When is it time to cut your losses?

[Dreamwarmbloods]

Long post alert!

Am I overreacting? Or is it time to seriously re-evaluate my options?

I am an adult amateur. I bought my horse as a 4 year old. He has always been a bit quirky, but is safe and has a very amateur friendly attitude. I love riding him and have been very happy with him as an equine partner. But…he has always made me suspect that he had some issues. Ulcers, for one, but also some back issues as he never really wanted to work from the hind end and raise his back. My trainer and I went very slow with him, did a bunch of strengthening, got him going over fences, and were doing well for a few years. His “issues” never completely went away, but were very mild and I didn’t feel it necessitated an intervention. He seemed happy.

Fast forward to this year (just turned 10). Symptoms came back with a vengeance in January. Decided to take him to Auburn for a full workup. Lameness exam, ultrasound, bone scan, x-rays, ulcer scope, you name it…we did it. Results were: One spot of mild kissing spine that appeared NOT to be an issue on the bone scan, massive amounts of SI pain, hock pain, and grade 3 bleeding ulcers. Treatments were suggested and started: Shockwave, back injections, hock injections, Robaxin, and Gastroguard. Once I brought him home and gave him his time off, I began to simply walk under saddle, then small amounts of trot. He then had a second round of shockwave and was supposed to go back to Auburn at the end of the month for an ulcer re-scope/third round of shockwave. Things were feeling much better, but not perfect yet.

Well, a few days before his Auburn re-scope, he severely sprained his check ligament in the pasture. No tears could be seen. Vet instructed me to keep the horse on quiet turnout, cancel his trip to Auburn, and do a follow up ultrasound on the check ligament in three months. Unfortunately, the horse has had three setbacks on the ligament since then. After each setback, I’ve put the horse on stall rest, iced 2x per day, keep wrapped at night, and individual small turnout during the day. After the last setback (and now a small tear in the ligament), the vet had us add in trazodone. The vet is adamant that the horse needs to be walking and that full stall rest is not what we need to do to heal the ligament.

This morning, just as the ligament was starting to look better, the horse took off running and bucking in his small turnout before I could stop him. Even on the trazodone, he had a complete meltdown. I am completely gutted and feeling defeated.

Even if I can get this horse to heal his ligament and jump again (questionable?), then I will have to start from square one to try to heal his SI/kissing spine/hock/ulcer issues. Is it even worth it? I am feeling like it might be a better option to try to give him to a home in a lower level non-competitive place that can take a chance on having a really nice warmblood with a forgiving brain in the end. The vets are optimistic that he will recover from all the listed issues, but my mental health is taking an absolute beating trying to heal him. He lives at home with me, so I am living and breathing his rehab (and poor choices) every hour of every day.

Am I being a drama queen? Am I trying to pound a square peg into a round hole? Are there too many issues to have any hope of a competitive 3’+ over fences future with this horse?

If you got this far, thank you for reading! Please offer me your advice, or give me wake up call on being impatient and dramatic…

[fourfillies]

Hugs! The check will heal. The other seem maybe to be more the management issues of the modern sport horse. Not to minimize how expensive and stressful managing them are for us amateurs particularly when the animal is our one and a generally good egg. Are you in a position to send him to a lay up barn for a few months to give you some emotional space? Then reassess? You’ve put a lot in him and he sounds like a good guy. That means a lot to older me.

[HJdaydream]

If I was in your position I’d find a nice place to turn him out for a year and reassess after that. Sending jingles. You’re in a position that no horse owner ever wants to find themselves in, and it’s a really tough one.

[MadTrotter]

Another vote for a long spell in turnout. You’ve done so much and it sounds like he’s saying his (and your!) mind is fried.

[JB]

Outside of the ligament thing, I’d test him for both PSSM1, and the questionable PSSM2 (MIM) variants. One of those might be behind everything starting at 4, when it could have been very, very mild, but those diseases tend to progress and often don’t really show their full effects until they hit the later single digit years to around 10 or so.

[Xanthoria]

Dr Green will be good for both of you. Hugs!

[one1horse]

Firstly as an equestrian who has been there with their horse (different injury but same pattern of frequent setbacks during rehab), and a therapist in my professional life, I would encourage you to reach out to a therapist for support. The reality is you are living in a constant state of stress, worry, probably anxiety, and you deserve a space where you can process that, unload your fears, and leave it in the therapy office. Okay I’ll get off my soapbox about that now!

As for your horse, I have a couple thoughts. Is it feasible to send him to a rehab barn who can take over care, supervision, management of him during this time? Even if it’s just for a month to give you a break and possibly re-set his brain into a routine that works.

Secondly, I’ll echo a year with Dr. Green. Don’t fight him to try and keep him quiet and let nature figure it out. Then see what you have and make a decision about whether rehoming is the right move.

Thirdly, if you are at the point where you don’t think you want to see this through any further (and there is NO shame in that), then rehoming him with someone who is, as you said, willing to take a change on the rehab to end up with a lovely lower level horse, is a responsible option. That said, I would encourage you to circle back to the therapist consideration as this would be a great place to work through the pros/cons of all of your options.

[ParadoxFarm]

Good advice above. Just adding some virtual hugs.

[luvmyhackney]

I’ll echo a year of Dr Green.

Hugs and great advice above.

[fivestrideline]

Kick him outside. Stay on top of his feet, nutrition, and I’d highly recommend monthly massage from a good bodyworker. Otherwise, leave him alone for at least 6 months, if not a year. Then come back and see what he might have for you.

Hugs, I’ve got one (suspensory instead of check ligament) that sounds identical. Got him at 3, hopped around the 2’9” when he was younger, then around age 9/10/11 the wheels fell off. He’s a TB, but otherwise the SI/hocks/KS sound very similar.

I did the rehab thing, gave up and pulled his shoes and kicked him outside. He’s so. much. better. but I haven’t tried to do anything with him yet. The vet thinks we could try, and at least have a lower level flat or trail horse. Jumping isn’t out of the question but the vet really doesn’t think 3’ (or really over 2’6”) will be in the cards. He will not be a simple to maintain horse - and I doubt yours will either.

If you really want a 3’+ horse, and the thought of starting the fitness routine over every time he gets a break from work makes you anxious, I’d say it would be worth turning him out for a year and then rehoming him. Let someone else take on the risk and the maintenance to see if he’d be a fancy lower level horse, but make sure he’s had every chance to heal and work the knots out before you send him. The temptation to push too fast is very real for most people - turn him out yourself first if you can.

[AskMyAccountant.17]

Flame Suit-

I dont know anyone that would take their horse to Auburn anymore for lameness specifics. It’s spoken of quite commonly here that the operation isn’t really as connected to sport horses industry and getting horses back into a career. This may be a harsh statement, but I was fairly shocked that’s the only clinic you’ve used, specifically soft tissue, lameness issues, I wouldn’t advise them as my go-to.

SouthEastern Equine and Southern Crescent Equine are both within an hour, Southern Crescent is going to have the best treatment options and a better plan/idea of what your horse may need, and options, for the career you want. SouthEastern , Daniel Weldon has great bed-side manner as far as fitting you in, working with you, he’ll follow up to check in

Personal experience and common conversations over the past two decades with friends, at Auburn you’re commonly going to get lots of diagnostics, they will run lots of tests, but very little on how to effectively treat, manage, and get a horse back into your desired career. And that in itself is frustrating and financially draining. I’ve had several instances where a vet diagnosed a horse with a specific issue, one requiring surgery, so I decided to take him to the above (even Coosa Valley in Pell City is a better option) , took the horse to Coosa Valley only for a much simpler protocol. .

I’ll never forget an emergency call when a horse sliced a leg, and they wanted to put him on the ground to do surgery and identify issues. I decided if that were the case, i felt more comfortable having Coosa Valley do this. I arrive to Coosa Valley only for them to evaluate, flush the injury, and my horse came back home that same day.

I mean, if we can’t get a quick appointment to those two clinics we take our horses three hours to UGA before Auburn which is next door.

Maybe their philosophy is to dig things to the furthest level, but I just havent found many of my own peers or myself having success with them.

[Dreamwarmbloods]

Thanks, everyone. You are helping talk me off the ledge. I 100% agree with all of your advice to turn him out. I had already planned on keeping him on Dr. Green for at least 6 mos. to a year. But I think that the way he keeps aggravating the injury, we will be pushing the one year mark before I can even figure out what I have.

JB: I actually did have him tested for PSSM back when he was about 5 yrs. old. Everything came back negative. I do, however, keep him on a pssm friendly diet regardless because I had my suspicions, too.

1horse: I do have a rehab facility on standby right now. My husband and I had the same thought about giving us a mental break for a couple of months. The concern I have is that he will have to adjust to the new location (and be a weirdo about it at first), and then I will have to re-introduce him to our home routine when he returns (and be a weirdo about that, too). Both of those scenarios have several days of him potentially doing something stupid and causing another setback. So part of me just thinks that keeping him home may, ultimately, be the better choice. I don’t know…

If I didn’t love the silly horse so much, then this would be an easier decision. I just want to do what is best for both of us. And to maybe be go on a vacation for a couple of days…lol

[Dreamwarmbloods]

No flame suit necessary. I’ve actually had several great experiences with Auburn and some good and a couple not so great experiences at UGA, so your comment surprised me. I do like both clinics for different reasons, but Auburn is just slightly easier for me to get to. Worth doing a bit of research, though. Thanks for the connection at SouthEastern Equine. Good to know.

[Rumorhasit93]

Had a similar situation with my mare. Lived on trazadone, stall rest, then handwalking but would spin and rear, then eventually tack walking. Bucked me off, I broke my back, we sent her to a very expensive and lovely rehab facility while I recovered. (There is hope- we are ALMOST back showing in the 1.10s after two long years. Horse just turned 12 & we’ve had her since she was 6).

Having said all that, my mom and I both agree that if we were ever faced with this situation again, we would turn her out for 6 months to a year. We also keep our horse(s) at home and completely feel your pain.

Either way you go, it sounds like your horse is lucky to have you as an owner. Jingles!

[showy]

I’ll take a flame suit please.

Even if this horse is eventually in a good place does he have the capability to do what you want to do? For example if you want a 3 ft hunter, is he capable of that job when sound? Or have you never even gotten to find out? I’ve had a few that I’ve struggled with in similar situations and looking back, I should have cut my losses. The horse was never going to be capable of the job I wanted them to do.

If he can do the job you desire or you’re ok doing whatever he can do, I would turn him out.

If he can’t, I would look to move him along.

[JB]

@Dreamwarmbloods

I actually did have him tested for PSSM back when he was about 5 yrs. old.

I assume that was PSSM1? Ever tested for the MIM (formerly PSSM2) variants? The diet for MIM is different than for PSSM1

[Dreamwarmbloods]

He was comfortably doing the 3’3" with the scope for more when the wheels came off in January, so the capability is there. Now will it still be there without the risk of re-injury once he is healed? Is it even fair of me to ask him to do that with everything else going on? Those are the million-dollar questions and the ones that have me considering rehoming him.

[Dreamwarmbloods]

Yes, he was tested for the variants. All were n/n except he came back as n/Px for the RER gene mutation.

[JB]

Gotcha. RER can cause the symptoms you describe

[AmmyHunter]

@AskMyAccountant.17

(even Coosa Valley in Pell City is a better option) , took the horse to Coosa Valley only for a much simpler protocol. .

Cannot disagree more about Coosa Valley - had terrible experiences there, total waste of time and money. They sedated the horse so heavily for the lameness exam - after I told them he was already on sedation for stall rest and not to give him any extra, and he was standing there with his head hanging when they walked up and stuck him without even asking me after I told them not to - that I thought he was going to trip and fall. You could not possibly have reached any clinical conclusions based on what was observed (my friend who was with me was an experienced equine vet tech, but they didn’t know that or know that I was knowledgeable and talked to us like we were idiots who wouldn’t recognize the BS) yet they made a whole series of conclusions and recommendations. We pulled out of the driveway with the trailer saying WTF just happened there! And I’m not the only one, I know others. Some people swear by them, but I can’t imagine why after firsthand observation. I also know plenty of people who still have confidence in Auburn. You don’t go to a university IMO unless you are expecting/seeking out access to the full range of diagnostics, so that shouldn’t surprise anyone.

To the OP, I’m so sorry, that is frustrating. But it’s a long stressful road from where you are now to having a going 3’ horse who is holding himself together. Personally I would either try Dr. Green, or aim for getting him in a lower-demands job, because the road back is going to be so full of stress. I’ve been there and it is tough to take.