That’s the plan. Farrier coming this thurs to get some shoes on her, from now thru the foreseeable future.
Re: low impact ks exercises, turns out we’ve been doing those already in our lower back pain regimen every day but I am going to see what I can add to our activities.
Ok. Finally got an email with the long awaited rads. What we are looking at that is of particular concern are the structural changes and sclerosis (dense white areas) where the bones meet.
As a disclaimer, I will repeat what the vet said… some horses can have awful xrays and be unaffected, some can have milder ones and be unable to stand it. They don’t always give the full picture.
Looks like the worst of it is lower thoracic and lumbar? No ultrasound done? I would not be surprised if you have fusion in the lumbar (not uncommon at her age) which may be some of the reason for the hind end soreness.
Bone sclerosis just means there is inflammation. It is suggestive of clinical signs but not a guarantee (I had one horse with close but not touching spines around the T15 area that a bone scan sent us down a rabbit hole due to finding of some mild sclerosis there—horse had back pain but it was not from the DSPs but secondary to neck, SI and front foot issues, all exacerbated after layup for a soft tissue injury while horse was still growing). You do have more than just “close” DSPs in some spots, but again, before I’d do surgery I would do some blocking. I would also ultrasound. What if it is primarily lumbar and inter-transverse joint pain? Bone shave won’t do a thing for that. Still think more information gathering is needed.
That’s the plan!
Yep, starts at T14.
Was this horse, perchance, purchased from Strain Family Horse Farm?
Omg.
Just the question sent a shudder down my spine from more than twenty years ago.
I went to start digging and dang this guy is smart. Deletes the videos right away.
Without knowing any of the specifics, I am going to venture a guess that they have had lots of practice.
I won’t answer because of libel etc, but I get the sense you already know.
It was a sales barn and I knew of people who had gotten good sound horses from the sales barn so I thought as long as I had multiple rides and trainer opinion and a PPE with bloodwork to cover my a** I’d be good. The appeal was multiple horses in one place whereas I had tried four privately owned horses by then and the market was/still is bleak - haven’t seen a single horse that meets my criteria within 5hrs of me since early fall last year.
Yeah I regret not downloading them. I showed them to my trainer and everything seemed normal. I think, in hindsight, as does the vet, that she was asymptomatic bc she hadn’t been ridden in a little while.
Don’t worry about libel, I asked a question. 
You haven’t said anything accusatory (and believe me, far worse has been said on these forums). I only asked because I do think some posters’ familiarity with these kinds of sellers might give you a “blueprint” for further things to investigate regarding your mare’s past. The two I knew from the sale barn had identical issues, so a lightbulb came on for me when you mentioned CT.
In a somewhat timely coincidence (although not for the OP, unfortunately), I just got a link for a Cornell zoom next week on pre-purchase exams.
Never be afraid to ask here if anybody has done business with whatever barn or trainer or whoever. Its not libelous to ask if anybody knows them or for anybody to answer in something vague without naming names or going into details…unless its already public record, which a google search should reveal.
You aren’t the first and these people are very good at what they do. They are not the only ones either.
I am really sorry this happened to you and hope it won’t turn you off from horses and the many honest people who do operate in that world.
ETA…blood work only identifies what is specifically tested for, not any foreign substance in the blood. Many use things they know will not test, including human meds.
Exactly. I’ve also found, from selling a lot of horses myself, that many buyers think they’re testing for drugs by doing bloodwork but, in reality, are just getting a standard panel that might identify health-related anomalies, so anytime a buyer wants to do blood, I do ask them specifically what they want to achieve, to protect us both.
Okay, not my neck of the woods. I was hoping you were near me because I have a rehab barn, farrier, and clinic suggestion. But I’m not anywhere near you.
Infamous. OP do a search on this board for the name of the sale barn. Are your trainer and vet new to the area? I’m sort of surprised anyone in the area wouldn’t have been familiar with this sales barn by reputation.
And now you know why this horse that “seemed” better than everything else you were seeing was priced where she was and located where she was. You can basically assume everything you were told about her was a lie and she was probably drugged to some degree.
Someone very wise told me once “if you want surgery, ask a surgeon.”
I will add, a HUGE percentage of horses jumping the Real Big Sticks have some degree of KS. They don’t all have surgery (you’d be surprised at how few at that level are insured). They are rather, very well shod, very well muscled, and very well maintained.
Now I don’t pretend to know better than your vet, BUT if it was my horse and my dollar, I would get the front feet comfortable, get the horse muscled properly, and then see where you’re at.
Having a bad one today.
I just keep wondering when I’ll get to enjoy at least a little bit of joy or a bright moment of horse ownership. There have only been problems since I got her and I literally have not had a single day where there wasn’t some kind of overarching problem going on in the background (ulcers -> behavior -> kissing spine and feet). Everyone talks about horse ownership having highs and lows but I’ve only had lows, and it’s just like… how long do I have to wait before I get to enjoy things too? I’m so tired of struggling. I’ve been trying my hardest to make this work every day since I got her and I just wish I could go back in time and tell my past self ‘DON’T DO IT!’
I’ve wanted this more than anything for my entire life. I’ve made major career and life and financial decisions all with the intent of enabling me to own a horse of my own. And now the time’s come after looking forward to it for so long and I’m just miserable.
It feels treasonous to say, but I can’t even sell her now. If I do, I feel like she’ll probably end up euthanized or slaughtered, assuming I can even find a buyer who wants to take on a horse with documented KS and behavioral problems and poor feet and susceptibility to ulcers. I’m trapped in this situation and I want a rest so desperately.
The worst part is that even if I end up doing surgery, or any treatment, really, there’s no guarantee that I’ll finally get to sit back and start to enjoy owning a horse. She may still be high anxiety etc.
It’s just so F’d up that this was my first horse experience. I knew there would be ups and downs and scares but this is just wildly excessive. I feel like I’ve been cheated out of something I’ve wanted my entire life and something that has until now been my purpose and overarching goal.
She likes me, she follows me around, but I don’t think she loves me. She’s not overly affectionate. I feel like I’m breaking my spine bending over backwards for her and have been every day for the past 3 months, going absolutely broke over it, and I barely even get any affection in return. I know they can’t understand everything that we go through and it’s irrational to expect gratitude and she does show signs that she’s happy to see me, but I wish she’d nuzzle me like some of the geldings I knew just one time, or enjoy being petted.
I want to wake up from what feels like an increasingly wild nightmare. And I can’t.
Just needed to get this off my chest. Thank you guys for hanging around.
I’m sorry. It sucks, and many of us have been there in some form or another. If nothing else, COTHers are good listeners (and extremely nosy), so we will stick around and share opinions and advice for as long as you let us. 
I will say that I am of the pragmatic sort and think there would be absolutely nothing wrong with getting your mare pasture-sound and selling her to a companion or broodmare (embryo transfer) home. (The latter maybe slightly less likely due to her age, but you never know.) People do pay for both of those things, and there are plenty of scenarios where she would be safe and well-cared for.
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