Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Hello LAD,
I have a 24yo retired endurance horse that was getting creaky until I 
started riding him once a month last year. He had not been ridden for 
5-6 years so we started out at the walk and still just walk. Has done 
both of us a world of good. I no longer feel sorry for him because he 
is improving and I know in my heart that he loves being out on the 
trail again. I sit on his back looking over those ears pricked 
forward and remember how we used to fly down the trail. It has become 
more and more difficult to keep him at a walk going home but I use 
that surge to tell me that this is the best thing in the world for 
the both of us. I figure some day he will start to fade instead of 
surge going home and that will tell me that "decision time" is 
coming, until then us 2 old poops will continue enjoying our walks 
down memory trail with no regrets or decision worries. I say put that 
new saddle on old Champ and start walking.
Don Huston

At 07:41 AM 9/2/2007 Sunday, you wrote:

>  Since 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 injury 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 weight carefully he can drop weight 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 always 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 causing 
> a exaggerated 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  ground tests 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!!
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Don Huston at cox dot net
SanDiego, Calif  



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=