Episode 6 where the vet straightens me out on a number of things

Tsavo
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Episode 6 where the vet straightens me out on a number of things

Postby Tsavo » Wed Nov 01, 2017 4:36 pm

Recheck today.

A. LF lameness is improved over two months ago but is still there intermittently on a circle. He graded it 1.5 (original a 2 when going clockwise). Here is the scale... The AAEP guidelines explain the grading system this way:

0: Lameness not perceptible under any circumstances.
1: Lameness is difficult to observe and is not consistently apparent, regardless of circumstances (e.g. under saddle, circling, inclines, hard surface, etc.).
2: Lameness is difficult to observe at a walk or when trotting in a straight line but consistently apparent under certain circumstances (e.g. weight-carrying, circling, inclines, hard surface, etc.).
3: Lameness is consistently observable at a trot under all circumstances.
4: Lameness is obvious at a walk.
5: Lameness produces minimal weight bearing in motion and/or at rest or a complete inability to move.

B. Vet does not think the underrun heel is related to removing the hind shoes despite the correlation. He thinks it is due to a shoeing/trimming change which might come as some surprise to my farrier if he didn't change anything. We will see.

C. My horse has (on the LF) high ringbone and low ringbone, the latter of which is the OA of the coffin joint. He thinks the lameness is due to a flare of the low ringbone.

D. I am 90% sure he said it is much more usual for the clubfoot to have issues as opposed to the low foot as in my horse.

E. I asked if this level of pathology was due to him having a clubfoot in work over the years. He said no... there is nothing about my horse's case that is unusual or unexpected in a 20 y.o. in work.

F. I showed him the poly shoes and he said they would work and can be applied now.

G. He injected the coffin joint. The joint fluid was very watery, not viscous. I don't think the HA will do anything but the cortisone will calm things down at least for a while. This is no long term solution.

H. He will be rested for 2 weeks then I can ride at walk for two weeks and then we see where we are. All in, that will be 3 months and change since this lameness presented.

I. I have decided that if he cannot recover from this lameness after the next month that I will retire him and get a second horse. I don't feel there is any reason to do more if he isn't sound at that point.

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Chisamba
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Re: Episode 6 where the vet straightens me out on a number of things

Postby Chisamba » Wed Nov 01, 2017 8:47 pm

I think it sounds like a feasible plan. Good luck

Tsavo
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Re: Episode 6 where the vet straightens me out on a number of things

Postby Tsavo » Wed Nov 01, 2017 10:29 pm

Chisamba wrote:I think it sounds like a feasible plan. Good luck


Thanks. I just can't seem wrestling with this for much longer. While you should work horses with mild OA, I am not going to do that if he is uneven.

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Re: Episode 6 where the vet straightens me out on a number of things

Postby Moutaineer » Thu Nov 02, 2017 3:53 am

I think low ringbone particularly is a bit different to OA elsewhere as far as working comfortably goes, because of the unrelenting weightbearing aspect of it. My low ringbone guy made it very clear that he couldn't work comfortably any more (of course, I'm happy to say that was 15 years ago and he's still gimping merrily around my pasture with his now completely fused pastern joints at the age of 32.)

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Flight
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Re: Episode 6 where the vet straightens me out on a number of things

Postby Flight » Thu Nov 02, 2017 5:34 am

It sounds like you've done/doing all that you can.

Tsavo
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Re: Episode 6 where the vet straightens me out on a number of things

Postby Tsavo » Thu Nov 02, 2017 11:58 am

Moutaineer wrote:I think low ringbone particularly is a bit different to OA elsewhere as far as working comfortably goes, because of the unrelenting weightbearing aspect of it. My low ringbone guy made it very clear that he couldn't work comfortably any more (of course, I'm happy to say that was 15 years ago and he's still gimping merrily around my pasture with his now completely fused pastern joints at the age of 32.)


Thanks for that testimonial of your horse. Good to know.

And thanks for mentioning fusion. The vet did mention that to me as something people can do that doesn't affect the gait but takes away the pain. I guess if I was very confident that fusing just that joint would make him comfortable in work then I would consider it. But in reality, he has other issues that would then become obvious I think. But I will ask him more questions about the likelihood of that making him sound and even. I just have no interest in working a horse who isn't sound and even.

Tsavo
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Re: Episode 6 where the vet straightens me out on a number of things

Postby Tsavo » Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:06 pm

Flight wrote:It sounds like you've done/doing all that you can.


Thanks. Other than fusion which may or may not be some answer, I am not sure what else I can do.

I was going to retire him at 22 in two years whether he was sound or not so he can have a long retirement hopefully. This is just little early.

I have been scanning the ads over the last year trying to figure out what I want. My horse has never been on an ad to my knowledge and has only had one owner before me who bought him from the breeder. I want my next horse to go by word of mouth also and never have been on any ad. I think the really good ones go by word of mouth and that's what I want again. You can get great horses on ads also but I always wonder why their connections or their connections connections didn't take the horse.

Because I know my horse is near retirement, I have been conversing with some of these sellers telling them if I can't recover my horse that I would be interested. I have been impressed with a certain level of honesty that I perceive. When a seemingly really kick ass horse not only is advertised the first time but is re-advertised after not selling, that is a sign. That is the opposite of a horse that has never been on the ads.


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