the I Have a Herd of Invalids clique

[Tilly]

So, I have a herd of invalids that I love dearly :yes:. And since I'm sure other people do too, I thought a clique would be fun :winkgrin:

Any takers?

Oh, btw, here are mine:

Ruby, 11 yr old 13.2 hh pony mare. She has a crooked spine and a muscular deformity on the left side of her back. She is rideable w/ a saddle, but it's not very comfortable for her, so she's been retired to a bareback-hack-once-a-week [did I mention she's really uncomfortable to ride bareback? :lol:]
Me and Ruby:
http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp224/DressagePo/ruby014-2.jpg

Chance, 18 yr old 14.3 hh ? mare. She blew out her RH suspensory and tore her LH superficial flexor. So she is now a pasture pet, which she loves :yes:
http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp224/DressagePo/chancehead2.jpg

And then there's Monarch, who will be arriving next week. He's an 8 yr old 17.3 hh Rheinland Pfalz-Saar gelding. He has a laundry list of issues. Osteo-arthritis in his coffin joint, tendonitis in his deep digital flexor, an adhesion between his deep digital flexor and his navicular bone, synovitis in his coffin joint, moderate navicular bone edema, moderate lucency on his flexor cortex of the navicular bone.
This is an old picture of him and my mum:
http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp224/DressagePo/monarch.jpg

[Lady Counselor]

Huh. Right now that would be me.
6 head. Can't ride a single one right now!
2 are retired; one is a 32 y-o QH gelding who has a heart murmur and has more than earned his retirement.
The other retiree is a 15 y-o OTTB who was a good, hard knocking racehorse, but not pleasure horse material. He's got a home until he dies.
There are two babies who are not broke to ride yet.
Then there are two, supposedly active riding horses who are both on the shelf right now with different ailments. One has had a bad year with allergies, HYPP and two grand mal seizures. The vets and I are struggling to see if we can isolate all of the factors and either get him safe and useable again, or determine if his road is nearing the end. :cry: It really, really sucks because he's only 13, and has become that pushbutton, fun horse we all enjoy. He's also the one who I clicked with, and loved to take on trips, show, etc. But...I won't allow him to either suffocate due to anaphalactic shock or hypp, nor will I let a 1,000LB horse have violent seizures. So far no one has been able to isolate exactly what is causing what, and it's intermittant. I think it's allergy driven (he gets wicked hives during these attacks)
The other one had abcesses in both front feet after a mild bout of laminitis, probably due to the extremely wet spring/summer we had. I've been getting up extra early to soak and treat his feet. He's going to recover fully, just probably won't be rideable until December...:rolleyes:
This has been the suckiest year ever with horses.

[saddleup]

I'll join.

I have a retired 26 year old gelding. He can do "pony rides" for my grandson, but that's about it.

I have a retired 19 year old gelding. Gimpy front and back, stringhalt, limps everywhere he goes, but still a happy outlook on life.

And I have a 7 year old gelding who's been out of commission for nearly six months due to unknown lameness/soreness in his front foot. X-rays showed nothing; shoeing hasn't much helped; time off is what we're trying now.

Usually I dread fall and winter due to decreased riding time, but this year I just want to get this summer over with. It's depressing.

[MunchkinsMom]

I'm in!

26 year old QH mare, retired, with some mystery intermittent lameness that started in the past 6 month, in the front, she can go almost 3-legged lame for several strides, and then walk as if nothing happened.

22 year old QH gelding, retired, this week giving me issues with being slightly NQR, but no concrete symptoms to call the vet over (yet at least). He has always been high-maintenance his whole life.

7 year old QH gelding that is green as grass, had colic surgery 11 months ago, and between that, my impossible work schedule/deadlines, and hot weather, is just getting fat in the field (not really invalid at this point, so he might not count).

Funny, just this morning I was thinking how tough it is watching our horses age, even when the are aging gracefully.

[rabicon]

Me too.

I have a 27 year old qh that was my barrel racer for a short time before his knee blew out. He has had sx for the arthritis in it and fat harvested from his rump and turned to stem cells and injected in it as well as steriod and HA injected in it. His knee has fused now and he just hangs out and is my big dog. I love him dearly and he loves me, he realized when I bought him that he is loved and I'd never hurt him unlike his past.

Also a 26 year old twh thats retired with heeves. Bought him and boarded him at the place we bought him, they never turned him out for some reason (laziness) and he developed heeves. The only time he went out was when we were there :rolleyes::mad: So we did move him and he is outside 24/7 unless the weather is really really bad. His heeves are so bad he gets steriod shots every 2 weeks and ventipulmin often. Can't ride him because he can go 2 steps without hacking and can't breathe.

[Tilly]

Hugs to everyone with horses that aren't doing well. I do feel better knowing I'm not the only one with a herd of useless horses, lol. At least I'm leasing a Dutch WB who is pretty sound :lol:

So, so far we have 5 people counting moi! :winkgrin:

[FancyASB]

I have five out of seven I can't ride. 20 year old ASB mare that almost died six times last year; my Vet's office calls her the miracle horse. She had a strep ecoli infection in her leg, chest and hoof. Pus blew out her chest, side of her leg could see the bone and half her hoof fell off plus during all this she foundered. I rescued her 10 years ago from starvation at a so called "training barn" She has so much scar tissue in her leg lumps everywhere but she still trots and hangs out happy. Next another 20 year old ASB mare that developed IR last year and foundered. Chronic abscesses and gimps but doing so much better (she was the best trail horse too), third 15 year old Paso Fino gelding that also developed IR and foundered. He has his good days and bad. IR was due to pet sitter that didn't come twice a day but every 2-3 days to feed and filled water buckets full of grain = grain overload. She also never cleaned for two weeks we think that is how mare developed infections. All were sound and healthy when I left. fourth 17 year old Paso Fino mare rescued at an auction body score of 1. She's gained almost all her weight back but has a hip problem, fracture from being kicked at auction but is healing nicely. Lastly 25 year old Mustang mare (given to me) that I wouldn't try to ride for anything, she bucked the last person off and broke their arm but is a total sweet pasture pet. Am I crazy, no I just love all my babies!!!!!!!

[atr]

Apart from the ancient one (32) I lost a couple of months ago, I'm currently sporting:

Much loved 22 year old with bad ringbone, in very much well earned retirement. Hoping he'll be with us for a bit longer, but need to have serious discussion with vet next weekend.

18 year old supposedly coming back into work after three years off due to one thing and other threw a fit last weekend and now has "something" going on in his right hind--barely noticeable, but something, nonetheless. I suspect he's angered some hock arthritis.

12 year old dressage horse recovering from a mild (please God) suspensory strain.

At least the mini is OK... or he was at dinnertime.

Bah, humbug.

[Plumcreek]

This is the clique for me.
Retired broodmare. Really didn't do much to earn the fabulous life she has. Too much arthritis to ride.
10 year old would-be conformation hunter Appx mare. Did reduction surgery for bad kissing spines after 3 years of searching for pain source. Recovered and had, oh, 2 months of fabulous soundness, then cast herself behind a big water trough (trying to roll on a little pile of shavings I had left in the corner of the overhang for a new foal). Seriously sprained her whole hip that has settled into mild stifle arthritis. Will breed or try stem cells on her. Of course this is the one that never put a foot wrong in training and does not ever spook at anything.
8 year old Skys Blue Boy Appx gelding. Seriously good mover who had a flip-over accident and broke the ishium projection off his hip, recovered, then accidently kicked through a steel panel and almost severed his extensor tendon, healed that, shown one summer, then neighbor dogs chased through a fence. The lacerations healed but withers now need shockwave. Will be sound for trail riding, but not competative anymore to show.
5 year old gelding. Baaad club foot, contracted tendons. His great disposition earned him surgery and 3 years of corrective shoeing. He is now the only sound one, but wants to be a western/showmanship horse - not what I want to do.

[Vandy]

I have quite a few...41(!) year old roany pony mare (retired school horse), still fat, sassy and sound, though she is toothless and has respiratory issues that prevent riding or heavy exercise. But she's sure happy hanging out in her little paddock. Coming 31 yo breeding stock paint, another retired lesson horse. He has Cushings, but is doing great. Just retired my big WB rescue horse who has neurologic issues from spinal arthritis. Not sure how old he is - vet says teeth look at least 30 but he'd never seen a big warmblood that was that old, so probably in his 20s. 10yo used hard and put away wet ex-racer/fox hunter that I'm hoping will be sound to ride someday - huge ankles all around and sore suspensories at the moment. And a goofy young TB who is actually on pasture at my SO's ranch, who I gave up on after spending $$$ trying to diagnose his left front lameness...he's very happy limping around on a thousand acres. I must be crazy.

[Mallard]

Well...
Here at home I have three fat and happy pasture puffs...
#1- 24 yr old 16hh QH mare. Only a little bit arthritic. Has not been ridden in 5 years.
#2- 20 ++ 16.1 Appendix mare...very sunken topline and has not been ridden in 4 years.
#3 10 yr old 14.3 Connemara/QH mare. Fractured her elbow when she was 3. Eight months of stall rest. Took a year for her to get her muscle tone back. I backed her at 5, but she does not stay sound. Needs to wear a muzzle as she will founder. And of course she bosses the 2 old girls around.

I also have 2 geldings at the local Dressage barn
#1 -16 yr old Appendix. He's my heart horse and now totes a couple of middle-aged up-downers around, three or four times a week. He's a wee bit stiff and has gastic ulcers, but is SUPER with the ladies and loves this job.
#2 - 9 yr old Connemara/QH who is usually sound, but needs chiro every 6 weeks.

[ILuvmyButtercups]

:(
Wonderful hunter a few years ago..... now has a luxated superficial digital flexor tendon, left hind, not correctable, it's a mechanical lameness though, he's not in any pain, and actually has some very good days where he can be lightly ridden. But that's not all - there are issues up front as well, who knows, nothing shows on radiographs, the soreness comes and goes. But he'll be here forever, has the best personality of any horse alive. I truly do Love My Buttercups!

Then there's my hunt/trail/jump/show horse. Right now he's got a bad stone bruise, slight laminitis in the foot. Vet misdiagnosed, which delayed proper treatment, now is in corrective shoes, restricted diet. He's been off since July. Last June he got a large cut above a knee which kept him out of action for a few months. It never ends.

But, they are my good boys, will always get whatever they need, no matter what. I'm sort of kind of looking for another horse, but fear I'll then soon have the same situation, and three on-and-off horses to tend until they cross on over the rainbow bridge! Guess that's just horse ownership! ;)

[Showjumper28]

Can I join? I only have one horse right now, but he is quite talented in self injury. Not to mention we have been dealing with a hoof resection for over a year now. Sigh.

[Tilly]

Can I join? I only have one horse right now, but he is quite talented in self injury. Not to mention we have been dealing with a hoof resection for over a year now. Sigh.

Of course! :winkgrin:

[My Two Cents]

My herd qualifies me. They are either too old, too young, too lame, too sick, or too stupid to ride. Out of 15, I have 3 that can actually go on a trail ride right now. And one of those is a 24 year old mare that I don't want to push too hard on. :lol:

[AnnaCrew]

My herd qualifies me too. Except 3 mo baby who is sound and healthy without any issues, all others are useless rescues off the meat truck. But I'm proud of any of them, I really am. The sad part is - none of them is really old. Youngest one is 18 months old and oldest is 19 yo broodmare.

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

Y'all are making me feel better, in a misery-loves-company kind of way.:sadsmile:

Yeah, I knew I'd wind up providing a retirement home for the old guy I bought as a twenty-something who packed me around the trails for a couple of years as a white-knuckle beginner.

But my ten year old paint horse? Whose calf knee is noticeably concave on days when he's been celebrating the cooler mornings with a hoolie round the field? Nope.:no: Didn't count on that.

But hey, after reading y'all's posts, having two I can't ride doesn't actually sound all that tragic.

I'll join!:)

[cdalt]

I'll join!!! I've got four horses: 17 year old retired WB broodmare (had her from her birth) who is NQR behind (arthritis?) but seems happy enough hanging out in the pasture with her boyfriend, my 17 year old App/TB gelding who lost his eye to ERU/Glaucoma a couple years ago. He is a bit arthritic, marginally ridable but has always been a bit of a klutz (as one riding instructor said when she first met him "not much of an athlete is he?") and tends to stumble. But I love him dearly and about 99 % of the time he is a great trail riding buddy (and used to do a dang good job at training and first level dressage). I also have a 7 year old Mustang that I adopted as a baby in a moment of baby lust and craziness after loosing a foal. While he is ridable, he is not ridable by me since he has a very fast spook/spin which has dumped me twice and my husband insists that I no longer get on him (I'm a senior citizen that has no business on a quick spooky horse!). I should try to find Micco a home/rider but he is IR and I really worry that he will founder if I don't find the "perfect" place for him - so he may be a retired pasture (well actually a dirt lot ) pony with me for years to come. Last, but not least, is my mare's 5 year old offspring, a giant of a WB (stopped measuring after he passed 17 hands) who was born with a neck deformity that prevents him from flexing normally at the poll. He seems happy enough and functions well but will not ever be balanced enough to be a safe riding horse - he also developed a club foot and calf knee from always using an exaggerated grazing stance due to his neck problem. I love my herd but do worry about the young ones since I can't imagine being able to care for them in 20 or 30 years - I'm pretty arthritic myself already!

[FindersKeepers]

I can join this one too!

We have my mare, Bailey, 22, arthritis and heaves. Though this summer her hocks fused and she's sound as could be. I wouldn't really classify her as an invalid now.

We have Rocky, the 20+? pony. We bought him in January. Pulled him out of a backyard, wormy and hungry. We were told he was 15, but dentist says he's definitely over 20. No papers, so we'll never know how old he really is. He has severe heaves, but is happy and a good sport.

And Wally. A 13 yo QH. He was rescued 3 years ago. He lived in a stall for 8 years. He was turned out in the tiny indoor arena for 30 minutes every 2 or 3 days. No other exercise. He's riddled with arthritis and has no coordination, but he's happy with his new life.

They are quite a crew to watch. Bailey runs around like she has only been off the track for a day, Wally tries to keep up, and Rocky just watches it all.

[catknsn]

I qualify for sure...

23 year old AQHA mare - ringbone, arthritis, suspensory issues. Eating mechanism works fine, fat as a hog. :-)

29 year old TB mare, actually probably still rideable but lives 2000 miles away and has a swayback like a cartoon horse at this point. Legs still good though!

2 year old Appendix gelding, had a radial nerve injury last year, reinjured this summer, off and on lame...argh. Wanted to sell. Guess not. Currently resting and waiting to see.

I have 2 rideable horses out of 5 - a 24 year old TB mare that doesn't look like she should be sound but is - most scarred up horse I've ever owned - and my 4 year old.

[Tilly]

I'm surprised and pleased at the number of people who keep horses that would be deemed useless by most! :)

[Good Old Sledge]

I saw someone sporting a coat with "Three Good Legs Farm" embroidered on it last fall at Keeneland. It thought it was beautiful.
Of 18 head now, mostly retired TBs, I have 3 that will never be asked to carry a person again and, at any given time, 3 or 4 of the remainder that will be too "off" to work.
When I was a kid, horses didn't live much past 20 or 25. Now, with advances in worming and stuff, they live to be 40. Trouble is, they can't do a heck of a lot after 20 or 25 so I wind up feeding them (I mean, I owe them a living) for another 15 years!
Perhaps if thought of our place more as a museum than a farm...