Edited Title: Horse NQR and Finally GOT Vet Involved: Update & Possible New Plan

[IPEsq]

Lots and lots of walking means weeks or months of walking. Not a couple of days with some trot thrown in and a canter ask or two.

If he’s been sucked back for a long time, he’s probably been somewhat uncomfortable for a long time but a good willing to please kind of guy.

Remember that he flexed 3/5 and 4/5 behind. 5/5 is not weight bearing and a serious emergency. 4/5 is very, very lame but willing to put some weight on the limb. And yes that is after putting the joints under stress, but I don’t know any horse that’s 4/5 on a flexion that isn’t somewhat lame just going around. Because he’s bilaterally lame, it may not look as obvious. He’s been very clear with you that he enjoys his walks and his feet are feeling better, but he’s not ok otherwise right now and may not be in 2-3 more days of walking either.

[RhythmNCruise]

Okay, so that I don’t drive myself insane trying to answer every little criticism and misunderstanding (which is understandable since I’m actually with the horse daily and people on this thread aren’t), I’m going to let the thread die.

I am grateful to everyone for their advice, concern, encouragement, etc. I think Milton is on track to be the most comfortable and sound he’s been in a few years. I’ve been saying this for the past few days, but today he felt the best he has since the trouble started a month ago. In fact, in many ways he feels, looks, and acts better now than he has in…years. So, I have high hopes that what we’re doing is working.

Thanks everyone. I’m going to bow out of my own thread and I’ll report back after the New Year with an update on how he’s doing.

[RhythmNCruise]

Okay, so I did want to update since the vet came Friday.

Prior to her visit, I had kept up with the bareback riding on most days, with every ride getting better. Trot is normal (better than even before the issues), and canter is coming along. Also, his last Equioxx pill had been Wednesday.

We took x-rays of both hocks and right stifle (these were the suspected trouble areas from flexion test and exam at previous visit).

As predicted, arthritis in both hocks with the right hock being the worse of the two. Stifle looks great.

Vet said there was enough space to get steroid in hocks but not enough for HA.

Decided against injecting for now because horse is doing so well. We’ll revisit if he backslides, but for now he’ll get daily Equioxx (maybe every other day eventually), and his next Adequan series is due for May.

I’ve ordered him a “step up” in joint supplement: SmartFlex Ultimate. Not sure if I’m just throwing money down the drain on that one, but whatever. It might be overkill with the Adequan and Equioxx already on board. It’s already here and I’ve got a two-month supply, so we’ll see.

Other than that, the vet says to definitely ride him w/t/c as I have been doing. Long walks around the farm to warm him up, then working “large” in the field.

I rode him Friday after his appointment. It was one of the coldest days we’ve had so far this year and very windy. He was on his toes! He spooked and bolted (very briefly) a few times! Tweaked my own arthritic shoulder during one particularly exuberant effort (where’s MY Adequan?). We did quite a bit more trotting and cantering (especially trotting) and he felt pretty great! I finally had to make myself stop riding him at almost an hour because I didn’t want to overdo it, but he was game for more.

Anyway, that’s the good news. I thank everyone sincerely for your input on this thread. Unless something changes, this is my last post here.

[RhythmNCruise]

@RhythmNCruise

Unless something changes, this is my last post here.

So, I guess enough has changed that I can update without being a hypocrite, LOL.

Milton is doing great. I’ve been riding him as often as I can. Usually during the work week I can only manage to hop on bareback for a quick spin around the field. Some days he doesn’t get ridden at all because there’s just no time before the sun sets, but usually I manage to get on him for at least 20 minutes or so a few times a week bareback. Weekends he gets “real” rides with a saddle, lol. I think the bareback riding is making be a better rider, as I do trot and canter bareback.

Best of all, he’s laying down and rolling and sleeping and being a normal horse. They had to stay in the other night due to nasty weather and he even laid down in his stall, which he’d never do before. Their stalls aren’t bedded very deeply (enough though, I’m not complaining), so I thought that had always deterred him. But when I went out to ride yesterday, he had shavings in his tail and dried pee/manure on his hocks and belly. Yay! (LOL)

He’s doing really, really well. Equioxx seems to be the magic ingredient. He’ll get that for the rest of his life if he needs it. He’ll get Adequan again in May. Oh, and he’s barefoot again and doing great. I couldn’t keep up the expense of the shoes with the Equioxx and joint supplement, etc. Turns out he doesn’t need them anyway. I’ve been putting Durasole on his front feet about every other day lately and I think it’s really helping. We walked across some rocks in the driveway on our ride yesterday and he didn’t flinch.

He’s retired from any arena work or showing or anything like that. We just ride around the property and “work” in the big field. He’s staying fit and happy. Fingers crossed that this continues for the foreseeable future.

Happy Holidays to everyone! May your horses be sound and your rides bring you joy.

[Posting_Trot]

What a great update!