Tough decision and can only have 1 horse :(

[Txhorsedreamer]

I recently found out that my horse has soreness in his coffin joints and possibly somewhere else in his heels. X-rays looked really good and he was not head bobbing lame but just does not move out as comfortably as he could. I purchased him for dressage and eventing where movement is really important. So now because of this I think maybe I should sell him to someone wanting to do only pleasure riding and trails. I can only really give all the care needed for one horse financially. I would LOVE to be his forever home because his temperament is just fantastic, but I just can't board 2 horses. If I were to continue to try and get him sound as my main riding horse, the next step would be bar shoes, and if that doesn't get him going as well then coffin joint injections. He is on Prevacox which seems to have helped which is great. But after thinking about it for a while now, I don't think I want to go the injections route at all.

The horse in question is my beloved 11 year old QH gelding. Stunning copper chestnut with a big white blaze and 4 whites. He is the most beautiful horse I have owned. I have had him the last 3 years and the thing is, he became lame literally 3 months after I bought him. It was diagnosed as a check ligament tear and did rehab all year long. Cool - it would heal. Quite a ways in I thought he had re-injured but he showed the same kind of off and on, very vague, lameness, and since then we have had some GREAT stretches of time where I had no concerns. When he is going well he is a great horse! However, I have been thinking this last year that the check ligament injury was a misdiagnoses. We did blocking and ultrasound and everything. Vet said there was a spot. Ok. Re-check was almost a year later done by another vet who said it was all clear and didn't see anything at all. But this off and on lameness or soreness continued to pop up, and then resolve for some time.

Just this past year we finally did our first dressage show. No lameness in a long while. I was so excited. He behaved wonderfully and we did okay but he was getting pokey and hard to move out. Noticed some stiffness and thought it might be beginnings of arthritis so I started a supplement. Also had the chiro out. I stretch him regularly and massage him, too. I was doing everything I could to keep my pony in good shape and it seemed like he was improving and then last week he goes gallivanting in the pasture just storming around for 10 minutes straight. I get him caught to ride and just like that he was lame. This time it made him head bobbing lame and his walk was even different so I made the vet appointment and that is when we found out that pony went from head bobbing lame at the trot to perfectly sound with everything below the ankle blocked on both fores. He was sore for 2 days, and then was able to walk, trot, and canter again with no obvious lameness after that. The stiffness was still there though. But otherwise looked fine.

I KNOW that he would love to be a great trail horse and that with Prevacox and maybe some shoeing that he would be able to fair perfectly fine as a pleasure horse. He just can't seem to hold up to my frequency of riding (especially since he is my one and only) and even if the shoes helped him a lot, I'm thinking that jumping is out of the question, even though I just want to do low stuff for now.

I have had 3 horses and been around hundreds and he is my favorite personality and temperament wise. He is the perfect patient as my vet says. Incredible ground manners, forgiving, and such a gentleman! He'll lick your clothes and your hands and rub on your hand with his entire head up and down to help you get just the right spot. Doesn't move at all for shots, worming, and will practically hand you all 4 feet. I can recognize his welcoming whinny anywhere!

*I* want to event and jump. I haven't been able to do this yet mostly because of this among other things. But I am not in horses to pay board every month for pleasure riding, especially since there is no land to really ride on where I board.

It just tears me apart when I think about selling him because he is just an awesome horse and I had always thought that I would never sell him. He'd be good for my kids when I have them. I have an opportunity right now to take a ton more lessons (which I really want to improve my riding) and save up for another horse if I sell him. But it's just so hard to say good-bye to the last 3 years and all the things this horse has given me, even though I didn't get my intended eventing dream with him.

Thanks for listening. I am sure I am not alone in having to sell a horse that was otherwise perfect and wonderful. But I really really don't want to do him wrong by trying to get him sound in order to practice 4-5 days a week and show this summer like I would like to do, even if my vet is giving me options to try. I also cannot really justify paying for him while I take lessons on other horses and show on other horses. And as long as I have him, I cannot consider getting another horse. *sigh* I think if I could KNOW he would go to a really nice home, it would ease my mind a lot. It's hard to imagine though.

[DancingArabian]

Is it possible to field board a second horse and send this guy to a no frills retirement boarding facility, or to board him and a new horse in a self-care facility?

[Txhorsedreamer]

I already do self-care with him which is much cheaper. My husband is supportive in my horse stuff but my budget for it is quite small. $400-500 per month seems high to him. We are both teachers, and are also trying to mange our money kind of carefully so we can have an emergency fund and savings. If it were just me, I would be ok eating cereal and sandwiches everyday, and have more money for an extra horse! But alas.

Now, it COULD be possible for him to stay with my parents about an hour away. I would pay a little more than what I pay for self-care board, and that would pay for everything. They wouldn't charge me "board." It is a great deal, but even just a horse at home costs plenty throughout the year with annual vet things and farrier.

I was trying not to get too attached to the idea of being able to have 2 horses, because I already have an opportunity to breed my own sport horse foal while showing and riding with my trainer. The cost of this breeding would be about the same as keeping him for a year in my currently situation. Keeping him at my parents would certainly be an affordable option for most. But then how much would I actually get to enjoy him? I know we would probably do some trail rides, which would be awesome! But there are times where I don't get to go out to visit for a long time. I'm going to think about this! Even if I tried it for a few months to see how it goes.

[rhymeswithfizz]

He sounds like a sweet fellow. Why don't you want to try injections? How about Adequan/Legend? Different shoeing strategy? Not sure why you are giving up quite so quickly when you still have so many options to try, unless I missed something? I personally would stop spending money on supplements/chiro/massage; they are not going to help a coffin joint issue. Ask for a digital xray; more things show up on there than a traditional xray. I know of one that exhibited signs like yours; vets were totally perplexed - 4 months later an abcess finally popped.

There are many things you can do before giving up. Lower level eventing is NOT that strenuous; you have a good chance at getting him sound.

If you can show/ride with your trainer, that sounds like a great opportunity, and gives you some time to get your horse's issues sorted out without stretching your budget. But face the reality that right now, he is likely not sell-able as an unsound horse. Pleasure riders and trail folks want their horses sound too. You might be able to give him away, but until you know what you are dealing with, even that might be a challenge, and his chances at a "really nice home" are pretty bleak.

I personally would invest the money into a more solid diagnosis/treatment so at least you know what you are dealing with, see if you can fix it or manage it first.

But for heaven's sake, if you have not evented before, I really don't think breeding/training a baby to be your next sport horse is the right decision here. That sounds like a very expensive mistake. It also strikes me as odd that you seem more interested in spending a year's worth of board on a breeding (and still not have a horse to ride for YEARS) rather than trying to help your current horse.

Lastly: You are an adult. Do not dump an unsound horse on your parents for them to feed and care for. If you can't afford two horses yourself, then you can't afford two horses, and you definitely can't afford two horses AND showing/training costs.

[KandC]

I would do a full lameness workup with a vet who specializes in sport horse medicine (if there is one in your area). Injections are wonderful things, and I have seen them really turn horses around. For lower level eventing, I don't see why injections couldn't keep your horse sound.

Retirement at your parents sounds reasonable, worst case scenario. It will be difficult to find another home for an unsound horse.

As far as the baby goes, that is just asking for trouble. If you are on a tight budget with an unsound adult horse, how are you going to afford momma and child until the foal is weaned? What if something goes wrong with the foal? How will you afford to care for the mother during her pregnancy? What if it's a difficult pregnancy that requires hospitalization? Vet bills alone should be prohibitive in this situation. You also say you want a horse to ride, but that baby won't be ready to be ridden for years as rhymeswithfizz points out. Not to mention professional training and backing that will go into the baby. Young horses sound fun and adorable, and many people think it's a "bonding experience", but it is a lot of work and money (not to mention dangerous at times with amateurs).

See what you can do for your guy; if he is really as wonderful as you say he is, he is worth the investment in vet bills to figure out the underlying cause.

[RhythmNCruise]

If it was me and I really loved the horse, I'd be trying the vet's suggestions to see if I could get him comfortable enough to meet my goals. I evented a horse back in the late 80's early 90's that had been foundered and struggled with unsoundness on and off (this was before advances in understanding IR which I can now look back and see was the issue. Poor horse ate all the wrong stuff including all the lush grass he could stand). Still managed to do really well at novice level and even a few training level events. He loved to run and jump.

Have you even started jumping this guy? Something in your post made me think you hadn't.

I'd love to event again, but I have a 26yo retiree who never liked to jump, an 18yo retiree who never jumped due to injury as a 2yo, and a 7yo perfectly sound lovely mover who has no interest in jumping or galloping. I sold the only horse I had that liked to jump, and his new owners had to put him down a couple years later (colic).

Try injections and see. If they resolve the issue and your gelding is happy to do the work, that seems like the best case scenario. You'll never know if you don't at least try. He deserves that, right?

[fordtraktor]

Don't breed a sport horse foal! So many things can go wrong and it still might not be a suitable horse when it grows up. Go hang out on the Breeding forum and just listen for a year. You will see enough heartache, lost foals and $10,000 vet bills for weeks old babies to put you off that, I hope. Put the money you would have spent in a special bank account and in five years, buy a super nice 3 year old with it. You'll have spent about the same amount of time and you Will know what you are getting.

It will be hard to place this horse....I would do the injections and ride this horse as long as you can, but I wouldn't jump it. Then try to make keeping it at your parents work, and put it down when it isn't comfortable any more with affordable pasture maintenance options. No shame in that.

[S1969]

I KNOW that he would love to be a great trail horse and that with Prevacox and maybe some shoeing that he would be able to fair perfectly fine as a pleasure horse.

It just tears me apart when I think about selling him because he is just an awesome horse and I had always thought that I would never sell him.

I would do a full lameness workup with a vet who specializes in sport horse medicine (if there is one in your area). Injections are wonderful things, and I have seen them really turn horses around. For lower level eventing, I don't see why injections couldn't keep your horse sound.

Retirement at your parents sounds reasonable, worst case scenario. It will be difficult to find another home for an unsound horse.

I agree -- find a vet to do a GOOD lameness workup and see if there is something that can be done. Or, at least have a really solid diagnosis if you look to rehome him.

I do not think anyone will *buy* a horse in this condition. If you are lucky - you may be able find him a semi-working retirement home.

[Kwill]

Consider leasing a second horse -- send this one to your parents.

If you don't buy, you don't have a long term commitment, and you can get someone's horse that already has some experience in what you are looking for.

Edit: don't let your trainer talk you into breeding a "Sport horse foal." Money maker for everyone but you. If your husband is already skeptical about how much money you are spending on the horses, breeding one isn't going to help. No one buys weanlings, or yearlings, or two year olds. You are responsible for all the incidental costs -- vet bills, boarding, training, registration, foal inspection (and hopefully it does well), $$$$$. You will be stuck with all the bills until you have paid out thousands of dollars to have a green four year old under saddle, five years from now. Who maybe will do want you want, or not.

Sounds romantic to breed your own foal, but it isn't.

[JBD]

I bred my super star show mare to a good stallion and got... A mediocre foal who was a colicker, IR and laminitic and even on her best day might get a low ribbon at a show. Add to that her personality is almost non existent.
One of the great breeders (in Arabians) has been quoted on the difficulty of getting a great horse from great parents. I agree
You may be a couple of injections and a shoeing package from showing your own horse.

[Txhorsedreamer]

Thank you so much. You all told me just what I was hoping. Nice and blunt and honest I have jumped my gelding and he has, too. He was at a trainers before I bought him and he did wonderful and was brave over jumps. Even a beginner could learn on him. I practice jumping with him occasionally, but we have really enjoyed dressage and have focused on that in hopes that our jumping will be even better. I have been ready since last Fall to really start jumping, but that is when the more consistent issues began. Honestly, I would be so happy even if he could do the baby greens with me for a while!

I get the point about the foal. Of course it sounds exciting but you all sound very much on the same page. I guess I just got caught up in it all. Thank you for the reality check. The mare belongs to my trainer so I wouldn't be in it alone. Ultimately if something happened it wouldn't be all on me. She assured me of that. But still, y'all are right. I am getting ahead of myself!

Thank you so much.

I am going to invest in lessons on my trainer's horses while I get this boy sorted out. If he is not sound with bar shoes, we'll do injections, and then if he just seems unhappy or the jumping isn't really working then I will pay my parents for his upkeep which will be the cheapest option without "board" fees in order to keep him as a trail horse.

I have always thought leasing sounded like a cool idea - maybe if I keep my eyes open, I will find a horse nearby or one who can be offsite.

I really appreciate your time to respond. It's all overwhelming sometimes thinking about the future and wanting to make the right decision.

[Another Poster]

Is it possible for you to lease out current horse to a pleasure/trail rider? That way you still have control over what happens to him. Maybe lease for the cost of feed/upkeep so you break even?

Selling on again/off again unsound horses is just a recipe for horse to end up in bad home.

[Txhorsedreamer]

Is it possible for you to lease out current horse to a pleasure/trail rider? That way you still have control over what happens to him. Maybe lease for the cost of feed/upkeep so you break even?

Selling on again/off again unsound horses is just a recipe for horse to end up in bad home.

That may be a possible option if he doesn't work out for me. It did cross my mind. I've never leased out a horse before but that sounds like a reasonable alternative to selling outright or keeping him at my parents place - I just wouldn't be able to see him as much there anyway.

[laskiblue]

If you can get him sound enough for pleasure riding, he sounds like he would be a dream for an adult rider who does trails and a little puttering around in the arena to lease.

[Coanteen]

The mare belongs to my trainer so I wouldn't be in it alone. Ultimately if something happened it wouldn't be all on me. She assured me of that.

If your trainer wants to breed her mare, and have you help with it (and maybe even hopes you'd buy the resulting foal, at a future time, if it turns out to be suitable), that's one thing.
The "hey student on a very limited budget, I have a mare, why don't you breed a sport horse foal, you totally won't be in this alone, I assure you"? Traaaaaaaap!

[Countrywood]

You have the option to keep him at very low cost at your parents, so I would do that. That is the only way to ensure a safe future for him because even as a pleasure horse, if he goes unsound who knows what next owner would do with him. teachers make fairly decent income with 2 salaries and good benefits so sounds like your husband is being a bit tight, sorry to say. could you tutor a couple of times a month to make up the small difference in cost in keeping this horse at parents and another in board?

it sounds as if you have gone the extra mile in trying to keep him sound and he is just unable to do what you want athletically. So whether you sell him or keep him at your parents, you do need another horse that can do what you want as board and training and such are a major commitment.

best of luck with him and your plans

[She's Pure Gold]

I agree with others who say do a full lameness workup with a specialist. Are you near an equine hospital? It is costly, especially if your horse is not insured, but you should at least get some definitive answers and a good treatment plan. My horse was somewhat on/off lame 2 summers ago and despite 2 vets (including a lameness specialist) and all the traditional diagnostics and initial treatments we could do at home (blocking, ultrasound, digital xrays, joint injections, tildren injections, new farrier, new shoes etc.) he showed almost no improvement over several months and we could not pinpoint the cause of the lameness. We ended up going to Tufts for an MRI where they found a small tear in his collateral ligament- due to it's location it would have been very difficult to detect without the MRI. He completely healed up after rest and rehab and I'm so glad we brought him there. Not saying your guy has the same injury, but sometimes the exact cause can be elusive without more advanced diagnostics. Good luck on your decision!! He sounds like a great horse who would be hard to part with.

[Countrywood]

Maybe turn him out at parents place for 6 months or more the issue might resolve or improve with no riding and barefoot, meanwhile find a free lease or low cost lease of a horse to ride, maybe even with option to buy .

[cloudy18]

I second Countrywood's idea. If you can't spend the money on a lameness workup, give him the time off and lease if possible. That's a better option than the foal!

[BigBlackDog]

I definitely agree with the leasing him out option. A good friend of mine had a lovely and sweet horse with soundness issues and she ended up selling him to a little white haired lady who wanted a gentle horse and lets him be used in lessons for little ones. We saw him in a show last last year taking a little girl around in a cross rails class. Maybe you could find him someone like that to take him!

But it's really nice to see you putting so much time and effort into taking care of him and trying to find something that will work out for both of you.