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Phenergan · Jun 18, 2018 6:46 PM

Post your funniest jokes, stories, and pictures to help cheer me up.

Over the weekend we got news that my main show horse and equine love of my life's career is over due to high ringbone (basically arthritis with bone growth around the pastern joint). While it is still in the beginning stages and not affecting the joint yet, we believe it's in his best interest to retire him to a lighter career to keep him sounder for longer and not cause him undue pain. He has been a key part of helping me move back up the levels and even pull a few checks. I had leased him for ages and only recently bought him. Thankfully I am very close to his old owner and she is refunding the purchase price and holding onto him until our new farm for the oldies is finished and fenced in where he will retire to a light flat career. Needless to say, I've been down in the dumps and feeling a bit numb after that shocker. I have other horses that I can continue to show on, but he is something extraordinary.

FallenShadows714 · Jun 18, 2018 8:26 PM

Not sure I have anything off the top of my head that would cheer you up, but just wanted to say how very sorry I am to hear the news. It’s devastating when something happens to a beloved partner and friend. At least you know you are making the best decision for him.

HTRanch · Jun 18, 2018 10:23 PM

That's no fun! I had to do the same when my special guy was diagnosed with navicular a few years ago. It wasn't fun. He is a very loved, very well fed, very sweet pasture puff now, but he still does his bit! Every summer I try to find a horse-crazy kid to love on him, and it makes me happy to see him giving little kids the horse bug. The girl who is coming to ride him this summer is usually super shy but she won't stop talking when she is grooming him or when we are taking a trail ride! He is a good boy, and he knows his job is to love on his kiddos! It's so tough to retire a horse like that, but they can still make a big impact.

kintara · Jun 19, 2018 2:44 AM

Oh no! I had a high performance showjumper mare that got ringbone, after that I used her as a basic hack. It took a while for the ringbone to settle but I got a lot of good years of her as a really fun horse. I did bush gymkhanas, heaps of rides around town, and to the pub LOL. She was a lovely natured mare so we still had some great years together even though she was never a performance horse again

HunterUnderSaddleGirl · Jun 20, 2018 5:45 PM

I'm so sorry to hear that.

Maybe a success story?

We just bought a new horse in December. Somehow my mom found everything I wanted... By my favorite stallion. Started over fences, loves jumping. Mare, pretty color. Sweet. Everything I wanted... except I forgot sound.... she had a super super weird lameness. She would be mostly sound without anything on her back, but 3 legged lame with a saddle on. English was better than western. Bareback was better than english. We were just devastated as we payed.... more than we really could afford (but we still got her for a lot less than she is worth)... and she's only 6 years old. But fortunately our veterinarian is a very helpful person, and started dating my Mom right around the same time, and was able to try a few different things, then was there the next day to see the difference. Also we had a chiropractor out very regularly and she made an improvement every time. And my trainer's boyfriend is also our shoer and has many numerous overnight miracles he's performed, so they made a huge difference to. I'm excited and can't wait to start showing her more. We went to one practice show last weekend and took high point. But we're coming on 3 weeks of 100% soundness! I have a picture of our first show if you would like too.

Phenergan · Jun 20, 2018 6:14 PM

My fellow is my 1.30m horse about to step up to 1.45m and quite hot so I'm hoping he doesn't go a bit depressed since he loved his job. My old schoolmaster that we lost in November was never the same once we retired her to light work only due to her breathing issues. I think we're going to try and find a young rider that needs a step up horse for flat work and play it by ear since he can be a bit of a challenge. He does do well as a meet and greet horse for some of the kids at the Therapy barn I volunteer at so he might end up a cuddle bug there.

@HunterUnderSaddleGirl, I'm sorry to hear about your mare and hope you were able to figure it out! Purely speculation, but could it be related to the abdominal veins and cinch/girth position? I've heard of a horse that went lame when the girth was tightened past a reasonable point and not adjusted properly. I also looked at a horse many years ago that when the rider tightened the girth and mounted up, the horse exhibited neurological symptoms and crashed down on the rider. Vet exams led to no findings and the horse had a repeat when they attempted to ride again after an all clear. It was only on a whim that they tried bareback and the horse was completely fine from then on out. Of course it's all word of mouth, but it certainly is interesting. Gotta love our equine friends and their propensity to getting injured

HunterUnderSaddleGirl · Jun 20, 2018 6:20 PM

Yep, we were able to ( I think) to get it figured out. Part of the whole weird thing is how we would have the girth literally hanging. As in could see air. And she would still be lame. But eventually our vet went to a veterinarian convention in Las Vegas to a specialist in injections. She recommended an injection in her sternum, and she's been sound for 3 weeks now. So hopefully she stays sound.

Phenergan · Jun 20, 2018 6:29 PM

Oh that's so very interesting! I would love it if you would let me know how she continues in the coming months as I've not heard of that! Sounds like you have a great team backing you!

HunterUnderSaddleGirl · Jun 20, 2018 6:36 PM

Yep, I do. I am very grateful for everyone. I'm just worried because our rent went up (more than double) and mom lost her job in the same week. But we're thinking about maybe a half lease? Or there's lots of girls at our shows that need a lead line horse? That wouldn't be so hard on her to share.

So proud of miss Lexi though!

(another happy story?)

Last weekend at our show we did well in the HUS (first every time out). Did ok our pattern classes. Even getting a 1st in one of the HMS classes (not our favorite). But in trail... this is where I am so proud of her!, but since we can't jump due to the quarter crack (and don't want to push our luck with other issue) we've been doing trail instead. She is a relatively big horse (17h) so trail is hard for us. But in the pattern was a bag a serpentine through the cones down an L (sorry that makes no sense). But the cones were only 3 feet apart, and we were able to avoid all of the cones, and didn't nudge a single one, and our competitors on much more small horses knocked down at least one.

HunterUnderSaddleGirl · Jun 20, 2018 6:37 PM

Here was the picture of the only big show we were able to go to before she worse due to the quarter crack. (Please excuse my eq... I haven't jumped very much and only the 4th time on her, and 4th time in 2 years)

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