sad situation....what do you think?

[sgttibbs521]

ok, so my friend rides this horse that has been coming up lame for probably the last month. he'll be lame, then fine, then lame again. so finally the owners had the vet come out and the vet said it may be arthritis in his hind legs, but then he took another look and it might be something wrong with his cartilage in his front legs. now, heres the funny part (not really funny), the horse came to this barn about 2 yrs ago, and the barn manager was told that he had recently foundered and he needs special shoes and pads, gel, the whole thing. Well, at the first sign soundness, the barn manager has the fantastic idea of jumping this horse. Ever since then, the barn mngr. ok'd the horse for jumping and uses him in lessons and this isn't the first time he's come up lame. now, is it just me, or should a horse that just became sound again after foundering not be used as a jumping horse? I don't know, I'm kinda throwing the blame on the barn mgr.

[Ryle]

Well, what it should or shouldn't be doing depends very much on EXACTLY what happened prior to coming to the barn. Was it a mild laminitic episode brought on by work on hard surfaces (not likely to reoccur) or was it a full blown episode brought on by metabolic disease (and thus likely to reoccur). EXACTLY what is the current problem?

Sounds like the horse really needs a good assessment which hasn't been provided. That's going to be necessary to make any sort of good decision for it's use.

[WashingtonBay]

It really depends. I agree with Ryle. To really know what the horse can do or what should be done, they need a more thorough exam and evaluation of everything from the horse's farriery to conditioning.

Some horses who have foundered previously and managed well since never have any long term limitations. Some do.

[sgttibbs521]

i don't really know the previous problem, all i was told was that he had foundered and ever since, he's wore shoes w/ pads and gel. I don't really know a lot about him, he's another persons horse. I just feel bad for him because he's the sweetest thing and I feel the barn mgr should have known better, knowing the possibility of it reoccuring.

[WashingtonBay]

It sure sounds like something's getting pushed too far.

Hopefully they'll figure it out now, anyway.

[42many]

Try to get all the facts together before you go throwing out accusations, though, or you'll likely end up in the dog house. Since you personally don't know much about this horse, and presumably the owners/BO/BM/vet do, they are definitely the ones who should work it out.

I only say this because so often some "do-gooder" with great intentions and no knowledge whatsoever comes along in people's lives and causes more trouble than you can imagine. And it often starts with something as simple as the above thoughts - you don't know much about him, you feel bad for him, and you want the blame to go somewhere. I hear many stories (here and in life) of people who saw something in passing, made an incorrect assumption about what the problem was, and caused good, hardworking individuals to have to fight for the "right" to keep their well-taken care of horses.

Just be careful. :)

[Remali]

I've had a foundered horse...and I agree with sgttibbs.....no one in their right mind would jump a horse and also use them for lessons if the horse had previously foundered....and the fact that the horse still needed shoes and pads, etc. should have been enough to let the barn manager know that the horse still needed special care. I'd wack the barn manager up alongside the head if it were me. I dealt with a foundered horse, and got to watch two other horses founder at a barn I used to board at and it is not a pretty thing to see. If the barn manager was told the horse had recently foundered, the barn manager should have used more caution and had more sense.

[sgttibbs521]

I've had a foundered horse...and I agree with sgttibbs.....no one in their right mind would jump a horse and also use them for lessons if the horse had previously foundered....and the fact that the horse still needed shoes and pads, etc. should have been enough to let the barn manager know that the horse still needed special care. I'd wack the barn manager up alongside the head if it were me. I dealt with a foundered horse, and got to watch two other horses founder at a barn I used to board at and it is not a pretty thing to see. If the barn manager was told the horse had recently foundered, the barn manager should have used more caution and had more sense.


thanks Remali! thats exactly how i feel. i've known the horse for 2 yrs now and it's sad to see them in pain. i'm not doing this to get on people's bad side, obviously...i'm just worried for this horse.

[Remali]

I've been known at a couple stables to voice my opinion when a horse's health was in jeopardy.....I'm one of those that have to speak up, because if the horse gets worse and I said nothing, I just can't forgive myself....
I've dealth with a couple stubborn barn owners before, and we warned him about possible founder.....it was a few months later two horses foundered, mine being one of them (they were feeding way too much grain and way too much pure alfalfa). Of course when the barn owner's expensive cutting horse got super sick from the hay, then he listened to us.

[sgttibbs521]

yeah, it's a sad thing to see something happen to a horse and know that you could've/should've said something. i've have to deal with a barn mgr and it's not easy to say something because they don't listen, just like you said, and when they do, it's too late.