Worrying out loud... all advice gratefully received

[maggie123]

Apologies in advance for the length of this post, choccy biccies for anyone who gets to the end!!

Some of you might have read most post regarding my mare’s mystery lameness a few days ago. She is currently lame on both fronts (although only really showing on the front right) and on vets instructions is on two weeks walking only and 2 x Danilon a day. If she is still lame after this she will go to the vets for nerve blocks / scans etc. The vet has said not to worry until we know for sure but that it looks like it could possibly be navicular As you can imagine I’m pretty gutted as I know exactly how devastating this can be.

Adding to my worries is the fact that should it turn out that she does have it I won’t be able to afford to keep her at her current yard. I can’t really afford it anyway and had been going to move her to grass livery a few weeks ago but at the last moment someone at the yard approached me about sharing for half my livery costs as they wanted a horse they could jump / take xc training / do local shows on etc. This was a perfect arrangement and started in March. But now my new sharer has a horse she can’t ride with possible navicular! Obviously the share arrangement would cease if after these two weeks the prognosis isn’t good, but this leaves me with having to move my mare who might well be in the middle of treatment / rest / who knows.

Vets bills are not a problem as she is fully insured and if push comes to shove my parents would help (they view her as one of the family pets) but I cannot and would not expect them to pay half my very expensive livery bill indefinitely. This leaves me looking for somewhere close to SW London where my rented flat is (Richmond) that offers assisted grass livery (or incredibly cheap part livery) and has someone knowledgeable running it. The yard I was going to move to is lovely but only had one space and I’m sure this has now been taken. It was also over an hours drive and I’m not really sure I would want her that far away.

I know this is all very pre-emptive as she could come sound in the next fortnight and things can continue as normal, but I really think I need to be prepared in case they don’t. If anyone knows of anywhere in the claygate / esher area that offers affordable assisted grass livery I would appreciate suggestions. If she has to be fully retired with no ridding at all I have somewhere she can go, but I am assuming she will (eventually) be able to do some light hacking / schooling as this is what the other affected horses at my yard / previous yards have been capable of and the place I would put her on full retirement doesn’t allow any riding at all.

Sorry for the essay – not really sure what I want as a response tbh – it just helps to write it down and maybe hear from those who have been in (potentially) the same position.

 

[K27]

Your poor mare!- the thing is the bute would be making her more comfortable at the mo but it will be covering up the prob so difficult to tell if theres an improvement or not?!

Hows her shoeing/foot balance in general? obv. the vet knows their stuff but could be any number of other things apart from navicular, i.e heel pain, foot balance probs, soft tissue injury, so i wouldn't write off your horse yet and even if it was navicular or navicular syndrome it can be managed to some extent. I answered a post re navicular yesterday, and said that my horse was wrongly diagnosed as having navicular, changed vet sought second opinions -and he most def doesn't have navicular or navicular syndrome, he is just a sensitive chap who has to be shod properly, how he likes to be shod!

Would it be worth speaking to your farrier about it as well?

Maybe stay put where you are for now, see what happens and what the lameness investigation shows up and then take it from there. Hopefully you will also get some replies from people who are in the area where you'd like livery so can give you some recommendations!

I hope you get to the bottom of what's going on, then it will be easier for you to make your decisions! wishing you lots of luck with your mare!

 

[maggie123]

Thanks for the response.

She is fine in herself and the lameness is only visable on a small circle, she looks pretty sound (although not 100%) trotted up. She still feels well enough to have jumped all the fences a few days ago to find a boy to talk to However as the vet reminded me she is one of the calmest and most stoical horses he has ever met so she might be in more discomfort than she lets on. She is still going out on his advice and the walking is under saddle - sorry if I didnt make that clear - I think I was so worried about my post being too long I edited a bit too much! The other horse here that has just been diognosed was kept walking under saddle too until the results came back - I think its pretty common?

Hopefully you're right and im worrying about nothing - its just difficult not to when it could be something so serious. Her farrier is very good and has been praised by other vets in the area. She has never been lame before in the 10 years I have had her except from very obvious injuries so this is new territory for me.

 

[K27]

Fingers crossed for you that it is nothing too serious- i don't blame you for being worried- for being such big creatures horses are so fragile aren't they!

Think it's prob good to keep them ticking over as that way i guess you get to know how or if they are coping with a little work.

Wishing you luck!