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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
   
Location: Missouri | Sorry in advance for the long story...
I turned my horse out for a lay-off last winter. He was 19, running better than ever (for me, I've had him only two season). When I tried to get him back in shape in February, he was off, which turned to obviously lame on his right front. I gave him more time off, injected his knees, tried to bring him back again, and he was still lame. We injected again in April and I was told if it didn't work, it was time to retire him based on x-rays (there was not enough joint space for injections to help anymore, and he was not a good candidate for IRAP.)
My question: could they have missed a soft tissue injury?
I have noticed a big change just recently and decided to ride him for the first time today. He felt GREAT!!! Not off at all.
So, where do I go from here? It would be an answered prayer to be able to run him again! Is that wishful thinking? How do you bring one back from something like this and at his age? What should I ask/expect from the vet, considering he was not diagnosed with anything other than arthritic knees? Will an ultrasound show anything at this point?
I don't want to make anything worse, but I don't feel like I have anything to lose either...
Advice or suggestions welcomed!
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Yes vets miss stuff all the time, especially if the vet is inexperienced, or not a great vet.
The lower joints in the knee can fuse without much limitation I have been told, not 100 sure if this is the truth.
I would leg the horse up for 3 months before I did barrel work. I would start straight lines walking trotting and loping after a month and a half I would then introduce circles | |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | cheryl makofka - 2014-11-02 9:33 PM Yes vets miss stuff all the time, especially if the vet is inexperienced, or not a great vet. The lower joints in the knee can fuse without much limitation I have been told, not 100 sure if this is the truth. I would leg the horse up for 3 months before I did barrel work. I would start straight lines walking trotting and loping after a month and a half I would then introduce circles
Thanks for the advice!
He was seen by the best in our area, but all were concerned about his knees.
One did tell me that x-rays can look bad, but the horse still perform. This was before he was lame.
I'm wondering (hoping?) that the ugly knees caused them to miss something else?? | |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | just4fun - 2014-11-02 9:37 PM cheryl makofka - 2014-11-02 9:33 PM Yes vets miss stuff all the time, especially if the vet is inexperienced, or not a great vet. The lower joints in the knee can fuse without much limitation I have been told, not 100 sure if this is the truth. I would leg the horse up for 3 months before I did barrel work. I would start straight lines walking trotting and loping after a month and a half I would then introduce circles Thanks for the advice!
He was seen by the best in our area, but all were concerned about his knees.
One did tell me that x-rays can look bad, but the horse still perform. This was before he was lame.
I'm wondering (hoping?) that the ugly knees caused them to miss something else??
Yes they sure can... It sounds like you are very attentive to this horses needs, Personally I would ride him lightly and just go from there | |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | Thanks, SG.
It never quite made sense to me that his knees would cause him to be lame during his time off.
But, they do look bad on film, and I'm definitely not a vet...
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