I thought that I would come on NR for a moan. Sorry if this is depressing.
My Ben is lame. He has an inflamed split on his left fore which is the size of an apple. The vet thinks that this is an old splint which has flared up because he is actually lame on his right fore and is therefore compensating. He also has a bad back and tightness throughout his hind legs. This may be causing the right fore lameness because the vet can not spot anything else. He is not horrendously lame, only 1/10th, but in my eyes lameness is lameness and I won't ride him until that 1/10th is gone.
Now I have been concerned about the tightness in his back for some time. Last summer I had a physio out who gave him a clean bill of health. He has had several bowen treatments and had his annual health check in November where he was declared sound, fit and healthy.
For various personal reasons he was in very light work for most of November/December and when I came to pick him up in January I noticed that he flinched when I groomed him along his back. I therefore got him another bowen treatment and was told that the 'tightness' was minor, that a physio treatment would be a waste of money and that he didn't need any further work. This was only a week ago. I spoke to various professional horsey people about it who told me that I was over reacting and that the flinch was nothing.
He suddenly fell lame on Wednesday and the vet came on Thursday. He was horrified by the tightness in his back. He told me to 'not worry about kissing spines right now before we have eliminated everything else'. So, kissing spines hadn't even crossed my mind, but of course it is all I can think about now. He is on box rest and 3 bute per day for his splint infection, and low and behold there is no reaction at all anymore when I touch his back. He obviously has been in pain, and probably for some time.
Now I know that I did everything right and seeking help and I trusted the professionals who advised me, but I feel so stupid and like I have let him down. I feel sick to my stomach that I continued to ride him despite knowing that his back flinched. I should have known better and I should have sought a second/third opinion.
He has physio treatment and the saddle fitter coming this week, and has to have 10 days worth of bute and anti-inflammatory cream. The vet comes back in 2 weeks to reassess and we hope that the physio will sort any pain and he will become sound. I'm just so worried and have vowed in future to trust my own instincts regardless of what people who apparently have more experience than me know. I need to trust myself more - I have owned him for several years and been looking after horses on a daily basis for about 20 years now. It is time to believe that when I think that there is something wrong there probably is.
So sorry for the long, rambling post. Please send good wishes for my amazing horse. He means everything to me, while I enjoy riding and competing him, all I want is for him to be happy and healthy.
My Ben is lame. He has an inflamed split on his left fore which is the size of an apple. The vet thinks that this is an old splint which has flared up because he is actually lame on his right fore and is therefore compensating. He also has a bad back and tightness throughout his hind legs. This may be causing the right fore lameness because the vet can not spot anything else. He is not horrendously lame, only 1/10th, but in my eyes lameness is lameness and I won't ride him until that 1/10th is gone.
Now I have been concerned about the tightness in his back for some time. Last summer I had a physio out who gave him a clean bill of health. He has had several bowen treatments and had his annual health check in November where he was declared sound, fit and healthy.
For various personal reasons he was in very light work for most of November/December and when I came to pick him up in January I noticed that he flinched when I groomed him along his back. I therefore got him another bowen treatment and was told that the 'tightness' was minor, that a physio treatment would be a waste of money and that he didn't need any further work. This was only a week ago. I spoke to various professional horsey people about it who told me that I was over reacting and that the flinch was nothing.
He suddenly fell lame on Wednesday and the vet came on Thursday. He was horrified by the tightness in his back. He told me to 'not worry about kissing spines right now before we have eliminated everything else'. So, kissing spines hadn't even crossed my mind, but of course it is all I can think about now. He is on box rest and 3 bute per day for his splint infection, and low and behold there is no reaction at all anymore when I touch his back. He obviously has been in pain, and probably for some time.
Now I know that I did everything right and seeking help and I trusted the professionals who advised me, but I feel so stupid and like I have let him down. I feel sick to my stomach that I continued to ride him despite knowing that his back flinched. I should have known better and I should have sought a second/third opinion.
He has physio treatment and the saddle fitter coming this week, and has to have 10 days worth of bute and anti-inflammatory cream. The vet comes back in 2 weeks to reassess and we hope that the physio will sort any pain and he will become sound. I'm just so worried and have vowed in future to trust my own instincts regardless of what people who apparently have more experience than me know. I need to trust myself more - I have owned him for several years and been looking after horses on a daily basis for about 20 years now. It is time to believe that when I think that there is something wrong there probably is.
So sorry for the long, rambling post. Please send good wishes for my amazing horse. He means everything to me, while I enjoy riding and competing him, all I want is for him to be happy and healthy.
