Tuesday, 21 February 2017
Watching Seabiscuit
When the horse has damaged his leg:
"Will he race?"
"No"
"So why are you fixing it?"
"Because I can.....You don't throw a whole life away 'cause he's banged up a little"
Osteopath visits...and is a bit too honest!
It had been suggested that I got an osteopath to look at Red due to him compensating for the lameness in his off fore.
Looking at Red from the front you can see that his whole right leg is held very slightly higher. He is uncomfortable in the girth area behind his right elbow. Trotting on a hard surface in a straight line he looks slightly lame in his off hind, swinging the leg out and round rather that forwards and underneath himself- could be due to scar tissue from when he cut his hock. Once on the lunge in the school he looks slightly lame in his left hind, when I ride him on a circle on the left rein his left hind feels weak.
The outcome was that he had several problems and she would be reluctant to treat him without having a vet look at his hind end as if she did straighten out any issues with the cause still being there it would all come back again.
Honest opinion!
I she could treat Red for 10 weeks costing lots of money, but with his other issues he still might not do the job I want. I could spend thousands of pounds and a long time trying to get him right but would still have a lame horse. Even if I could sort out his issues I would probably only get 4 years of use out of him and I should have a good think as to weather I want to try or if I should just cut my losses and find him a quiet hacking home!
I felt gutted! I appreciate her honesty and don't want her to take my money and give me false hope but I don't think I am ready to hear that I should give up.
I know we want to have our animals as comfortable as they can be, but if someone assessed me they would probably say that I was uneven and had areas of tightness, but I feel ok and can live my every day life just fine.
Now it is a few days after her visit I have started to try to think about this with a bit more distance. If I took him to the vets for his back end what are the out comes?
If he has scar tissue/arthritic changes to his hock would/could I treat it?If it is treatable and can be sorted out he still has the issue with his off fore, am I just throwing good money after bad?Should I just look into building up his strength again? Look into straightness training and see how he is once he is feeling a bit stronger.Do I just need to face the fact that he wont be able to do more than hacking and move on?!I feel that if I have listened to the 'experts' Bliss wouldn't be here and so maybe they have it wrong and he will be able to do more than they think.
Meanwhile, Red is looking well and is happy!
Monday, 20 February 2017
Second trim.
Natalie said that his feet have responded well to the first trim.
He has developed a hole in his near fore frog, this is the foot he had the abscess in a while ago and I thought it had grown out but I guess it must have been deeper than I thought. It isn't causing him any problems and I have been flushing it through with diluted Milton and then packing it with Hoof paste and cotton wool. He also has a relatively deep central sulcus at the back of his off hind which appears to be a hole, which I have also been treating.
Near fore
Near hind
Off fore
Things are looking up!
Red wasn't sore at all after his first trim and I have noticed that he is pointing his off fore forwards much less (if at all!) and I have seen him favoring the near fore whilst eating! Exciting!!!
I have been popping him on the lunge every now and then to see how he looks. He is not nodding his head but looks like he his just holding himself up a bit more when on the right rein. However, 2 weeks ago he was looking so good I had to get on him to feel how he was.....he felt sound, even on a circle!!!! If anything he felt worse on the left rein (maybe just weak and unbalanced?) but I am feeling very positive.
Sunday, 19 February 2017
First trim- off hind
First trim-off fore
First trim- Near hind
First trim- Near fore
I decided that as Red has gone lame again it is time to try something different. I arranged for a trimmer to come and see him and to see what they can do with his feet. Natalie was very informative and explained everything she was doing and why.
Near fore before the trim
Near fore after trim
Near fore before trim
Near fore after trim
Near fore before trim
Near fore after trim
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