and to my amazement has adapted to happily to light hacking a few times a week, although if I don't do anything with her she does get naughty.
 
amage said:
Wow calm down a bit. Ha you would get highly offended over here where a horse is described as a machine quite often...ie He's a machine in the ring or she's a machine to jump...it's a compliment!!!!
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Can I just say that this is the exact definition of "machine" I use, and therefore what I meant by my OP.

I also wanted to thank you all as I'm so encouraged by the vast number of replies showing a busy horse can still flourish, as long as he has a job. On our hack today, I realised (as I moaned at him for neighing, he's a dreadful neigher out alone) that although *I* can tell there is a huge slow down, the horse himself does seem awfully happy (at this moment in time) to be out and about, whenever he is. We'll see what he can manage, and is that enough for him.

Terrific so many people knew exactly what I meant, lol! I've been worrying about retiring this one since he was about 7 and his character really came out. He just needs to be busy, and in all honesty it's well worth seeing, does he care overly that it's not "hunting" busy.

So thank you all and have a super Christmas!!! xxx
 
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