cabbagepatch88

Ah ha glad you got to the bottom of wandas foot! Waiting eagerly for Clare to tell us how she got on Well milo is sound. But that's only because he's on 2 butes a day as far as he's concerned he's got new legs. I'm going to take him for a nice morning out tomorrow and do a nice hack to my old yard to see my friends and so they can make a fuss of milo. Gives me something to do with him anyway

Good luck Clare and Loki! My goodness that's early!! Atleast like you say you will be back at lunchtime Think that spring grass is coming through, Milo super gung-Ho at the moment but I have to say he's working nicely! Tonight he popped himself into canter and before I could get him back to trot he bounced around like a dressage horse as if to say 'look mummy I can do it!'. Little does he know he's only sound because he's buted up to the eyeballs

Oh no poor Wanda hope she's on the mend soon! I rang GH and they suggested I put him on a product called StrongBone which apparently has a good success rate for hock problems and also their AlphaBute which I guess I can try when I ween him off the bute.

Glad youre having fun riding again EAD! Hope Blue enjoys his time at home. Its so fustrating isnt it I dont blame you for questioning.. To be honest im having similar thoughts, im thinking of being a bit sneaky and doing a few things differently with Milo to see if they work.Firstly my vet was sure he wouldnt need different shoes but having spoken to my extremely experienced farrier last week he has put some different shoes on him to see if they help. My view is, this is his 'last chance' now. I may aswell try something else!! Im also thinking, as none of the modern medication has helped him in any way shape or form, of trying him on something like Global Herbs. I have sent them an email today to see if they can advise anything. My thoughts are, that nothing has worked so far. I may aswell spend the next month or so trying things out before I have to turn him away...

Any news gooster? I keep checking back like an obsessive compulsive Went to see Vinnie today. He's so big he makes milo look like a shetland pony very handsome liver chestnut boy. The owner was a bit concerned as he's not been ridden for a month and apparently another girl rode him last week and he was a bit wild. So I took my very experienced dressage friend with me just in case! We lunged him and he was forward but very responsive, came back to walk when asked. Got on, huge culture shock from milo. He's got enormous paces, I think he'd do lovely dressage eventually. On the right rein he's very giraffe headed and rushy but on the left not too back, when he softened into the contact he was lovely. Definitely loads of potential there. Canter was rather exciting and we went into orbit on a few occasions but again once he sat on his bum and took the weight behind it was stunning. Overall I thought he was very good for not being ridden in such a long time, and we were riding in the field!! So definitely loads to play with there and he seems like a very genuine boy, not strong at all, just a tad fresh as you would expect from not being ridden for such a long time

How infuriating!! Big hugs gooster. How bizarre. If he's lame on both hinds it may well be something higher up. I know when milo was first lame I googled loads of stuff about hind end lameness and they said if its not hock or stifle it can sometimes be coming from the lower back, hips, sacroiliac area. But I think hind end lameness is really difficult to diagnose!! Good luck, keep us posted Going to ride Vinnie tomorrow, really nervous. Hope he behaves, will be a bit of a culture shock hopping onto a 16.2 TB...

Good luck to blue today, let us know

How interesting. Is that in both hinds gooster?

Oh no, not another hock sufferer! Don't worry though gooster, if it is the hocks. My vet said Milo is the only horse he has treated who hasn't responded particularly well and its so common and the rate of success is very high. Milo is just a pain in the arse at least you've caught it early! Went to see Vinnie, didn't ride as they don't have a school and they use their neighbours so said id rather wait to ride until I can go in the school he's a nice boy, stood on the yard nice and quietly. A bit lumpy but that's not really for me to worry about! She said he's 16.2 but I think he's bigger. Will see what he's like in the week if I can go back to.ride!

Well done Clare Good luck tomorrow gooster and blue, will be thinking of you. Hacked milo again today in the pouring rain, behaved impeccably he is most definitely sound as a pound on the bute, his walk is now lovely and swingy! this time round am going to.stick to hacking and minimal school work to see if that helps him. Am going to see a horse tomorrow, 16.2 8 yr old bay TB gelding called Vinnie. Ex hurdler but apparently very sweet and well behaved. His owner is looking for someone to ride him as she has recently had a hysterectomy and it will be a while before she will be riding again.

Gooster,don't panic! Big hugs. I know I'm a fine one to talk but we all go through those thoughts when something goes wrong. I am in a similar position. Should milo require 6 months away, there is a absolutely no way I could afford another horse. That is why now I'm looking for another mount to keep me ticking over. I have only ridden 2 other horses since I've had milo, one for 5 mins in the school and one for a quick hack. I am terrified to get on someone else's horse but ultimately I love my riding and could not be faced with doing without it. If milo never comes sound, I will find him a companion loan home so I can keep tabs on him and could come back to me if I can ever afford to have him with me. Ultimately I think we as horse owners have got to be practical about things sometimes. If I had a back garden big enough to put him in I would Best of luck for Tuesday, hope it all goes Ok and that its good news PW, is the hock fusion those alcohol injections?

Well done gooster, good luck Tuesday! I took Mr monkey out for his first ride in well over a month and he was as good as gold, didn't put a foot wrong. A tear came to my eye as we trundled up the bridlepath, he's such a lovely boy I would be so mortified to turn him away In other news, I put some ads out today to ride a new horse and I've had loads of responses so may well have a new riding buddy soon

Bad news He's still very lame on his left hind (which has always been the problem one) although the vet did comment on how lovely and loose he looks. The vet feels that really he shouldve come sound after everything he's had - two lots of hock medication and tildren. The next stage is the 'old fashioned way' - bute him and ride him in walk and trot for 6 weeks and then try to ween him off. If that doesnt work he has be turned away for 6 months Needless to say im now going to start looking for something else to ride in the mean time. I am desperate to have some jump lessons, go on the riding club clinics, do some fun rides etc this year so am going to ask around. Poor Milo Monkey

Oh dear, poor Blue At least you know he will be in safe hands and that you will get to the bottom of it quickly Can you not throw a sicky from work? Im being so impatient, I know Wednesday is only a day and a bit away but euuuurrrgh. Im absoloutely sure he's still lame. He's been turned out in a pen since last Monday and when hes been out with the others ive been in the field with him either poo picking or just watching so I know he hasnt been over doing it. Its been 6 months now. Grumble grumble. Ive been trying to get him moving each day to try and make sure hes not so stiff, i.e letting him graze for a short time with the others or walking him around the field/yard in hand etc but im starting to think hes getting stiffer and stiffer because he needs to be in work. I can see the medication has helped him because he's now over-tracking a whole hoofs width wheras before he would only just track up so thats an enormous imporvement but im sure he's still lame in his movement. Sigh. Will try to shut up and stop moaning until I can report more news Wednesday afternoon :Lurking:

Weeehee Loki I went with my friend as 'groom' to a SJ competition today. Really enjoyed it and so nice to be back at a show and enjoyed watching all the horses. Milo been in a pen since last Monday and im still not convinced he's right. The vet will be out Wednesday afternoon so I will have to wait patiently until then. Getting SO bored of this now, want to do some riding

Hi EAD, wondered where you had gone!! Hope you are well Don't get disheartened by magic. Cobs are renowned for being very clever and very strong and in a lot of cases its true. If magic is being used for lots of lessons he will be a) very fit and strong and b) bored and trying to make life a bit more interesting! I know milo anticipates everything and if he doesn't think I'm paying attention can bomb of, especially at jumps. You just have to be really on the ball and keep him thinking, try and catch him out a bit so he starts to listen. Try to use your seat and core muscles to keep him together rather than your hands, although I know how hard it is, believe me! I hope you can get your confidence back like you say maybe have a few lessons on another horse first. Let us know how it goes! I'm really cross with milo. Last week he was looking great, then yesterday he came in with a big kick wound on his knee and was lame again behind. Obviously I can't trust him to behave himself and he's been charging around so he's been relegated back to his pen and I've cancelled my appointment with the vet on Wednesday and moved it back a week. Someone remind me why I'm going through all this?!?!

Clare that's absolutely amazing you should be thrilled to bits with him after all the heartache you've had over his breathing it must be so amazing to complete your first BE and do really well. When's your next one?

Any improvement with blue gooster? Clare hope you're all ready for the weekend Less than a week to go until the vet is out again....SO bored now...

Thanks PW, hope you are well he seems to slowly be coming right, had my physio out for him yesterday just as a routine check and he said he's in tip top shape just got to wait until next Wednesday for vet to see him again.. Gooster, any news on blue? Clare I bet you're nervous good luck, have a great time! We want pics!!!

Poor blue, hope you get it sorted! Milo went out perfectly well behaved this morning so he went in the field for the afternoon with the others and he was fine! So hopefully by Monday I can leave him out all day. I'm getting a bit depressed about the fact hes still broken, i guess everyone goes through this? I trotted him up today and he's still lame, I guess it must take a while for the drugs to kick in but I still keep thinking the worst :cry: I don't know what id do with him...

He was much better this morning, think I will be brave and let him out for an hour whilst I muck out this afternoon then I will let him out progressively longer each day over the weekend then he can go out all day Monday. Have got my chiro coming to see him Monday, that should loosen him up after a week in and his acrobatic display...

Well I'm very pleased I had the forethought to put milo in a pen before turning him out with the others after a weeks box rest - he did his best impression of a circus horse on the way to the field He was marginally better behaved this morning but think I will keep him in there at least one more day until he calms down....

Gooster, trot blue up on a hard surface and get an experienced eye to watch him. I'm crap at seeing lameness and in walk its so difficult! Id give him.a few easy days and see if he improves. Milo mortified that he's in - he screams at me until I fetch him more hay I don't know what the Tildren did to him but he's now peeing like a trooper, I've gone through a weeks worth of bedding in 2 days... Well done for.surviving Clare, bet you're excited now

Milo home and well he's bandaged and grumpy but the staff at the vets said he behaved impeccably! He's on a weeks box rest now then he's got 2 weeks chill out in the field before the vet comes to see him again....

Well.... Vet reckons Milo has done a bloody good job of totally wrecking himself. Sore back, asymmetric hips and very sore hocks making him lame on both hinds. The plan is to literally throw every possible treatment at him. Tomorrow we're off to horsepital to have a course of Tildren and to have his hocks medicated again, and the vet also said he's going to give me a course of joint medication I can inject into him. Following tomorrow he will be on box rest for a week followed by 3-4 weeks rest. At least its not months....! Please send positive thoughts for a stress free day at the vets tomorrow....