I’m going to play Devil’s Advocate here, and ask if you’re really doing right to keep this horse if you can’t find him the care he needs to be comfortable?
This is meant to change how you’re looking at this situation, to help you decide if you should keep doing what you’re doing or change things.
Is a hard decision, I’m on the other side side struggling to let myself buy a horse when I know how much time and money it will be.
So, not to dredge this up, but wanted to update in case someone was going through a similar thing (noting the similar threads popping up, with different details of course).
I went through some months where I unfollowed every horse-related page and account on social media. I took this site off my pinned pages. Unfollowed (not unfriended) a lot of horse people I knew tangentially, and scrolled very fast past the horse posts of the people I kept. Just thinking about horses or seeing other people out doing things with horses made me upset. I still paid my horse’s bills and popped out there to groom or hand graze occasionally, but that was it.
Then, as always happens, I got the itch again. I moved pony to a training barn (over an hour from home) with the idea I could take lessons and get someone on him if I couldn’t make it out. I did start taking lessons on school horses and had a blast - so good to actually canter and jump around again! New farrier seemed promising, I put him in shoes all around, and started hacking him again.
Then, the feet got worse. Bullnosing, TALL and long feet, nothing I could do to convince farrier to take more. It would seem we were on the same page, but then I’d see the feet after the trim and not be happy. I even tried to get him a massage and he tried to kill her (only let her work on his hamstrings, and she was VERY gentle and patient). Winter rolled in, turnout diminished greatly, horse started crow hopping, bucking, taking off. All of this when simply asked to walk FORWARD or trot. In talking with another amateur at the barn, she said she had some less than stellar experiences with the vet I’d had at the old barn (and that served this one - they have quite the monopoly), even losing a horse to a hock injection site infection. Her solution was to buy a trailer and haul the few hours to the big clinic for anything outside Coggins.
Cue burnout. I gave up again. Trainer actually had some health issues that caused her to temporarily step back, so the timing worked out for me to just stop going to the barn again. I’d go groom occasionally but with the ice and terrible roads, it was rare.
I was so, so unhappy. Not just with horses, but with my whole situation.
So, I moved. Bought a truck and trailer, even. Put my foot down with my fiancé and begged him to look for jobs farther south. It was not just the not-good-for-me horse situation of the area, it was everything in my daily life as well related to the life situation I was in.
We hauled ourselves across the country, horse and all. Back in the south, I found a wonderful temporary barn that’s gotten me in with a great vet, and a farrier that seems willing to take vet advice into account.
I got hoof rads, a hock and back dx, and confirmation that my old farrier WAS causing/ exacerbating a ton of issues. I look at his feet and want to take MORE but it’s been one cycle since the X-rays so I’m trying to be patient. They do look better, and he already is standing less camped under.
I have a plan of treatment for the hock and some ideas for the back, and rads in hand to throw around ideas with the farrier. I’ve found a little place to self care board in a few months and get as much turnout and hay in front of the horse as possible. I can haul him around now if needed, thanks to the trailer.
Sure, the horse isn’t currently sound to go do the AO’s or anything but I have a plan, a couple professionals I feel can help, and a little independence to DO something about whatever is bothering me. That, alone, has gotten me back to wanting to go to the barn, lunge or handwalk, and not dreading every second.
I realize I made some drastic changes that aren’t always options to everyone - but also it seemed like I was forever stuck where I was myself. It was scary and a huge change and not easy, but so far - even if the horse is just an expensive trail horse or pasture ornament - it has been worth every. single. penny.
Here’s to realizing things aren’t working, and daring to change everything to try to improve the situation.
That’s awesome! I remember this so well, I love that you just went for it! So jealous that you got to move south again, I dream of being able to do that! Congrats!
I kept this exact horse for 7 years with just one thing after another popping up until he ended up breaking himself permanently and had to be retired. I was emotionally attached so I couldn’t rehome him while I had the chance. I regret it and I’ve promised myself I won’t do it again. You deserve a horse you can ride. I finally have that horse now and all of that stress is gone
I was hoping this was what you’d decide to do .
Welcome back home to the South, and good luck and best wishes going forward!
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