Underfloor heated stables....

Doodle92

Doodle92

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Apr 6, 2021
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Indy is currently installed at the vets in his palacial underfloor heated stable. I am so so upset at the state he arrived back in. Very very skinny, all his muscle gone and very very anxious. He cannot cope with even the thought of being ridden. I have managed to get on (just getting him to stand at block take alot of time) and pretty well got off again. Farrier came today and he couldn't deal with the farrier picking up feet. He had always been fine with farrier. He was perfect for me to pick up feet so with me picking them up we got the shoes off and the fronts trimmed. He has good feed, will be doing now work and so this will be fone. He is trying so hard to be good but life is way too stressful for him. He is perfectly chilled and happy in field, I can do what I like there. But stabling is stressful too. He was never an anxious horse, almost too confident and cocky actually. I am so upset for him and feel so guilty. What on earth has gone on I don't know. However I actually fell he now trusts me more and looks to me for comfort, he likes to touch my hand for reassurance. Today straight after the farrier he walked on the trailer with no bother for me. I am hoping he has ulcers, really really hoping he has ulcers. So will be starved tonight and scoped tomorrow. I have explained to him he IS coming home again and he won't be going anywhere again. It is breaking my heart to see him like this, but weirdly I actually feel more fond of him. I think I need a needy more prone to anxiety horse! We did have to have a reminded that I understand you are anxious and upset but you do not barge over the top of me, which he now remembers. A couple.of people have said oh what a shame you got him back like that. And yes I agree but I am also SO glad that I DID get him back. They did that in 3 months, what you they have done with another 3?

I really hope I can fix and help him. And make it up to him for sending him away 😭
 
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What a nightmare, and you thought he'd gone to a good home and they were getting on so well 😥 Did they get in touch with you when they no longer wanted him? If so could you very tactfully contact them and try to find out what happened, maybe something along the lines of you're having vet investigations done and they've asked a few questions that you can't answer? While it wouldn't be a fix I do think it's slightly easier to sort out problems if you know what caused them and so is likely to trigger a reaction.

I've been there with Luka, and while he's now a different horse to the one I bought I think there are some things he'll never fully get over and so I work around them. Time, patience, and consistency are great healers physically and mentally, don't underestimate them. Give yourself time, and maybe keep a diary that you look back at occassionally so you notice the tiny gains that otherwise slip under the radar, trust me those tiny gains are the ones that slowly stack up and change everything. And remember that he had good experiences with you to fall back on, those will start to surface as he unwinds.

Will you let us know how things go today, and also on an ongoing basis?
 
Yes I thought it was a great home. We can only speculate what has happened. I could be nothing to do with them and just alot of moves over a year has tipped him over the edge.

We had stayed in contact and when this opportunity of yard etc came up I asked if I could have him back, I said absolutely no upset if they said no but I missed him and just wanted to ask. They replied saying they had been thinking of asking me that due to time and money. We agreed (before he arrived) that we would if course stay in touch. They contacted me a couple of days after he arrived asking how he was, I replied saying I was doing very little with him as he needed to gain weight and condition. Nothing since then. I am having to sit on my hands not to blast a message to them but it won't help, they won't tell me what's happened. I will just get even more upset and angry.

As you say, I know there is a confident happy horse there, they only had him 3 months. Plus it's lovely that he does seem to trust me and looks to me for security, even if I still feel terrible for letting him down.

Will update after today 😊
 
So yes he does have grade 3 ulcers. Hadn't spoken directly to the vet till once he was done and he is.confident all the symptoms add up to ulcers and also confident treatment will work well. So he has had the first of 4 injections before rescoping.
 
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Everything crossed that this sorts a lot of his problems out and he'll soon be back to the horse you had before. Please don't feel you let him down though, you really didn't and he was so lucky you were in a position to have him back xxx
 
Oh crikey, poor guy. Don’t feel guilty, you can only make decisions based on the information you have at the time and you had no idea that would happen. The good thing is he’s now back and you can get him back on the right track and he obviously remembers good times with you as he’s looking to you for reassurance.
 
Already happier boy. Of course not asking anything of him other than putting in and out. But started back with balance pads yesterday. He did get anxious when I put head collor on, but when he realised what it was for he was ok.
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Today had a calm horse to groom,.no barging over me and no needing to remind him not to tramp about stable. He is finding his swaying physio easier too.

Proper autumn morning this morning
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To add, he currently has no shoes on and doesn't seem to have noticed (all we could do at farrier visit was take current shoes off and little trim at the front) so wondering if barefoot with boots for longer/forestry hacks might work. He has giant feet tho but something I will research. He was barefoot for approx a year before I got him so he hasn't been in shoes solidly all his life.
 
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