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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
  
| pepsi - 2018-03-14 9:24 AM
I feel your pain. My daughter's horse has been off since July 2017. (My daughter is a college student in western SD. I am in Wisconsin.) We had her teeth done and had the chiro adjust her--there was some improvement. Then in August the mare bucked my daughter off while doing slow work and was even more off. At first we thought it was a stifle issue as she moved as if she had string halt but only at a lope and on the right. (I went to visit in September and watch the mare move) We had her stifle blistered, changed the angles on her back feet and gave her estrogen--all to no avail. We xrayed and ultra sounded. Saw nothing. We then tested her for EPM and 2 of the indicators from Pathogenes Inc indicated EPM. We treated her. No improvement. Our vet didn't think this issue was caused by EPM as she had no other indicators. I sent in the hair sample for PSSM1. She is negative (yeah!). My daughter's vet started videoing the movement and sent them to Dr. Swanson in Littleton, CO. After several months of videos and collaberation, they finally discovered that she had injured her calcaneal insertions of the superficial digital flexor tendon. The tendon on the inside of the hock had become detached, which causes the tendon to catch on the hock and thus the stringhalt movement. Dr Cammack had seen this once before. Dr Swanson has seen it 3 times. In the past, equine surgeons tried to anchor the tendon back to the hock--without much success. Dr. Cammack did some research and found some case studies where instead of trying to anchor the tendon back to the hock, they loosen it so it no longer catches. They have had a lot of success with racehorses, jumpers and steeplechasers getting back to full performance levels after this procedure. The next step was to find an equine surgeon familiar with this procedure. We found him with Dr. Caleb Lund in Billings, MT. Surgery is scheduled for next week. We are keeping our fingers crossed. She will have to have a year off barrels but we can trail ride her about 2 months after surgery at a walk and trot. I have booked a breeding with French Streakin Jess . She will come back home with me in Wisconsin for her year off. I hope to be able to trail ride her, raise a nice baby and then send her back to my daughter to resume barrel racing.
My thought is, if she doesn't go back to the quality of barrel horse she was before the surgery, at least she will be more comfortable, may be a slower barrel horse, or we can pick up on her roping training, or raise more babies. She is registered--all cow bred--and will be eight this year.
We were lucky. We found a vet that worked with us. Didn't charge us an arm & a leg and sent her videos to other colleagues to try to figure this out. My daughter is in college with limited time to travel to different vets and limited funds. We have paid for boarding also during all of this and I feel your pain. We are lucky in that at least she can come back home to me while recovering.
Good luck in your decision. I had a lot of sleepless nights and tears through this process and we are not done yet by any means, but at least we now know what is injured.
You are a wonderful mom!!!!  |
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Location: Choctaw, OK | You can test for epm really cheap through pathogenes. But i personally would just treat her. If you're tight on funds you can get a 50 dollar bottle of toltrazuril and mix with dmso. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
 
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Any update? .... |
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 The One
Posts: 7997
Location: South Georgia | I have made another appointment with the lameness expert 2.5 hours away for March 30th. I will absolutely update when I get the outcome of this visit. A decision will be made to either go forward or stop attempting to go forward after this appointment. Praying!
Edited by horsegirl 2018-03-19 10:47 AM
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Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | horsegirl - 2018-03-19 10:37 AM I have made another appointment with the lameness expert 2.5 hours away for March 30th. I will absolutely update when I get the outcome of this visit. A decision will be made to either go forward or stop attempting to go forward after this appointment. Praying!
Prayers sent your way. I must have missed the appointment date being set. Here's to hoping they can help.   |
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The One
Posts: 7997
Location: South Georgia | IRunOnFaith - 2018-03-19 12:50 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 10:37 AM I have made another appointment with the lameness expert 2.5 hours away for March 30th. I will absolutely update when I get the outcome of this visit. A decision will be made to either go forward or stop attempting to go forward after this appointment. Praying! Prayers sent your way. I must have missed the appointment date being set. Here's to hoping they can help.
Thank you for the prayers, we need all we can get! I may have forgotten to post the specific appointment date. Y'all have encouraged me to try one more time, and we are going to give it one more good shot. I love this darn mare. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| horsegirl - 2018-03-19 11:58 AM
IRunOnFaith - 2018-03-19 12:50 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 10:37 AM I have made another appointment with the lameness expert 2.5 hours away for March 30th. I will absolutely update when I get the outcome of this visit. A decision will be made to either go forward or stop attempting to go forward after this appointment. Praying! Prayers sent your way. I must have missed the appointment date being set. Here's to hoping they can help.
Hope you find some answers, prayers |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | horsegirl - 2018-03-19 11:58 AM
IRunOnFaith - 2018-03-19 12:50 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 10:37 AM I have made another appointment with the lameness expert 2.5 hours away for March 30th. I will absolutely update when I get the outcome of this visit. A decision will be made to either go forward or stop attempting to go forward after this appointment. Praying! Prayers sent your way. I must have missed the appointment date being set. Here's to hoping they can help.
Many prayers sent up for both of y'all. |
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Expert
Posts: 1599
| Chandler's Mom - 2018-03-19 11:57 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 11:58 AM IRunOnFaith - 2018-03-19 12:50 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 10:37 AM I have made another appointment with the lameness expert 2.5 hours away for March 30th. I will absolutely update when I get the outcome of this visit. A decision will be made to either go forward or stop attempting to go forward after this appointment. Praying! Prayers sent your way. I must have missed the appointment date being set. Here's to hoping they can help. Many prayers sent up for both of y'all.
Edited by lopnaround 2018-03-21 2:05 PM
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The One
Posts: 7997
Location: South Georgia | lopnaround - 2018-03-21 2:59 PM Chandler's Mom - 2018-03-19 11:57 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 11:58 AM IRunOnFaith - 2018-03-19 12:50 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 10:37 AM I have made another appointment with the lameness expert 2.5 hours away for March 30th. I will absolutely update when I get the outcome of this visit. A decision will be made to either go forward or stop attempting to go forward after this appointment. Praying! Prayers sent your way. I must have missed the appointment date being set. Here's to hoping they can help. Many prayers sent up for both of y'all.
Edited by horsegirl 2018-03-21 2:32 PM
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | horsegirl - 2018-03-21 2:29 PM lopnaround - 2018-03-21 2:59 PM Chandler's Mom - 2018-03-19 11:57 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 11:58 AM IRunOnFaith - 2018-03-19 12:50 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 10:37 AM I have made another appointment with the lameness expert 2.5 hours away for March 30th. I will absolutely update when I get the outcome of this visit. A decision will be made to either go forward or stop attempting to go forward after this appointment. Praying! Prayers sent your way. I must have missed the appointment date being set. Here's to hoping they can help. Many prayers sent up for both of y'all.
You do the best that you can, I can tell by your thread how much you care for this mare and have gone about as far as you can on the costs, so sending a hug to ya for being such a caring horsey mom.. |
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Expert
Posts: 1599
| horsegirl - 2018-03-21 2:29 PM
lopnaround - 2018-03-21 2:59 PM Chandler's Mom - 2018-03-19 11:57 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 11:58 AM IRunOnFaith - 2018-03-19 12:50 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 10:37 AM I have made another appointment with the lameness expert 2.5 hours away for March 30th. I will absolutely update when I get the outcome of this visit. A decision will be made to either go forward or stop attempting to go forward after this appointment. Praying! Prayers sent your way. I must have missed the appointment date being set. Here's to hoping they can help. Many prayers sent up for both of y'all.
I understand! Esp for a grade mare! We all have to consider logic/$$ vs. emotions at some point. Prayers for you and please keep us posted! |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Southtxponygirl - 2018-03-21 2:38 PM
horsegirl - 2018-03-21 2:29 PM lopnaround - 2018-03-21 2:59 PM Chandler's Mom - 2018-03-19 11:57 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 11:58 AM IRunOnFaith - 2018-03-19 12:50 PM horsegirl - 2018-03-19 10:37 AM I have made another appointment with the lameness expert 2.5 hours away for March 30th. I will absolutely update when I get the outcome of this visit. A decision will be made to either go forward or stop attempting to go forward after this appointment. Praying! Prayers sent your way. I must have missed the appointment date being set. Here's to hoping they can help. Many prayers sent up for both of y'all.
I second Miss Roxie |
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Location: in the ozone | Hoping you get answers. I missed it - why is she grade? Nice looking horse, I'd think she'd have papers. |
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The One
Posts: 7997
Location: South Georgia | slipperyslope - 2018-03-21 10:03 PM Hoping you get answers. I missed it - why is she grade? Nice looking horse, I'd think she'd have papers. I'd like to know the real reason also. I got the standard runaround in these situations "So and so that I bought her from couldn't get a signature from so and so..."
There is no way she is actually grade. She has papers somewhere. I wish I knew how she was bred. I knew I was taking a risk buying a grade mare but with how well trained she was (counter arcs, spins, flexion, collection, stops, moves completely off leg, was already started on pattern and getting checks), I felt safe at the price I paid. WRONG! And with the seller being a local "trainer," I trusted that she wouldn't sell me a horse with issues, as it could reflect negatively on her in the future. Another mistake on my part.
Edited by horsegirl 2018-03-22 6:42 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 380
| Do the registries let people send in DNA samples to look for matches? I may be over estimating a registries capabilities here but thought I would put that out there. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1302
Location: California | I haven't read all the responses but this sounds like a PSSM case to me. Would be worth testing for all varients. It may just be a diet and exercise solution.
Also want to add - from what I have seen they typically start developing noticeable issues areound 7-8 years old. It is also a common reason papers are "lost."
Edited by little_bug 2018-03-22 8:38 AM
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The One
Posts: 7997
Location: South Georgia | little_bug - 2018-03-22 9:36 AM I haven't read all the responses but this sounds like a PSSM case to me. Would be worth testing for all varients. It may just be a diet and exercise solution.
Also want to add - from what I have seen they typically start developing noticeable issues areound 7-8 years old. It is also a common reason papers are "lost." I will address it with the vet again, but she has none of the symptoms I have read about (and I have also had a PSSM horse before) other than the lameness/gait irregularity aspect.
Edited by horsegirl 2018-03-22 8:54 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1302
Location: California | horsegirl - 2018-03-22 5:51 AM little_bug - 2018-03-22 9:36 AM I haven't read all the responses but this sounds like a PSSM case to me. Would be worth testing for all varients. It may just be a diet and exercise solution.
Also want to add - from what I have seen they typically start developing noticeable issues areound 7-8 years old. It is also a common reason papers are "lost." I will address it with the vet again, but she has none of the symptoms I have read about (and I have also had a PSSM horse before) other than the lameness/gait irregularity aspect.
She may not have them all yet - early signs. The horse I had only had the off/on lameness symptoms too. The testing is pretty reasonably priced compared to vet work so just an idea. She is built like the PSSM horses I have been around - if that makes sense haha. (Typically very perfectly built/muscled). |
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The One
Posts: 7997
Location: South Georgia | We have 7 days until our next recheck lameness appointment. I lunged her today and she seemed okay on her fronts. Her left hind was totally off, however. Poor girl. Praying hard!
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