Berto is 21, I've had him for 14 years now, he's never been the most useful riding horse b/c of soundness and chiropractic issues but he is a great character and I love him to pieces.
He is pretty much lame all over (TB who raced way too much when young) and his feet are collapsing all apart, and I've been seriously debating whether to put him down before winter arrives. Had decided he was comfy enough at the moment to let it go, buy enough hay for three (that is, including Berto), and just play it by ear.
Well, to be give him somewhere totally soft and cushy to walk around on when the ground freezes, I've been working on fencing in 3-4 acres of former hayfield out back. It's standing meadow-grass and weeds, still grazeable for a month or more and great to walk on. I finished this afternoon and let them in.
Of course they ran around like morons. But Berto ran around right up there with the other two guys, largely at a flat-out gallop I haven't seen him attempt in *years*. It was great to see him looking young(ish) again and having so much fun, feeling the wind whistling through his brain.
Well of course you can see where this is going. As they were winding down, he took a bad step, his left hindquarter went out, and he galloped another hundred feet or so on three legs before coming to a stop. He wanders around grazing ok but is not walking right on it, the ankle is beginning to swell, and he will not put the foot on the ground if asked to trot.
Optimistically it is "just" a sprain, and maybe he can gut through it and be ok, insofar as he was ok in the first place. However, I am afraid it is more likely something along the lines of sesamoid, suspensory or tendons, and in such a generally-gimpy-all-over horse may not be fixable
I will see how he is in the morning, with hosing/icing and bute when I get up. If he is suffering I will call the vet, get an opinion, and consider the options; if he is getting around ok and does not seem especially upset about it I will probably hose/ice and bute til monday and have the vet out then.
But if anyone wants to think get-well (or damage-limitation) thoughts for an old TB's ankle, he and I would both appreciate it
Pat
He is pretty much lame all over (TB who raced way too much when young) and his feet are collapsing all apart, and I've been seriously debating whether to put him down before winter arrives. Had decided he was comfy enough at the moment to let it go, buy enough hay for three (that is, including Berto), and just play it by ear.
Well, to be give him somewhere totally soft and cushy to walk around on when the ground freezes, I've been working on fencing in 3-4 acres of former hayfield out back. It's standing meadow-grass and weeds, still grazeable for a month or more and great to walk on. I finished this afternoon and let them in.
Of course they ran around like morons. But Berto ran around right up there with the other two guys, largely at a flat-out gallop I haven't seen him attempt in *years*. It was great to see him looking young(ish) again and having so much fun, feeling the wind whistling through his brain.
Well of course you can see where this is going. As they were winding down, he took a bad step, his left hindquarter went out, and he galloped another hundred feet or so on three legs before coming to a stop. He wanders around grazing ok but is not walking right on it, the ankle is beginning to swell, and he will not put the foot on the ground if asked to trot.
Optimistically it is "just" a sprain, and maybe he can gut through it and be ok, insofar as he was ok in the first place. However, I am afraid it is more likely something along the lines of sesamoid, suspensory or tendons, and in such a generally-gimpy-all-over horse may not be fixable
I will see how he is in the morning, with hosing/icing and bute when I get up. If he is suffering I will call the vet, get an opinion, and consider the options; if he is getting around ok and does not seem especially upset about it I will probably hose/ice and bute til monday and have the vet out then.
But if anyone wants to think get-well (or damage-limitation) thoughts for an old TB's ankle, he and I would both appreciate it
Pat
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