It was vet day yesterday and I was absolutely dreading it. At our last vet check 6 months ago, the vet found Ben 6/10 lame in trot and 3/10 lame in walk and said that the only option left was to put him on bute and see how he went.
For the whole of lockdown I have been riding him in walk everyday, and he isn't sound. He sometimes trips and is slow. He takes a while to warm up and get going, and likes to stop for frequent rests. I was preparing myself for the news that his pain would be worse this time and that he would have to be put to sleep.
But actually, the opposite happened. The vet told me that he saw a happy, healthy (and fat!) horse and that while he wasn't 100% sound, he was no where near needing to be put down and that the exercise is helping with his pain. He has severe and chronic arthritis in both his stifles, his hocks and his back, and the vet said that he could see that he drags his right hind which could account for this tripping over his hind feet. He said that I need to walk him on faster and try to strengthen the joints. He also needs to lose some weight as this will help him carry himself. So the plan is to basically keep going as we are. Ride for an hour everyday, push him on in the walk and carry on the bute. Get the muzzle back on come spring and get him off the grass to reduce his weight.
I really have never been so relieved in my life. I burst into tears and between my sobbing I could just about tell my vet that I had convinced myself that I was going to have to say goodbye.
It is very hard to describe how I feel about Ben. Many people don't understand why I am so attached to a lame horse that I can only walk out, but he means the world to me and I would do anything to keep him going. Perhaps one day I might find a share horse to do some 'proper' riding on for a couple of days a week, but at the moment I am so happy and privileged to keep looking after him.
For the whole of lockdown I have been riding him in walk everyday, and he isn't sound. He sometimes trips and is slow. He takes a while to warm up and get going, and likes to stop for frequent rests. I was preparing myself for the news that his pain would be worse this time and that he would have to be put to sleep.
But actually, the opposite happened. The vet told me that he saw a happy, healthy (and fat!) horse and that while he wasn't 100% sound, he was no where near needing to be put down and that the exercise is helping with his pain. He has severe and chronic arthritis in both his stifles, his hocks and his back, and the vet said that he could see that he drags his right hind which could account for this tripping over his hind feet. He said that I need to walk him on faster and try to strengthen the joints. He also needs to lose some weight as this will help him carry himself. So the plan is to basically keep going as we are. Ride for an hour everyday, push him on in the walk and carry on the bute. Get the muzzle back on come spring and get him off the grass to reduce his weight.
I really have never been so relieved in my life. I burst into tears and between my sobbing I could just about tell my vet that I had convinced myself that I was going to have to say goodbye.
It is very hard to describe how I feel about Ben. Many people don't understand why I am so attached to a lame horse that I can only walk out, but he means the world to me and I would do anything to keep him going. Perhaps one day I might find a share horse to do some 'proper' riding on for a couple of days a week, but at the moment I am so happy and privileged to keep looking after him.
