I wasn't going to post this, because I made my decision...NO, but it's still playing on my mind.
I started helping a friend with their horse's feet last year. He's a nice, well bred QH who was diagnosed with navicular before they got him. He has a history of decking people presumably from the pain. They got him 3 years ago and he was great the first year when they asked very little of him, just light hacking and schooling. 18 months ago they asked more and by spring he was decking people and then went lame, 2 or 3/10.
We went to Newmarket, did work ups, blocks, Xrays, tildren, steroids and I took over trimming and he came sound, vets said start working as normal, I said start with straight lines, they lunged him, he was lame again in 4 weeks. Back to rest and regular trims and he was all but sound, they had a regular farrier trim him and he was lame again. I had them move him to a 3 acre field (he was on a 20x20 sand paddock) and he improved, got them to get him boots and pads, aggressively treat his thrush and trimmed every 2 weeks and he was sound, weaned him out of the boots and still sound. Kept him sound all this summer, even charging about like a prat, so said bring back to work, start 10 mins on straight lines walking and build gradually and don't think about circles for a good several months. Rode 1 day for 10 mins walk/straight lines, 2nd day jogged (western horse) circles and a week later he went lame again, maybe or maybe not related to circling but I doubt it helped.
They are unable to maintain the booting and to do the rehab work, a bit of unwilling in there too. Then brought another horse to ride and I knew at that point his fate was sealed. A few weeks later they offered him to me, when I declined they admitted they would be putting him down. They love this horse, but anything more than rough maintenance they can't or won't deal with, not my personal approach but that is their prerogative.
I feel awful, he's such a nice boy and I'm 95% certain I could get him sound as have 3 times already and with the right ongoing management I'm sure he'd stay that way but I am not sure he'd hold up to work and even if he did I am not sure he wouldn't continue to randomly deck people and I just cannot afford to be coming off. He doesn't just buck a bit, he full on broncs and the longer people try to ride it out the nastier it gets. I'd hoped they would have him shot quickly, but he's still there and I can feel my resolve waining. Pointless post, but maybe one to get people talking, its been so quiet on here of late.
I started helping a friend with their horse's feet last year. He's a nice, well bred QH who was diagnosed with navicular before they got him. He has a history of decking people presumably from the pain. They got him 3 years ago and he was great the first year when they asked very little of him, just light hacking and schooling. 18 months ago they asked more and by spring he was decking people and then went lame, 2 or 3/10.
We went to Newmarket, did work ups, blocks, Xrays, tildren, steroids and I took over trimming and he came sound, vets said start working as normal, I said start with straight lines, they lunged him, he was lame again in 4 weeks. Back to rest and regular trims and he was all but sound, they had a regular farrier trim him and he was lame again. I had them move him to a 3 acre field (he was on a 20x20 sand paddock) and he improved, got them to get him boots and pads, aggressively treat his thrush and trimmed every 2 weeks and he was sound, weaned him out of the boots and still sound. Kept him sound all this summer, even charging about like a prat, so said bring back to work, start 10 mins on straight lines walking and build gradually and don't think about circles for a good several months. Rode 1 day for 10 mins walk/straight lines, 2nd day jogged (western horse) circles and a week later he went lame again, maybe or maybe not related to circling but I doubt it helped.
They are unable to maintain the booting and to do the rehab work, a bit of unwilling in there too. Then brought another horse to ride and I knew at that point his fate was sealed. A few weeks later they offered him to me, when I declined they admitted they would be putting him down. They love this horse, but anything more than rough maintenance they can't or won't deal with, not my personal approach but that is their prerogative.
I feel awful, he's such a nice boy and I'm 95% certain I could get him sound as have 3 times already and with the right ongoing management I'm sure he'd stay that way but I am not sure he'd hold up to work and even if he did I am not sure he wouldn't continue to randomly deck people and I just cannot afford to be coming off. He doesn't just buck a bit, he full on broncs and the longer people try to ride it out the nastier it gets. I'd hoped they would have him shot quickly, but he's still there and I can feel my resolve waining. Pointless post, but maybe one to get people talking, its been so quiet on here of late.