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[RC] Old Horses and weighing decisions......... - L ginSince I am again sidelined from my ponies-- Staph infection in a joint and I am allergic to most antibiotics--so Dr. says,if you get a fever or chills go right to the hospital--(did I mention I also have a cold and my new saddle is still on the rack -NOT ridden in and my 15 yr.old NON-horsey child is taking care of them and husband is on the road most of this month? Pppfffttttt! What a year. Haven't gotten much riding or training done. Anyway- Old dog is on her way out soon, breathing getting very heavy after exertion or feeding(almost 15 yr old lab) and I am hoping I won't have to drag myself out of bed to carry her to the vet.(please die in your sleep--I hate taking them to the vet for the last ride, we get so upset . Watching old Champ, Was trying to figure out what was wrong before I got sick. Had pulled out my Lamness book by Rooney, had my Neuro book out , and my 2 vet books. (had another horse treated for EPM) He is mid twenties, retired form --raced 5yrs,trailrode, then we 4h-ed and ponied clubbed him, turned hunter, turner eventer and dressage. Synovial injurry and arthritis in right fore. He is on full turnout with MSN daily. He was the one who was seeming to dehydrate, lost some weight (he is a hard keeper--if I dont' watch his wieght carefully he can drop wieght overnight and take weeks to put it back. He has been "off and on" lame for 3/4 years since retirement. I put him on bute a couple days--then off. Then on. Off now while sick. I'd watched him and negotiating up and down hill. His front is laways a bit off cause of the bad knee-- he hasn't "let me" pick up his "good foot on that side for cleaning or trimming most of the time (last 6 months--when I do get if for short periods it seems normal. Never heat or swelling anywhere on any leg or foot. It looks to me that this new added lameness, it is in his back end--up --hip or back. He is walking with a sway /unsteadiness it seems in the back.He places his back feet by lifting them sort of higher , hesitating then places them in front of each other casuing a exagerated sway in the back. Like he is walking a tightrope with his back feet. --When he walked down the slope. He stopped part way and gave a ugly ' back off" look to the young horse who was quietly following him , till the horse turned off the path and went another way. I haven't given him the set of neuro groundtests yet.He wouldn't be able to do all of them, but not sure it is for neuro reasons. He pivots funny in front sometimes taking a hop, but that is more the knee I believe. He is prone to thrush some so I try to watch that. Vets in this area are average farm vets---- and I just wonder when to make tough decisions. We can take average care of him, but he takes the most time and $ to care for -----Is this how it goes, they just start going downhill and more things keep happening and ,yes they still eat and get around, but not very well,and you start to wonder how far to let it go...... I am not going to let it go to the bag of bones,on the ground in the mud scene, which I have heard stories of--- but, this could, just be a blip in the radar. Or he may get better and recover, he has had grade 2 lame, then recovers, runs around , then does it again-----this is pretty much the pattern, but the sound days are fewer and fewer. Actually he is always lame on the front..... So anyone with helpful advice or how you have handled this kind of thing and how you made your decisions will help. Not asking for any kind of arguments to start ----just wondering how people figure what to do and when. thanks LAD % _________________________________________________________________ Discover sweet stuff waiting for you at the Messenger Cafe.? Claim your treat today! http://www.cafemessenger.com/info/info_sweetstuff.html?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_SeptHMtagline2 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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