When your professional seems to be wrong?

Hepsibah

Hepsibah

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What do you do? If your vet/farrier/edt tells you things you know to be incorrect, do you challenge it? Find someone else to work with?
 
I would ask and want an explanation I think if ever your unsure you should question anybody professionals can be wrong they are only human after all, what's is it you have been told?
 
Engage them in conversation about the issue.
Professionals can most certainly be wrong. But there are often many roads to Rome and plenty of misguided owners who think they are right along the way!
 
ihatework said:
Engage them in conversation about the issue.
Professionals can most certainly be wrong. But there are often many roads to Rome and plenty of misguided owners who think they are right along the way!
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Indeed they should respond favourably to your question and want to clarify your concerns. If, however, they become defensive, your instincts may be right.
 
It depends how they say it, whether they will discuss their reasoning, how wrong they are and how much it matters that they are wrong.

I don't work with any pro who don't discuss with me what they are doing to my horse and why. My colt's recent gelding was great, I got a blow by blow account and a detailed view of the offending parts without even asking :)
 
I query them about it and ask them to explain what they are saying. When they thought my boy had pssm they recommended a high fat diet. I questioned that as he had a preexisting liver issue and I understood high fat to be bad for the liver, he also had plenty of energy so I didn’t see the need for fat as an energy source. When I said that to them they said I was correct, they hadn’t taken the liver into account and just to stick to low fat low sugar.
 
Hepsibah said:
What do you do? If your vet/farrier/edt tells you things you know to be incorrect, do you challenge it? Find someone else to work with?
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Why on earth would you want to pay professional fees to someone that you seem so certain is repeatedly wrong? Find someone else (unless they are only small, insignificant things...).
 
What makes you think the professional is definately wrong? Maybe theres more than one way of tackling the issue, one you havent thought of? I would discuss it with them and see what they have to say before you start saying they're wrong.
 
I've had issues with vets (another PSSM one - its so badly understood here), but I tended to say 'I thought the current thinking was......' and go from there. I did get a 2nd opinion when I really wasn't happy with a solution that was being pushed on me.

For other professionals (a farriers, a saddle fitter and a dentist) then I just haven't used them again.

ETA - the farrier lamed my horse twice, the saddler sold me a twisted saddle and the dentist is just really, really bad at organising appointments! I've now found people who I like working on my horses and seem to be doing a good job.
 
ycbm said:
It depends how they say it, whether they will discuss their reasoning, how wrong they are and how much it matters that they are wrong.

I don't work with any pro who don't discuss with me what they are doing to my horse and why. My colt's recent gelding was great, I got a blow by blow account and a detailed view of the offending parts without even asking :)
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THIS!

My farrier disagreed with my vet about how to manage seedy toe. I told each what the other was saying. Vet listened to what farrier was suggesting then explained to me why he did not agree. He described the pros and cons of the farrier's view in detail and then the pros and cons of his own plan. The farrier on the other hand just said 'Ive seen over 10,000 hooves, I know what I am talking about and your vet is talking rubbish'. I chose the vets management plan.
 
The short version is that my vet didn't suggest x rays for my laminitic mare, my farrier wanted my mare to be exercised as much as possible although she could barely walk and my vet said I didn't need to test my 20 year old pony for cushings because it only needs to be treated if she is constantly getting lami. My research suggests they're both wrong.
 
Hepsibah said:
The short version is that my vet didn't suggest x rays for my laminitic mare, my farrier wanted my mare to be exercised as much as possible although she could barely walk and my vet said I didn't need to test my 20 year old pony for cushings because it only needs to be treated if she is constantly getting lami. My research suggests they're both wrong.
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WTH!!! Sack the blooming both of them Hepsibah... poor you! No wonder you're worried. X-rays are an absolute must for laminitis. The farrier sounds like he belongs in a victorian novel.... new vet, new farrier and possibly even get an equine podiatrist sharpish.
 
Talk to them both then. Any professional should be willing to explain their advice.
When we had strangles on our yard my vet did not offer antibiotics to my horse but another vet did for another horse. I phoned my vet to ask why. They explained over the phone (can prolong the illness) then an hour later I got another call saying after my call they had consulted with the leading college to ensure they were offering the most up to date and most strongly evidenced advice. And they were but they wanted me to know they had checked it out as advice does sometimes change. I have no time for any professional that won't explain their reasoning or listen to other views.
 
Tbh, exercise is good to stave off laminitis, if they are comfortable enough to do the work, which she isnt so maybe something got lost in translation?

Equally if the 20 year old pony isn't getting laminitis or suffering any other effects, what's the point in just randomly testing for cushings? You haven't said they actually get lami on this post
 
I said it was the short version. :) 20 year old pony has long curly coat, random sweating, drinks and wees a lot and has started dropping weight in the same field my other one is overweight from. I really don't think anything was lost in translation with the farrier either: He was there when we arrived at the yard. I told him I'd had to bute her so she was able to travel and he trimmed her as soon as she got off the box because she could barely walk. Mine usually live out so we had to move to be able to stable.
 
Hepsibah said:
I said it was the short version. :) 20 year old pony has long curly coat, random sweating, drinks and wees a lot and has started dropping weight in the same field my other one is overweight from. I really don't think anything was lost in translation with the farrier either: He was there when we arrived at the yard. I told him I'd had to bute her so she was able to travel and he trimmed her as soon as she got off the box because she could barely walk. Mine usually live out so we had to move to be able to stable.
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Definatly sounds like cushings.

Needs testing and xrays.
Get a new vet and/or farrier.
 
Hepsibah said:
I said it was the short version. :) 20 year old pony has long curly coat, random sweating, drinks and wees a lot and has started dropping weight in the same field my other one is overweight from. I really don't think anything was lost in translation with the farrier either: He was there when we arrived at the yard. I told him I'd had to bute her so she was able to travel and he trimmed her as soon as she got off the box because she could barely walk. Mine usually live out so we had to move to be able to stable.
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Sorry, just never know and some people on here i swear have munchausens by proxy when it comes to their horses (feel like I have it, my horse is lame so often :) )

Definitely need new of both. My vet doesn't really get/support by barefoot thing. But I have to make it work to prove to him it can.
 
Hepsibah said:
The short version is that my vet didn't suggest x rays for my laminitic mare, my farrier wanted my mare to be exercised as much as possible although she could barely walk and my vet said I didn't need to test my 20 year old pony for cushings because it only needs to be treated if she is constantly getting lami. My research suggests they're both wrong.
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I'd get shut of the pair of them and find professionals who actually know what they are doing.
 
Oh dear. Yes I would be swapping.

And to be honest I would test a 20 year old even if no symptoms.

We lost a lovely pony at 19, no symptoms at all apart from a sudden onset, severe attack of laminitis. Turned out she had Cushings. I now test everything over 15 just for peace of mind.
 
ref testing and Cushings, I have a friend whose nine year old showed no symptoms whatsoever, except that this barefoot rehab was taking longer than expected to come sound on stones. She had to insist the vet did a test, was told by the vet it was completely pointless, and the result came back sky high..
 
Hepsibah said:
The short version is that my vet didn't suggest x rays for my laminitic mare, my farrier wanted my mare to be exercised as much as possible although she could barely walk and my vet said I didn't need to test my 20 year old pony for cushings because it only needs to be treated if she is constantly getting lami. My research suggests they're both wrong.
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Oh dear :( they both sound rather out of date, the exercise thing for laminitis is fine when their feet are stable but if they can "hardly walk" it sounds cruel and counter productive. X rays are really helpful and why on earth would you not test for Cushings at 20?
 
ycbm said:
I don't work with any pro who don't discuss with me what they are doing to my horse and why. My colt's recent gelding was great, I got a blow by blow account and a detailed view of the offending parts without even asking :)
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Not as lucky as me YCBM. I got to fish everything out of the straw...
 
I'd definitely challenge, I was unhappy with how a vet was handling an ongoing issue with my horse, and sent a polite email to the office manager asking for a different vet to take the case over. The 2nd vet agreed with me.

We know our horses and have to be their voice when things aren't right.

(don't even get me started on saddle fitters....)
 
I'd say speak to them to find out why they are suggesting this early things, or not, as the case may be. But I would definitely be looking for a new vet and farrier if I were you.

Sometimes vets get it very wrong because they just don't know the horse as well as the owner. I've been in this situation with the Diva when I couldn't get anyone to listen to me. I felt like a total time waster taking her in for the tests and still, on the day, I felt that people weren't taking me seriously at first. As it turned out, I was right and she had a pretty major problem with her trachea.

I do find some vets a bit hostile towards people who actually know what they are talking about. I do a lot of research into horse diseases and ailments and growing up on a huge livery yard, there wasn't much I didn't see. I've also dealt with a lot of things over the last 30 years with my own horses and I make it my mission to find out as much as possible about the things affecting them.
I had a new vet from our practice out a few weeks back because of something that was bothering me about P. I expressed my concerns and told the vet what I thought it was and why and it massively got her back up! Long story short, I sent her for some tests and turns out that I was right. I imagine they meet a lot of clueless owners, but equally I think vets need to be aware that some owners, as in the case of things like PSSM, are actually miles ahead of many vets.
 
I once had a vet's receptionist tell me that I didn't decide if my horse needed her feet x rayed I needed a vet to come out and tell me! I was unamused but polite needless to say I no longer use them. I have also got friends who have had to insist the same vet tests their pony for cushings. That one turned out to be sky high too! I regularly see them being recommended on Facebook and I have to sit on my hands as I know a lot of incidents of them being very wrong.
I have changed farrier this year as he crippled my pony and it led to me losing him. I had used him for years out of loyalty which i would never do again.t If after talking to them they are funny about your opinions or won't discuss then I would show them the door.
 
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