Well the title basically covers it. This is the short version of this story as follows. Got this grade horse about a year ago (Winter 2018), did NOT do a vet PPE (which I am strongly regretting!). Horse is called Boomerang, grade paint gelding approx. 14 years old. When I got him I started working him 5 days a week and a few weeks after hard work he was sore on left front. Had a slight head bob at the trot. Thought it was an abscess, was given time off. Lameness came and went in summer and was really not noticeable, everyone at barn thought I was crazy. Later in summer (2018) brought him to a vet who thought he had navicular syndrome, but she did not want to take xrays. She did do a nerve block with lidocaine to come to this conclusion. Farrier that the vet recommended refused to shoe as a navicular horse without xrays, he didn’t think horse looked lame enough and I was advised to ride him until he is noticeably lame and then to go from there. At this point with this horse I was upset that I had bought him and tried to sell him honestly. I only had sketchy people contact me and I figured he would be better dead than with sketchy people. My horse and I were moving to a bigger city in the spring so I waited over the winter to get better opinions. Now Summer 2019 the horse got settled in the new barn, had a vet out who did a lameness exam and Boom passed with flying colors (not lame). Vet offered xrays and I said yes, really wanted to get to the bottom of this. Vet found a fractured (in two places) navicular bone on front left hoof! Vet said this horse had been nerved before I got him, otherwise this fractured bone would be so painful he would be lame at a walk. According to the xray there are other structures that suffered from the break, and he developed arthritis and enthesophytes (bone response to stress). This is why he is sound from the fracture, but not hard work.
I will state this horse and I have had a love-hate relationship from the beginning. Really just bought him because he was the first horse in my price range that did not buck in trial (NOT a good way to buy a horse!!). (He was my come-back horse after the passing of my first & heart horse). The only way this dummy would be safe for more beginner riders is if he is worked 5 days a week. Maybe 4 days.
My question to you all is this: Do you think euthanasia is the most humane option? At this time I am thinking I will let him live out the summer and then put down in fall or donate to necropsy program.
I am not in a position to own two horses (and really want to be riding), he should not be used in a therapy program (due to unruliness from lack of work), if he gets worked too hard his arthritis will flare up and will be sore. The only other option I can think of would be if someone just wants a pasture pet.* Something else the vet said was if and when the nerve grows back he will be in a lot of pain from the broken navicular bone. I have read online if you nerve a horse a second time (assuming he is on his first time) it is not as effective.
*Yes, I am aware of kill buyers, and also that he is better off euthanized than in a crappy pasture pet home. If I were to pursue this option I would ask for references of good care.
**Location is Midwest of United States.
