Guys, really really need some help and advice and although I don't post often, I always lurk and like the honest opinions on here. This is going to be long.....sorry.
Background - I own a wonderful 18'2 Dutch Warm blood who is now 19. He's had a tough life, competing at top dressage and show jumping around Europe until his previous owner bought him and taught him to be a horse about 8 years ago. He had never been turned out in his life and didn't know that grass was to be eaten.... Anyway, I bought Frank 6 years ago for my now ex-husband and he taught him to ride. Frank is an amazing school master and loves to work. When ex left, Frank stayed with me and although I don't ride him at all as he's just too big for me, I also have my other horse Heathcliff, I have 2 sharers that come 4 or 5 times a week to ride and groom etc. Frank has a pampered life with me, turnout all year, lots of food, grass, hay etc etc..the perfect horses life. However, Frank has his quirks - as they all do, but his major issue is that if he's not in bed by 4pm in the winter, he jumps his paddock fence and generally causes mayhem, and he is a very grumpy old man in his stable....
Anyway, that is the background and now the issue...During the last 6 years, Frank has been lame on and off with various things including suspensory ligament damage, many hoof abscesses, bad back, and most recently a horrid cut to the top of his front leg that required 15 stitches and 6 weeks off work. In the past, he has coped ish with not being worked, but the 6 weeks off this time really really took its toll, he lost loads of condition and was generally miserable until he could work again and then picked right back up.
Now he has gone lame again....been lame for about a week. 1st thoughts were another hoof abscess so have been poulticing it twice a day, and although there was a little discharge on the 1st day, nothing since. There is no heat in his leg, nothing obviously wrong, just lame on the same leg he had the ligament issues. His condition has dropped really badly over the last week and he looks fed up at not being ridden. He is still being turned out as box rest for this man is impossible, 2 days in and he would kick out his stable.
So here is the Head/Heart issue.
Do I spend ££££ (which I don’t have) getting vet out, investigating the cause of this lameness to be told, that's it, retire him...if that happens then the only option is to pts...he would simply not be happy as a field ornament.
or
Let him be for the two week or so, see how he goes? Whilst possibly watch him loss more condition and gradually get unhappier as can't be ridden. Or maybe come back sound for the time being…..
or
Give him another few weeks of the good life whilst weather is mild and settled and then pts whilst he has no pain or suffering.
If he was your baby, what would you do???
Background - I own a wonderful 18'2 Dutch Warm blood who is now 19. He's had a tough life, competing at top dressage and show jumping around Europe until his previous owner bought him and taught him to be a horse about 8 years ago. He had never been turned out in his life and didn't know that grass was to be eaten.... Anyway, I bought Frank 6 years ago for my now ex-husband and he taught him to ride. Frank is an amazing school master and loves to work. When ex left, Frank stayed with me and although I don't ride him at all as he's just too big for me, I also have my other horse Heathcliff, I have 2 sharers that come 4 or 5 times a week to ride and groom etc. Frank has a pampered life with me, turnout all year, lots of food, grass, hay etc etc..the perfect horses life. However, Frank has his quirks - as they all do, but his major issue is that if he's not in bed by 4pm in the winter, he jumps his paddock fence and generally causes mayhem, and he is a very grumpy old man in his stable....
Anyway, that is the background and now the issue...During the last 6 years, Frank has been lame on and off with various things including suspensory ligament damage, many hoof abscesses, bad back, and most recently a horrid cut to the top of his front leg that required 15 stitches and 6 weeks off work. In the past, he has coped ish with not being worked, but the 6 weeks off this time really really took its toll, he lost loads of condition and was generally miserable until he could work again and then picked right back up.
Now he has gone lame again....been lame for about a week. 1st thoughts were another hoof abscess so have been poulticing it twice a day, and although there was a little discharge on the 1st day, nothing since. There is no heat in his leg, nothing obviously wrong, just lame on the same leg he had the ligament issues. His condition has dropped really badly over the last week and he looks fed up at not being ridden. He is still being turned out as box rest for this man is impossible, 2 days in and he would kick out his stable.
So here is the Head/Heart issue.
Do I spend ££££ (which I don’t have) getting vet out, investigating the cause of this lameness to be told, that's it, retire him...if that happens then the only option is to pts...he would simply not be happy as a field ornament.
or
Let him be for the two week or so, see how he goes? Whilst possibly watch him loss more condition and gradually get unhappier as can't be ridden. Or maybe come back sound for the time being…..
or
Give him another few weeks of the good life whilst weather is mild and settled and then pts whilst he has no pain or suffering.
If he was your baby, what would you do???
