Opinion needed - Owner and Stable differing treatment opinions

[before_color]

Is it possible to get the BO and vet in the same place at the same time? Having the three of you looking at the horse and having an open-minded discussion regarding the plan of care for the horse could really help.

As an owner, you are the one who calls the shots because this is your horse and you are the one paying the bills. It is your prerogative to take or leave what the vet says. You as the owner set the standard of care. But it is not the barn owner’s prerogative to make the decisions for you; they should be deferring to what you, the owner, want for your horse (barring any abusive, dangerous, etc. situations).

I understand that you are grateful to your barn owner and staff for lots of help and don’t want to burn any bridges. Straight forward and transparent conversations will cut out the need to cater to everyone’s emotions. Keep things simple.

[sascha]

@before_color

they should be deferring to what you, the owner, want for your horse (barring any abusive, dangerous, etc. situations).

This is the problem here. The BO is seeing “dangerous, etc. situations” as a possibility if they follow the owner’s wishes.

[Blueeyedroan]

This whole situation has been a twist. Honestly - probably a simple communication error as with most situations.

The BO found the horse injured, promptly handled everything excellently, took her out of the field and held her for the vet. BO handled the injections as she’s a boss at it haha. The leg wrapping was being done by Manager - who’s a boss in the wrapping department. I do not wrap.
I am not sure at what point the BO went away as this was news to me. Also don’t know when she’s returning. (I pointedly remove myself from barn chitter-chatter which keeps me out of drama but also totally out of the loop too).

I feel like there’s been a break in communication somewhere, or in several spots, along the way and that’s probably the main - and only- issue.

[Bogie]

@Blueeyedroan

The vet definitely did not say wrap it and stall rest for 3 weeks. Yet that seems to be how it was taken. It was left up to our discretion.

The miscommunication here is who’s discretion that happens to be, stable or owner.

I wish that vets would leave written instructions. In the midst of treatment there are too many opportunities for interpretation or mis-interpretation. I know that when feeling overwhelmed by an injury or illness, I can simply not hear everything appropriately.

I am very glad the my vet practice responds to texts so that I can clarify things. I understand that vets are busy (I waited 2 hours yesterday for my appointment to get teeth done!) so texting is often easier than finding the time to call.

[SMF11]

Only on COTH is the owner always right. So frustrating! I am perfectly happy to concede there are owners who know more than me about horse care – I’ve had two equine vets as boarders – but let me tell you, I know MUCH more than 90% of my boarders! I get it, there are bad BOs (and bad boarders). You just cannot paint with such a broad brush!

It sounds like the OP is quite knowledgeable-- and as a rule I much prefer turnout for injured horses.

But if you think the care is excellent and you trust the BO’s judgement you have to trust them!

We don’t know all the nuances of the OP’s situation, but with the facts given, I would be very reluctant to turn out unwrapped, purely for infection control reasons. I would be inclined to turn out, though. I also have a small area that can be used as a medical paddock for these types of situations.

If I were you, OP, I’d ask the vet to give the BO instructions, so you aren’t substituting your (good, educated) judgement for your BO’s (excellent, even more knowledgeable) judgement.

[Tarlo_Farm]

The vet said to turn the horse out.

[Blueeyedroan]

It’s all sorted out. I can breathe. Allow the stress to leave my body. Have a beer. Haha.

[Old_Mac_Donald]

@SMF11

If I were you, OP, I’d ask the vet to give the BO instructions, so you aren’t substituting your (good, educated) judgement for your BO’s (excellent, even more knowledgeable) judgement.

How do you know that OP’s judgement of their own horse is less knowledgeable than that of the BO? Just because one owns a barn and the other is in a position where they cannot?

[Blueeyedroan]

It’s just a matter of opinion. There isn’t necessarily a right or a wrong in this grey area. What some people would do isn’t what others would do.
I grew up with my horses at home, on parent’s property, and managed my own herd (of up to 5 at times) quite fine. But on my own as an adult land never was an option so I’ve spent the last 12 years as a boarder and learned a lot of things are out of your hands and there’s nothing you can do about it.

There is another barn I can return to, where the owner only gives an opinion if asked and only takes over if there is an immediate and very obvious WELFARE issue. I boarded there many years. But it’s a fraction off being self-board. So I have to be there to muck and stuff hay nets every day (meticulously kept barn - such a beautiful place). But that adds an hour of driving to my day - plus chores - add in the cost of fuel and tires with the extra driving. There is NO stable in my town to board at so my horses are a town over.
So it leaves me the option. Board at a full care facility where I don’t have much say. Or take care into my own hands and be saddled with it?
Both facilities are top-notch. I deeply respect both BOs. The choice is mine.

Edit to add : Taking horses back to parent’s property isn’t an option. My parents were not horse people and were as happy to see me go (only child that was questionably wanted haha) as they were to see the horses go with me.

[sascha]

@Old_Mac_Donald

How do you know that OP’s judgement of their own horse is less knowledgeable than that of the BO?

Unpasteurized honey is absolutely a fabulous treatment. For a puncture, this (from the OP’s original post) is NOT a suitable treatment for a puncture, “Mostly, my treatment opinions are ultrasound it, radiograph it, if its non structural clean it with betadine, slap coat it in unpasteurized honey, and let them go be horses.”

That along with a bunch of other head-scratching comments (wraps pushing swelling UP for instance) point to an OP who is well spoken but perhaps not as horse wise as they appear to be at first glance.

[candyappy]

@sascha

And I’m sure that if the BO thought the wound really was healed enough for whatever treatment/activity level the owner requested, they wouldn’t have asked the owner to get a recheck.

In case you’ve forgotten, the puncture is still draining. It is not fully healed

After 3 weeks it would most likely have been fairly healed( at least starting to) if the BO would have kept their hands off and opinions to themselves and done as the owner of this horse requested in the first place.

You are giving this unknown BO a lot more credit and experience in horse care then I see from OP’s posts and the horses healing. They may well be a great BO but in this case they way overstepped they authority.

I am not a fan of wrapping either.

[Blueeyedroan]

The hock swelling would reduce when the wrap was removed. How else would you take that?
Vet also said he suspects the restriction against lower leg was contributing to edema in the hock.
Are you more educated than a vet? I doubt it.

[SMF11]

As I said in my post, we cannot know every fact/nuance of this situation. I agree our OP sounds like a VERY knowledgeable horseowner, much more so than the average boarder. However her years of experience with, guessing, 10 horses, over 15-20 years is almost certainly less than the BO’s, which could be 40 years of experience with hundreds of horses (another guess). Especially as the OP has said this barn is excellent.

[Blueeyedroan]

I have plantar fasciitis and a previously fractured ankle that was never properly treated. To this day it still swells.
I used to work 12 hour shifts, on hot horrid days, on concrete, in 8" top work boots snugly laced for support.
At the end of the day when I removed my boot and sock you could see the swollen fluid line at the top of my boot part way down my calf. Without the pressure below and some walking around it would even out as it was supposed to.

I don’t know how you can’t conceptualize edema moving according to restriction? It’s a pretty base concept.

[Blueeyedroan]

I think the wrapping and keeping her immobilized a bit was ABOSLUTELY the right call in the beginning. No argument there. Outstanding job from all involved.
Even though I’m not a fan of wrapping , it was in this situation called for.

I think the confusion came after when there was a disagreement on duration of process is all.

But like I said. The situation is SOLVED. I am HAPPY. The horse is OKAY.
That’s all that matters.

[sascha]

@Blueeyedroan

I don’t know how you can’t conceptualize edema moving according to restriction? It’s a pretty base concept.

Yeah, no, you’re misunderstanding how compression and swelling work and how something appearing one way actually is indicative of something totally different. Edema does not move up. Period. Fluid can collect above a compression wrap, especially one that either isn’t or can’t be put high enough, but it doesn’t magically made an edema rise up like the holy jesus on resurrection day.

[Old_Mac_Donald]

@sascha

Unpasteurized honey is absolutely a fabulous treatment.

Our nursing staff have switched from ichthamol to manuka honey for drawing infected boils. It is literally sold in the chemist shops here for that purpose.

Guess they don’t know js about wound care though.

#honeygate

Honey in wound healing: An updated review

[sascha]

@Old_Mac_Donald

@sascha

Unpasteurized honey is absolutely a fabulous treatment.

Our nursing staff have switched from ichthamol to manuka honey for drawing infected boils. It is literally sold in the chemist shops here for that purpose.

Guess they don’t know js about wound care though.

Uh, did you read my statement incorrectly? Or am I seeing snark where there wasn’t any? Genuinely confused.

Betting I’ve got the weirdest ‘wound’ that unpasteurized honey was used on - pinnectomy on a dairy cow. I’ve also used it on a couple of degloving injuries on horses.

We just buy it in the health food shop or direct from a beekeeper. We’re simple that way. (Although, for small uses it sure would be nice to be able to buy a tiny container because man, the stuff is expensive!) For the cow, we kept a bit at a time in a Tim Horton’s cup (with lid lol) in the barn meds cupboard so that we wouldn’t contaminate the whole thing with cow barn smell if we didn’t need all of the jar.

[swmorse]

So glad it’s all worked out. You sound like a good boarder, knowledgeable and able to see different ways of doing things. Glad it was just a mis-communication.

[Annie10]

@Blueeyedroan

Spoke to vet. Vet said turn her out and leave it alone. UNLESS the discharge looks infected.

Has that been shared with the BO?
Your horse. You pay the bills you call the shots IMHO