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Expert
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| Ugh. So I need to hear some of you past experiences with tough horses. I got this mare as a yearling, started her myself, now she is 6. Love her to death. She's gorgeous, bred well (but hot so i hear, On A High and Sail on Bunny) but the most humbling horse I have ever owned. Smart and quick as a fox, really feely, and definitely attitude at times. Her 4 year old year she was cruising 4D (North Texas) consistently and nicely. Winter of that year she got a little tough and then I found out she sprained a suspensory. Treated that, gave her her 5 year old year off. Bring her back this spring, and with help and advice from friends/trainers she was in the money in the 4D again, and then started getting hung up on her 2nd and 3rd (running left). Took her for full workup and got hocks/stifles injected. Spent all summer doing slow work only and also working with trainer weekly. Started back on pattern exhibitioning and she was coming along, but we had a tough day this week and now I have a vet appt because I'm pretty sure she strained a hind tendon.
Long story short....everyone who has seen this mare thinks she could be a smoking 1D horse. I am honestly intimidated by her a bit...but after working with friends/trainer I'm getting over it. But we keep having these setbacks....what would you do?
Edited by lopnaround 2014-11-12 9:52 AM
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
 
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | i have never given up on one.......and your horse sounds promising so why would you give up.....soundness things are just part of training and hauling
m |
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Expert
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| I agree....just frustrated I guess. My gut always says not too...just wondering if I'm being ignorant I guess. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Only thing I can think of is once she is sound again, just get her in really good shape before you go back to the pattern. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| If she keeps straining suspensories I would say she is not fit enough to be running barrels.
I have had my share of injuries, and haven't given up on one due to injuries.
My philosophy, is I bought the horse, I must deal with everything that may occur as the horse is in my care.
If I don't think the horse can handle the strain of barrels (this is a conversation I have with my vet) then it is my job to find them something they love and match them up with another owner.
I have cut my looses and sold horses that I didn't click with, but I try to find them someone who will succeed.
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | If you are having suspensory issues you might need to evaluate your shoeing also! |
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | And I don't give up until I've exhausted all options. I believe most are willing to do the job. Especially if they are coming along nicely and then hit a wall. I'm just now rehabbing a 5 yr old that was really nice til I really started adding speed. Took 4 vets and a bunch of money to find his problem. |
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Expert
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| Agreed, I switched farrier about 5 months ago and we are in a good spot now, she is low in her heels and now she is starting to stand up more and her angles are good.
Can you all go into more depth on your conditioning program? I ride 4-5 days a week and she is turned out during the day. Usually ride for 45 min starting with walk/trot straight lines and then work into softening/bending/body work then lope doing the same. 1-2 days work on rating/collection at higher speeds and then 3x/week on pattern or barrel work in general. |
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Expert
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| mreklaw - 2014-11-12 1:39 PM And I don't give up until I've exhausted all options. I believe most are willing to do the job. Especially if they are coming along nicely and then hit a wall. I'm just now rehabbing a 5 yr old that was really nice til I really started adding speed. Took 4 vets and a bunch of money to find his problem.
This!!! This is where I feel I am at. Can I ask what the problem you found was? |
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | lopnaround - 2014-11-12 1:46 PM
mreklaw - 2014-11-12 1:39 PM And I don't give up until I've exhausted all options. I believe most are willing to do the job. Especially if they are coming along nicely and then hit a wall. I'm just now rehabbing a 5 yr old that was really nice til I really started adding speed. Took 4 vets and a bunch of money to find his problem.
This!!! This is where I feel I am at. Can I ask what the problem you found was?
From the very start I thought it was right stifle. And it was but we had to do arthroscopic surgery to find it. X-rays and ultrasound didn't show it. His cartilage was "roughed" up and we did a PRP treatment. Hopefully it works. It's just hard for me to give up when they show promise. We also found that he had negative palmar angles on his back feet even tho they looked ok from just looking at them. So we did corrective shoeing to correct that. Invest in a good lameness specialist! If I had gone to the last vet first I would be up and running again a long time ago. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| If my horse is injured, once sound and I get the go ahead to ride, my vet wants 3 months of riding, 5 days a week, 2 miles per day.
My path is a little longer 1/4 walk, 1 1/4 trot, 1/4 lope on left lead, 1/4 lope on right lead, 1 1/4 trot, 1/4 walk.
I will do this with modification for the first few weeks till they get their wind up.
I will do straight lines for 2 months, then I will change my program trotting and loping the equivalent to above, big and smaller circles both ways 3/5 days per week for the last month. |
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Expert
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| mreklaw - 2014-11-12 2:06 PM lopnaround - 2014-11-12 1:46 PM mreklaw - 2014-11-12 1:39 PM And I don't give up until I've exhausted all options. I believe most are willing to do the job. Especially if they are coming along nicely and then hit a wall. I'm just now rehabbing a 5 yr old that was really nice til I really started adding speed. Took 4 vets and a bunch of money to find his problem. This!!! This is where I feel I am at. Can I ask what the problem you found was? From the very start I thought it was right stifle. And it was but we had to do arthroscopic surgery to find it. X-rays and ultrasound didn't show it. His cartilage was "roughed" up and we did a PRP treatment. Hopefully it works. It's just hard for me to give up when they show promise. We also found that he had negative palmar angles on his back feet even tho they looked ok from just looking at them. So we did corrective shoeing to correct that. Invest in a good lameness specialist! If I had gone to the last vet first I would be up and running again a long time ago.
Dang that is frustrating....sounds like you got to the root cause thank goodness. I actually used to work for the vet I use and we did a lot of PRP/IRAP/Stem cells with really good results with PRP, especially when injected arthroscopically. I agree the right vet is everything. Good point tho on angles, I will ask him to do lateral views when I go of al four. Also agree that about giving up on one that shows promise....I won't but definitely needed some encouragement! Thanks for advice |
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Expert
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| cheryl makofka - 2014-11-12 2:06 PM If my horse is injured, once sound and I get the go ahead to ride, my vet wants 3 months of riding, 5 days a week, 2 miles per day. My path is a little longer 1/4 walk, 1 1/4 trot, 1/4 lope on left lead, 1/4 lope on right lead, 1 1/4 trot, 1/4 walk. I will do this with modification for the first few weeks till they get their wind up. I will do straight lines for 2 months, then I will change my program trotting and loping the equivalent to above, big and smaller circles both ways 3/5 days per week for the last month.
This is great...thank you! |
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 Expert
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| lopnaround - 2014-11-12 2:36 PM
cheryl makofka - 2014-11-12 2:06 PM If my horse is injured, once sound and I get the go ahead to ride, my vet wants 3 months of riding, 5 days a week, 2 miles per day. My path is a little longer 1/4 walk, 1 1/4 trot, 1/4 lope on left lead, 1/4 lope on right lead, 1 1/4 trot, 1/4 walk. I will do this with modification for the first few weeks till they get their wind up. I will do straight lines for 2 months, then I will change my program trotting and loping the equivalent to above, big and smaller circles both ways 3/5 days per week for the last month.
This is great...thank you!
Cheryl has the right ideas here .... Conditioning is not just lungs but also muscles, tendons, and joints. So, by varying the amount of time/distance spent in each gait you can work different parts. I wouldn't give up just yet ... Hitting a wall with a young one is just time to step back, evaluate your goals, and try again. You can do it! Good Luck! |
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Expert
Posts: 1599
| Thank you all for the great advice! Just an update...went to the vet yesterday and he did a thorough ultrasound...all tendons/ligaments look great but she did have a lot of (clear) fluid in her tendon sheath. She also has a pretty tight scab on her fetlock (which I knew about but of course always think the worst) and he thinks she got bit by something and it caused some cellulitus (hence lameness/heat/swelling). So got some Exceed (really good antibiotic) and going back to light work! Definitely going to really take the conditioning up a step tho....same as a human athlete!
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Expert
Posts: 1599
| I also ordered the tall hing Iconoclast boots just to be safe:) |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| lopnaround - 2014-11-15 9:40 AM
Thank you all for the great advice! Just an update...went to the vet yesterday and he did a thorough ultrasound...all tendons/ligaments look great but she did have a lot of (clear) fluid in her tendon sheath. She also has a pretty tight scab on her fetlock (which I knew about but of course always think the worst) and he thinks she got bit by something and it caused some cellulitus (hence lameness/heat/swelling). So got some Exceed (really good antibiotic) and going back to light work! Definitely going to really take the conditioning up a step tho....same as a human athlete!
If there is fluid in the tendon sheath, I would be poulticing, sore no more clay and bot wraps has worked great to reduce inflammation for me.
My understanding and right now I have one battling if fluid gets into the tendon, this is how the bow begins, the fluid is what pulls the tendon apart creating more inflammation, and more fluid in the affected area.
I also wouldn't be exercising the horse till the fluid is out of the tendon sheath, as if the horse continues to build up fluid in the sheath, something is going to give. |
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Expert
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| Thanks Cheryl, good advice again. I was poulticing, will continue through weekend and reevaluate Monday. Very good point, better safe than sorry. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 953
| IMO why pool all this money into a horse you can't keep sound and shes 6? It's different if they are already clocking 1d but 4d? Sell her as a broodmare and take the money and go get yourself something that's not crippled. |
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Elite Veteran
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| cowgirl156 - 2014-11-15 2:36 PM
IMO why pool all this money into a horse you can't keep sound and shes 6? It's different if they are already clocking 1d but 4d? Sell her as a broodmare and take the money and go get yourself something that's not crippled.
Come on now, stop being so LOGICAL. We are talking about HORSES. Lol!! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| cowgirl156 - 2014-11-15 2:36 PM
IMO why pool all this money into a horse you can't keep sound and shes 6? It's different if they are already clocking 1d but 4d? Sell her as a broodmare and take the money and go get yourself something that's not crippled.
Why would any one want an unproven unsound broodmare?
I say get her healthy, find the underlying cause on why suspensories are an issue, not fit, conformation, poor farrier, then decide the path the horse should take, trail, kids, barrel horse. |
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Elite Veteran
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| cheryl makofka - 2014-11-15 5:55 PM
cowgirl156 - 2014-11-15 2:36 PM
IMO why pool all this money into a horse you can't keep sound and shes 6? It's different if they are already clocking 1d but 4d? Sell her as a broodmare and take the money and go get yourself something that's not crippled.
Why would any one want an unproven unsound broodmare?
I say get her healthy, find the underlying cause on why suspensories are an issue, not fit, conformation, poor farrier, then decide the path the horse should take, trail, kids, barrel horse.
Because there are TONS of unproven mares getting bred every day, what's the difference? Look at the ads of this site lol 90% are unproven but just have "the bloodlines" of barrel racing |
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When do you just give up on one?