What to do with a broken competition horse? Options

You have to start with nerve blocks so you can find where the problem is otherwise its a guessing game, I cant believe the vet has not said this its common practice, horses do not act being lame they act on pain cant believe a vet said its a habit either, I would be changing vets to be honest start with nerve blocks say your not insured to keep the cost down and go from there it may be something really simple and can be treated, if its not at least you will know please dont give him away for £1 as he is lame and thats not fair.
 
wench said:
If it was me, I'd get a thermal imaging scan done of him. These are relatively inexpensive for a whole horse (approx. £70), and should give you an indicator of which areas may be problematic to him.

Based on this, get quotes from the vet for each difference procedure you think your horse may need. Then ring other vets in the same area and get their costs for the same procedures, then go with the cheapest one.

Outline exactly what you want doing, and how much you have to spend. (Make sure you put it in writing as well - preferably signed for letter, so you have recorded proof of what you wanted.)
Click to expand...

I haven't read all this thread, but this is what I intend doing, my lad has been lame at trot for the last month, bute makes no difference, no heat, no swelling, but still lame after field rest for a month, farrier out on Tuesday so will ask him to check for abcesses etc, I'm waiting for the thermal imaging people to ring to arrange an appointment, then at least we know where to start looking
 
Is the horse only nodding when ridden? What's he like on the lunge in a head collar or trotting up? Is he sound on a circle on the hard on the lunge.
 
My competition horse was broken in 2011. Insurance ran out in 2012. I funded his care from then on. Retired him and still give him the care he needs.. He will not leave my care whilst he remains upright. He did his best for me and it's payback time now.
 
Someone I know sold a perfectly good non-competition horse on cheap because he was lame with miscellaneous back problems. Basically she didn't want to pay to get it sorted and got another horse, the buyers got a physio/back person out and the horse was as right as rain, still is!

I think you need to discuss some realistic costs and try a few other professionals. Thermal imaging looks really useful and as it cheap in the grand scheme of things I'd definitely give it a go.

Why couldn't you hack him out occasionally anyway if it turned out to be purely mechanical (which I doubt)?
 
If he's only 15 and the lameness has only been going on for a couple of months, I'd give him another chance, if he's a good competition horse. You could simply turn him away for 3 or 4 months and see if whatever it is heals. You could keep him in work and do steady straight line hacking only. You could think laterally about teeth, back, pelvic, hoof and general stiffness problems. Has he fallen in the field and trapped a nerve?

Or you could set a limit with an equine specialist vet for some x rays at least, they are not that expensive.

At 15, you might well get 2 or 3 years more good competing out of him. If it was a younger horse, you would probably investigate/treat it, so depends on how valuable he is to you. You're going to be gutted if you sell him for a pittance and he comes right in 6 months and starts winning for someone else.
 
Not having insurance dos'nt mean you don't care about your horse. Very few people have it in NZ because it is so expensive. Better to save the money and spend it with the vet when you need it. I have taken two horses to 3* endurance and neither have been insured.

I also have a wonderful vet whose favourite treatment is Tincture of Time, but sadly so many people these days are in so much of a hurry. OP, have you tried giving him a decent break? Competition is hard on horses and I have always turned my endurance horses out for at least three months during the off season with good results.

My last horse "broke" and it became pretty obviouse that endurance at the top level was too much for him. After several months off in 2009/10, he is now a happy dressage and do everything else horse. You may find that after a decent period of R and R, your boy comes right and will quite happily have a second career as a happy hacker.
 
I would expect arthritic changes in the front end (perhaps feet or neck) are to blame, and you might be able to get him 100% sound with cortisone injections.

I wouldn't sell him, but then I would never sell my 'horse of a lifetime' just because it was lame. Why not look for a loan? I agree though that you should try and diagnose the issue first. It could be something fixable.

I had my first horse for 6 years, he was never really sound, and retired for the majority of that time. He was my everything though, I felt I owed him a good retirement, and as soon as he started finding winters hard he was put down. And he never once won me a ribbon :p If the op's horse was mine I would feel I owed him at least the initial veterinary investigation. If you have others to compete you can't be that strapped for cash, and as others have said hopefully the bill will be in the hundreds rather than the thousands, and you can ask the vets to stop if it's getting too much. It sounds like he has given you some really good times, and tried his hardest, you want to do the best by him.
 
Last edited:
NZJenny said:
Not having insurance dos'nt mean you don't care about your horse. Very few people have it in NZ because it is so expensive. Better to save the money and spend it with the vet when you need it. I have taken two horses to 3* endurance and neither have been insured.
.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone is suggesting that it doesn't mean that you don't care, but that if you don't then you have some money available to enable treatment of the horse (at least a few hundred which is essentially all this will need to start with to get a better idea).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top