Horse nightmare--advice, stories, commiseration welcome

[seizetheday]

Hi posters, I had a Chronofhorse account years ago and have since forgotten the log-in info for the account and just been a lurker. Anyway. I have been experience a true nightmare horse situation and would welcome any thoughts or similar stories or advice.

I have had a horse for twelve years, and said horse is now retired as of a few years ago. I’ll keep him until the end. I hadn’t gotten a new horse at any point in that time frame, but have taken some lessons and ridden other people’s horses now and again. This past February, I purchased a 2023 AQHA filly from a friend of a friend. I wasn’t really looking for a horse, but it was a horse I really liked that was for sale and my husband said we should go for it and that was that. I thought it would be a very fun project and fun new horse.

This past May, the filly presented as three-legged lame and I had a vet out within the hour. Vet diagnosed with an abscess coming out near the coronary band and it was treated as such. Filly also had a 103 fever that day and was given antibiotics. This continued for several days and the filly wasn’t getting any better (other than one day two days in she looked better), so we took her to a referral facility where they said the abscess had communicated with the coffin joint. They gave her a low chance of survival, and I was in complete shock and devastated. We ended up keeping her there overnight for a joint flush, regional limb perfusion, antibiotic beads, etc. As it sounds like, this all was extremely expensive, far exceeding the purchase price of the filly.

For several weeks it was touch and go–the filly got better but then plateaued, was kept on antibiotics and leg wrapping, etc. During this time, we moved her from self-care pasture boarding to full-care stall boarding because she needed to be kept in a stall. At one point, I got a second opinion from the other vet when the referral facility was being unresponsive and unhelpful. The new vet was fantastic and ended up saving her life.

She is now back on overnight turnout in a small pasture and is fully infection free but we are concerned what the cartilage in the coffin joint looks like. The coffin bone, miraculously, never had any damage. However, vet isn’t sure what her future looks like. She’s sound at the walk and canter (she’s not broke, but plays in the pasture some), but she’s off at the trot. All we can do right now is track her progress and see what happens. She has another re-check in a month.

During all of this time, as you can imagine, the bills have been absolutely astronomical. My husband and I are regular people with regular budgets, as in, we don’t have the type of disposable income to keep hemorrhaging money. I am already extremely financially, mentally, emotionally, and physically worn out–in addition to working full-time, I’ve been helping out at the barn to reduce the board because paying full-care board on two horses is not in the budget because the massive vet bills we are now paying off.

And, it gets worse. A month ago, I was helping break a horse with my barn owner, who was going to pay me to help with this horse (which belongs to a friend of his and a trainer I used to ride with). The horse was doing great as I walked her around and then unexpectedly bronced me off. I had to go to the ER with a concussion and fractured vertebrae, and I just got the bill for it…$1,700 after insurance and after calling hospital to inquire about reducing bill.

I feel like I’m spiraling. This has all been such a horrific nightmare. I feel so trapped. The filly is super sweet and I’ve grown to love her as a I nursed her back to health (I myself did all the medicating, bandaging, etc. 2-3 times a day for two months) but I am so so drained and so is my husband. I feel like I hate the horse choices I’ve made and I hate this life right now and I have no idea what to do. I’m panicking.

Thanks for reading…any responses are welcome.

[Harriet1]

@seizetheday

And, it gets worse. A month ago, I was helping break a horse with my barn owner, who was going to pay me to help with this horse (which belongs to a friend of his and a trainer I used to ride with). The horse was doing great as I walked her around and then unexpectedly bronced me off. I had to go to the ER with a concussion and fractured vertebrae, and I just got the bill for it…$1,700 after insurance and after calling hospital to inquire about reducing bill.

Was the barn owner paying you anything for your help with this young horse at the time you were bucked off?

Has the barn owner said anything to you about insurance and your out of pocket medical bills?

Sorry you are going through this. When it rains, it pours.

[seizetheday]

Thanks for responding. It certainly is pouring.

He was not paying me for anything at the time. He had mentioned giving me a commission if he could get the horse sold. Now, the horse is going to go back to the rescue she came from.

Now that I have gotten the medical bills, I am going to go there this evening and tell the barn owners and see what they say.

[Harriet1]

That’s really tough. I’m sorry.

Maybe they would be willing to discount your board for a few months to help you recover from your out of pocket medical bills.

[seizetheday]

Thank you very much. It would be nice if that would happen but I’ll see what they say. It’s a tricky situation because they took this horse to help out their friend, so it’s not even technically their horse. Thanks again for your response.

[Heinz_57]

@seizetheday

I feel like I hate the horse choices I’ve made and I hate this life right now and I have no idea what to do. I’m panicking.

Not to spout a cliche phrase, but when you’re going through hell, you just have to keep going - inch by inch. Know that it won’t last forever and you will be happier when you get there, there is a path forward and you just have to sort out what path works for you.

Which part is causing you to feel panicked?

[Mango20]

The logical side of me would give filly another 3 months to see if she becomes sound. If not, logic dictates that she should be euthanized given her young age. I’m also not in love with this filly, so that’s easy for me to say.

I’ve had a rough year+ with my horse I’ve had 12 years, 11 of which were trouble-free. First she got kicked on a trail ride and was off for a little while, then somehow tore her check ligament, then just as I started short rides on her again, she somehow broke her coffin bone in multiple places while out in the pasture. She had surgery at the end of February to remove a chunk and put a screw across the main bone. All follow ups look great on radiographs, but it’s 5 months later and she’s still not sound on it yet.

[seizetheday]

Thank you, that reminder is helpful.

I just look of pictures and videos of the filly from before this happened and I feel so upset and grieved. Right now, I feel panicked because of the massive bills that just keep getting thrown on and it seems like there’s no way out. I feel very trapped, and I had hope that if the filly could survive the infection she’d become sound as a riding horse because the coffin bone wasn’t involved, but now I’m not so sure. The vet thinks she could be a pleasure horse.

[seizetheday]

I’m leaning toward similar logic. I already have one unsound horse I’ve been paying for for years, but I also had many good riding years with him first and he’s now 18. This filly is 2 and I just got her.

So sorry to hear about your horse as well. It’s so hard when it’s just one horrible thing after another.

[Simkie]

Young horses do have such an incredible ability to heal. While it’s not at all unreasonable to see if there is improvement over a month or two, it also wouldn’t be unreasonable to give her a year to see how she does. Kick her back out on pasture board. Make sure she’s got the nutrition she needs, but otherwise let her be a horse, and see what you get.

Not that giving her time is the only right answer here, or even the “right” right answer. But it’s an option, if you want.

[4horses]

I agree. Put her on cheap pasture board and give her time to heal. I dont know that you need to think about riding right now when you are recovering from an accident yourself.

Worst case scenario you could probably keep her as a pasture pet and maybe train her for light riding. I don’t mind light riding an unsound horse as my thoroughbred would go for a gallop and hurt herself far worse then if she was kept in light work.

All these bills do not need to be paid immediately. Pay them off over time and make small payments. In the meantime try not to worry yourself sick over finances.

[LCDR]

Someone texted this to me today. Passing it along for your consideration.

[Texarkana]

Op, I’m so sorry you’re going through this.

@4horses

All these bills do not need to be paid immediately. Pay them off over time and make small payments. In the meantime try not to worry yourself sick over finances.

Yup. This is unfortunately my way of life. Just when I pay off a big horsey medical bill they have a miraculous way of saddling me with another. There are plenty of ways to pay this crap off as you can, granted with interest, but what can you do? Whose gonna keep those bank ceos in their luxury accommodations if they aren’t getting rich off of average folks like me?

[Training_Cupid]

Are you using care credit? Something you can look into, I’ve used it both for my horse’s as well as my own medical bills for interest free payments over time.

[rockymouse]

I like someone’s upthread idea of pasture board for a year. Let her grow and be a horse. Try not to have any expectations for her other than letting her be a horse and enjoying her. See where she is next summer.

As for the bills, figure out an amount that is a genuine good faith effort to pay but not so great that it sends your day-to-day living all cattywampus. Maybe that’s $500 a month, or $350 a month, or whatever. Be very regular in your payments. It’s my experience that vets (and doctors too) will accommodate a long-range payment, so long as you mail it in like clockwork. Any windfall that comes along - birthday money or a little bonus at work - can be thrown at bills, and that can help. Maybe there’s an old saddle or bike or weight set in the garage that can get sold for a couple hundred.

You got this.

[Paint_Party]

@seizetheday

Right now, I feel panicked because of the massive bills that just keep getting thrown on and it seems like there’s no way out.

I went through a period not too long ago where I felt the same way. I spent a good chunk of money on my dream horse only to eventually discover a whole lot of sketchiness that I believe took place related to the PPE and the horse’s history. There was about 90 days when I had a very expensive, very fancy lame horse.

During that time, horses and everything related to them was suddenly Not Fun Anymore. It was like a whole chunk of my identity was gone. Stolen from me. Ultimately I just persevered and had faith that it would work out. And it did, thanks to a great farrier and an awesome, honest vet.

My advice? Put the filly back on pasture board. She will either heal or she won’t. You’ve already put so much money into her, and you have a connection, so give her some time and then re-evaluate the situation. She may indeed have some soundness issues but there may also be ways to help her.

Just take it one day at a time. As my Auntie Elaine used to tell me, “Honey, this too shall pass.”

[Displaced_Yankee]

Oof…I am so sorry you are in the weeds like this!

One thing my therapist tells me is to remember that “this is only temporary”. You will heal. Filly needs time. Tackle what you can today knowing that it won’t always be like this (unless you contunually climb on young horses or buy baby horses…but that doesn’t seem to be how you roll).

I will echo those who say to turn Filly out on pasture board. So long as bandaging and risk of infection is over, I think movement over varied terrain can only help her (not a vet, consult a vet first). As another poster mentioned, the key will be making sure she gets the nutrition she needs on pasture board.

Take some of this time for you too. It sounds like before the crash you were pretty tapped out taking care of Filly’s bandages. Maybe a few movie nights with Mr Seizetheday? Some free yoga via YouTube? Recharge yourself. Put some money back into your bank (emotional bank, not $$). I have also used the app Headspace to help me meditate every day, find mindfulness, etc.

You don’t NEED to be at the barn everyday right now. Allow the barn to become a place you WANT to go again not where you NEED to go.

[moonlitoaksranch]

Great advice about pasture board. I’m sorry this is such a rough patch. Reducing your monthly bills to manage payments is appropriate. The filly needs time. She’s young. Maybe she turns out okay with good time off. Maybe you’ll have more fun working with her when her handling isn’t all medical procedures. I do imagine she is pretty darn good on ground manners after all this. She’ll remember and she’ll be there when things calm down. You don’t have to make any decisions now. Hugs and best wishes.

[kaya842]

@Mango20

The logical side of me would give filly another 3 months to see if she becomes sound. If not, logic dictates that she should be euthanized given her young age.

I second this. My opinion is colored by my experience with a a coffin bone infection (which originated from an abscess, twice). I have a few threads here if you want to read. Ultimately, I should have stopped the first time. We had some good times with soundness after the first incident but had just about equally as much time unsound (and more money spent chasing fixes than anything). After the second incident, it was more like 30% sound and 70% not. It was a very trying time financially and, even more so, emotionally. I’m not saying throw the baby out with the bathwater but set a timeline to check in with her soundness and stick to it.

I also second the idea of pasture board as long as she doesn’t have any open wounds.

I highly highly recommend CareCredit, who offers promotional financing on medical bills for both horse and human. I’ve had excellent experiences using them for my coffin bone horse, my dogs, etc.

[ElementFarm]

Another vote for Dr Green and Dr Time.
Put the mare on cheap pasture board for a year and then see what you’ve got. I’ve had several horses come back from what I thought were career ending injuries, just with benign neglect and no pressure.

Given her unsoundness, I’d be reluctant to sell her, or even give her away, as a pleasure/breeding/companion as the chance is high she’d end up in a bad place. Euthanizing even a young horse that is just not sound is always an acceptable option, but given her young age and your already-considerable investment, I would absolutely just turn her out. Don’t even evaluate her before next spring. Just don’t.

Next summer you might be watching her play with her pasture mates and then notice she looks 100%. And if not, you still have the same options.

I have also gone through periods where I felt I was hemorrhaging money and didn’t know what I was going to do. I don’t really have any advice there, it’s just sucks. It’s horrible. But all you can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other, and one day you’ll realize it’s all in the rearview.