# Suspensory injury and stable boredom



## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Are shockwave therapy, IRAP, PRP, or stem cell therapy options? I would be looking into all of those, as this sounds like a severe injury....I'd want to be proactive. Corrective shoeing, too, to take the strain off. Is the farrier involved?

For boredom, can you do hand grazing (stationary)? We made Bones a 12x12 pen in the pasture and moved it daily, so she always had a little bit of grass to play with and could see/visit the other horses.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

bubba13 said:


> Are shockwave therapy, IRAP, PRP, or stem cell therapy options? I would be looking into all of those, as this sounds like a severe injury....I'd want to be proactive. Corrective shoeing, too, to take the strain off. Is the farrier involved?
> 
> For boredom, can you do hand grazing (stationary)? We made Bones a 12x12 pen in the pasture and moved it daily, so she always had a little bit of grass to play with and could see/visit the other horses.


Unfortunately those treatments are not viable for me. I just can't afford it. If it was my yearling, I'd try and get some kind of loan to do it, but Hugo is nearly 11, only had 3 months of full work since he raced, has already got a hock injury that will probably recur anyway. I need to be realistic about how much I can do, and though I spoke to my vet about those options last night, I'd be looking into the thousands of dollars zone for the treatment with no guarantee of full recovery. I've already got a vet bill just over AU$1000 to pay off, I've got 3 horses, car loan, rent, living expenses, car etc. I just can't afford any more.

Unfortunately I am not allowed to bring him out of his stable until he can walk more soundly, at the moment he is barely standing let alone walking. If he moves too much he will tear it further. So for at least a few weeks - months, he is stuck in his box :-(


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

What about shoeing, then? Patten shoe?










And hate to bring this up, but is the vet even confident this is fixable? How did he injure himself?


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Oops sorry, didn't answer the farrier question.
Yep, I spoke to my farrier first thing this morning, he's trying to move some bookings around to fit me in asap. We might try shortening his toe a little to take some pressure off. Shoes at this point of the injury aren't possible, and hammering is going to cause more damage to the ligament in the flexed position. Very frustrating!

The vet said it will heal, but it's going to be a very long process, lots of rest, then lots of rehabilitation to stretch and strengthen the ligament. If he was jumping, or doing another high impact sport he would be retired, but now I'm not even bothered about keeping my hopes of getting him into dressage again, I'm happy to just trail ride him.


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## OTTBlove (Jan 6, 2012)

In the same boat as you. :/ My OTTB has a minor disruption in his deep digital in his hind left. I turn him out in a small isolation pen now with my mini. I keep it wrapped all day and night except take it off for about half an hour every day. I adopted him with the injury (sounds stupid, but i fell in love with his personality the moment i met him lol). I took him off grain and feed him large amounts of high quality hay due to his excessive injury. I couldnt even walk him at first because he was so out of control, I was terrified hed injure his leg further. Hes in his stall on rainy days and at night. So he has a salt lick hanging on the wall and a jolly ball hanging from the rafter. It's such a hard process and it pains me also to confine him to such small quarters. I hope all goes well with you and Hugo and he makes a speedy recovery.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

OTTBlove said:


> In the same boat as you. :/ My OTTB has a minor disruption in his deep digital in his hind left. I turn him out in a small isolation pen now with my mini. I keep it wrapped all day and night except take it off for about half an hour every day. I adopted him with the injury (sounds stupid, but i fell in love with his personality the moment i met him lol). I took him off grain and feed him large amounts of high quality hay due to his excessive injury. I couldnt even walk him at first because he was so out of control, I was terrified hed injure his leg further. Hes in his stall on rainy days and at night. So he has a salt lick hanging on the wall and a jolly ball hanging from the rafter. It's such a hard process and it pains me also to confine him to such small quarters. I hope all goes well with you and Hugo and he makes a speedy recovery.


I brought my guy straight off the track, a little similar to you though didn't know there was an existing hock injury. Vetted sound, didn't get xrays as wasn't paying enough to think about it. He had 32 starts, I should have thought with my head not my heart, but he had the most amazing temperament, stunning paces and stunning conformation. 
A few months in work, and he was a little 'off'. Took him in for xrays of the hind limbs, found that he has degenerative changes in the hock (spur, and some arthritis). 
I've spent 18months rehabbing and treating his hock. Get 1 month of light work into him, and now he's done his suspensory in the paddock. 

He's quiet enough to hand walk, but at this stage I can't risk even moving him those few meters. 


A friend of mine owns an Equissage machine, and also does Bioscan therapy which is meant to be good for promoting healing of tendons and ligaments. Once he is walking a little better I'll be consulting my vet and seeing if this would be a viable treatment option for him.


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Does he need to be drugged to stay calm in his stall?


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

No, he's quite good in his stable. Every time I go to see him he's either laying down, or standing quietly. It has only been two nights though!


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

this is a pic of my boy's injury. I posted this same sort of thread a couple months back. Bubba and Cherie both had some great ideas and info on what to do and what might help. My vet had me ice the leg for 20 mins in the mornings and sweat the leg over night (DMSO, Hydrocortisone, and Nitrofurizone). 
However, my geldings injury wasn't a tear... it was a really bad hematoma that presented visually as a bow. 
I started feeding him Bermuda hay, which I was told can basically be free fed. So that helped a lot. i also kept his stall gate open so that he could look out and see the other horses, and the riders in the arena. 

Wishing you the best and for a speedy recovery for your boy!


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Can't help with the injury, I'm afraid,

BUT my dad's grumpy mare had three months box rest after an op on her hind leg. We invested in an equine massage every two weeks, it honestly helped to relax her, and her muscles. She isn't a big carrot fan either- apples are anoter thing. We bought likits- no interest. So we chopped up carrot and poked them through haynets, or on the ground so she had to find them. At first we used haynets, however, so she wasn't moving around in the box so much and harm herself. 

Also, try small holes in a net. It works for some, didn't for Josie- she just left the hay till we got a bigger holed hay net!

Good luck!x


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Thanks for the ideas  I'm going to head over and buy a likit for him on the weekend, hopefully he'll be interested in it. 
I brought Billy up to spend some time with him tonight while they both got fed, certainly perked Hugo up a lot having the company and Billy is such a character that I'm sure Hugo would've been having a little chuckle at his antics.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

I've heard that sometimes people keep goats as company for stabled horses - maybe a goaty friend could entertain your injured pal.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I'll have to speak to my stable owner, but maybe they would let me keep a goat there for a while. Good idea


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

How about putting a mirror in his stall? I've heard these have had great results in entertainment and boredom. Though - would it work that long? As you said, he's not the toy type. 

But, what about toy's with threats in them. I've seen balls which rolls - causing the treats to come out? Kind of like a kong (the dog toy) for a horse. Or there are the one's which you can tie to the ceiling somehow and they spin, so the horse has to spin it to make the treats fall out? 

There are always things like haynets at meal times - makes the meal process a bit longer and more amusing?


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

If you try a mirror, be careful. Horses can get aggressive towards them and break them. We did this once and we wired it to the outside of the bars of the stall. The entertainment quickly wore off, though. The small hole net is the best idea. I used to hang a milk jog that had a small hole in the side of the bottom. I would put horse cookies in it. The hole was just big enough that when the horse butted the jug enough, a cookie would eventually fall out of the hole. The horse can smell the cookies which encouraged the butting.


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

So sorry to hear about this, & how it's stressing your finances-I can totally relate, as I am doctoring my mare's eye & while the recovery is going wonderfully, my bank account has taken a major hit at a very bad time.Seems like some horses need to be "bubble-wrapped!".


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

I'm going through stall rest with my colt as well and the finances since his injury. No fun at all. Not as long as yours and his injury is a hyper extended shoulder. I'm trying to figure out what he would want to play with. He's never experienced toys before. 
Would bopping a jolly ball around if you hang it from the ceiling be an option for your boy? 
I hope his recover is comfortable and easy for him. Poor guy, that can't feel good!


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

drafts4ever said:


> I'm going through stall rest with my colt as well and the finances since his injury. No fun at all. Not as long as yours and his injury is a hyper extended shoulder. I'm trying to figure out what he would want to play with. He's never experienced toys before.
> Would bopping a jolly ball around if you hang it from the ceiling be an option for your boy?
> I hope his recover is comfortable and easy for him. Poor guy, that can't feel good!


 
Cheaper alternative to a jolly ball- basketball in a haynet


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Some horses just stall rest well. I would just put a small hole haynet infront of him and see if you need anything after that. I would not be pumping treats and all sorts of extra food into him unnecessarily as you will want his weight as light as possible to reduce strain on the injury.
Also, imo, I would have him one bute, 1 gram twice a day. Inflammation post injury postpones healing and can actually make the injury worse. I would say the risk of further injury from the inflammatory response is a higher risk then the horse moving in his stall. Bute does more to reduce inflammation than treat pain, its like taking an Advil...

Good luck!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

He's not a very playful horse, I don't think he'd be terribly enthralled by jolly balls and toys. And I don't really want him eating treats off the ground, it's a sand/sawdust mixture so I really need to be wary of how much sand he ingests. 

I have cut his concentrates right back, he gets a full bucket of wheaten chaff with 500g of Pryde's biomare cubes to keep his interest and put his Joint Guard, MSM and so on in. 
He's a slow eater so the bucket full of chaff seems to be keeping him happy. 

As for hay, I'm just keeping him full of good meadow hay. Being an out of work TB, he doesn't hold weight brilliantly as it is, he is a touch ribby but I don't want him getting any bigger at this point, for reasons that Anebel pointed out. 

As for buting him, I guess I can try him on 1g and see how he goes. He's pretty level headed and tends to just stand at his gate and look around, doesn't get too fussed as to whether or not he can see the other horses. So it's worth a go. 
I've been cold hosing and bandaging with pads soaked in epsom salts and iced water, the swelling has come down a little with that. It's not hugely swollen, just puffy around the site of the tear so that does make my job a little easier, not having to deal with an enormous infamatory response!


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## Amir (Nov 18, 2009)

I have no advice to offer, but am sending Hugo healing vibes. I hope it's a quick recovery that's also kind to your pocket.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Thanks Amir, I hope so too. 

We had a check up with the vet last night on his way home. Hugo is now walking significantly better on his leg, it seems he's improving faster than what we thought initially. Vet thinks that all of the icing, cold hosing, poulticing and massage has helped immensely and he should continue to improve. He is still quite obviously lame in walk, but a definite improvement. 
Vet has given me permission to walk him out to a patch of grass near the stables few a few minutes a couple of times a week if I can keep him quiet and slow, and bandage quite firmly while he's out of the stable. He's also allowed 30mins out in the small sand yard that connects to his stable, each day for a roll and a snooze in the sun. He certainly made the most of his snooze opportunity today, and slept for most of the 30mins under the beautiful warm sun


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## qtrhrsecrazy (Aug 2, 2009)

Try him on Animed's Aniflex... good sup and has really helped mine. Farrier should roll toe to get him off leg quicker.. good luck for a speedy recovery!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Oh Hugo - didn't you listen to the vet.
I guess I did buy him as a potential dressage horse - he has taken to performing, really very well, canter pirouettes in his stable when its time to be fed. To keep the weight off his front leg, he is sitting so far behind that he is turning like a baroque breed. Well, at least he's keeping his quarters strong!


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## Amir (Nov 18, 2009)

Oh silly boy! Must be feeling happier then
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

haha keep a rolled toe on him and make sure there is nowhere for him to learn to windsuck or start cribbing

hope he gets better


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I have made the decision to put my beautiful boy down this week.
He was steadily improving and happy in himself, eating well etc.
Went to feed him tonight, he'd been in a poultice all day but not bandaged. Came out back on 3 legs with a bowed tendon, same leg as the suspensory injury. Radiating heat, and on flexion and palpitation of the leg, very very reactive. 

I've been trying to get him sound for nearly 2 years now, to have yet another chronic injury on top of two already, there is only so much I can do for him and unfortunately I don't think he will ever have enough quality of life to make it worth fighting.
He's not in pain, I have him bandaged, heavily buted etc. My coach has offered to organise everything for me for next week, so I have another few days with my big guy to say my last goodbyes.


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## attackships (Jan 12, 2012)

aww, im so sorry 
he's a beautiful horse and seems very sweet. you've taken excellent care of him!


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Oh Kayty I am so sorry, that is the toughest decision any horse owner has to make. Good job on thinking of the horse before yourself, his years with you have been wonderful, and its unfortunate that his time has come so soon. If you need someone to talk to I'm always on PMs 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

OMG, I am so sorry. Sometimes events just cartwheel out of control. What a tough decision.....but probably for the best. HUGS to you. Gone, but never forgotten.


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## Jake and Dai (Aug 15, 2008)

Kayty my deepest condolences to you. Hugo is one of my favorites on this forum...I'm a sucker for gray tbs. I am so sorry you had to make this difficult heartwrenching decision. Bless you both and enjoy the time you have left.


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Kayty said:


> I have made the decision to put my beautiful boy down this week.
> He was steadily improving and happy in himself, eating well etc.
> Went to feed him tonight, he'd been in a poultice all day but not bandaged. Came out back on 3 legs with a bowed tendon, same leg as the suspensory injury. Radiating heat, and on flexion and palpitation of the leg, very very reactive.
> 
> ...


Very, very sorry to hear this, but based on what you have posted, probably the best choice--even if you did have the money to spare for the expensive treatment options, I would think the odds would still be against a full recovery. In the end, there's only so much you can do, and it's quality over quantity, anyway....


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

stan my 14hh connemara put a hole the size of a 2 pence coin in his suspensory (quite high up) and a smaller hole in his check ligament at the same time due to a slip at a show.

Vet thought that due to his age (18 when he did it) he would never be rideable again and we would be lucky if he was field sound.

He was insured, we tried stem celll therapy but the cells wouldnt divide (not unexpected in a horse of his age). We tried hundred of other things. 

However nothing realy worked, so we box rested him for 6 months, iceing his leg 6 times a day, then he was turned away for 12 months in a field with 2 aincient old ponies. He came sound and I very very slowly brought him back into work (took 6 months to get to the cantering stage, spent nearly 3 months just in walk starting at 5mins and building up to 2hrs on the roads before we even thought about trot). I also put him on the Global herbs tendoneze suppliment, expensive but it worked.

Time and rest

when the tendon is healed enough I strongly reccomend lots and lots of road work to build up the strength in his tendons.

this is my lad aged 20 doing what he loved, even judges who were looking closely for lumps and bumps couldnt tell that there was any thickening of the tendon (there was but you had to know where it was to find it). Unfortunatly he died 3 days later of a ruptured diaprahgm.









stan on box rest with an ice pack on his leg:









Being a saint about staying in a stable









Stan liked suedes, giving him one of them would keep him occupied for days. We used to drill a hole in them and hang them on bailer twine with appled and carrots then hang it from the cieling. Never heard a peep from him when he had one of those.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I'm so, so sorry Kayty. Sending big hugs your way.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

kayty - i'm so sorry, I hadn't read the rest of this thread (only the 1st page) before commenting. I'm so sorry about your boy. I did hope that he would be one of the lucky ones

Unfortunatly I can't edit my above post anylonger1


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

I am so sorry to hear this Kayty, thoughts are with you.

Sounds like you have honestly made the right decision for him though xxx


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

Such a shame. You get to bond with them over time (even the bad ones) and when you know it is the right thing to do for everone's sake, that thought still niggles in the back of your head..maybe..just maybe.


But you are making the right decision...your next horse will not replace him but will instead enhance the memories you have.


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## thesilverspear (Aug 20, 2009)

So sorry, Kayty. He was a beautiful horse. Very sad but sounds as if it was the best decision.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Thank you everyone so much for the kind words and support. Every little bit of support for my decision counts - just as Spyder said, even though I know its the right decision to make, I do have that thought at the back of my mind saying 'but maybe he'll be ok, maybe try this, just give him more time'. I just need to concentrate on the knowledge that even though, maybe in 12 months time he could be happy enough, he is just so accident prone that I don't think it's worth it, plus all of the time spent cooped up in a stable on his own. Its just not fair on him. 

His hock is guaranteed to never be a problem again, and there is a high chance that the other hock will go through the same fusion process. That's another 18 months of rehabbing. Then for the ligament to be damaged, with the scar tissue even if he comes sound, there is a high chance of re-injury, and now with a bowed tendon on top of all of that. It just wouldn't be fair to do it to him. He had 32 starts on the track, I'd say his legs are all just worn out. I am glad though, to have been able to make his last 2 years as enjoyable as possible, living out in a big paddock, with other horses and as much love as he could cope with. 



@Faye - no problems  As I said, if it was just the ligament, I'd keep working on it. But because he's not done the tendon as well, there's not a great chance of him returning to soundness, and all of the paddocks in my area are quite hilly, so he may not end up being able to cope with the slope either. I called the vet in hysterics last night when I got Hugo out of the stable, to ask if they could do ANYTHING for him, but my vet said that he already knows that I know what I need to do. I can't keep doing this anymore, it will be best on both of us in the end.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Aw Kayty, I'm sorry to hear this. I really feel for you. Hugo really is the poster child for bubble wrap. He did race a lot. 32 starts is a ton of stress on the legs. If nothing else, you gave this horse several great years of happy life that he might not have had otherwise after he retired from racing. All OTTBs should have owners like you.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Beautiful Hugo, the day that I bought him


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## Ruru (Jan 22, 2012)

Right now I have a sort of similar problem. I'm in the northeast and the weather is now snowy and icy. Tis is my first year with my gelding. Up until the first snow the horses at this farm were left out overnight and outside all day. Today he spent almost all day in his stall and was so bored he ripped the blanket bar off the outside wall of his stall. There is no run in shed and not even an indoor ring so what on earth do I do to keep this guy healthy and exercised all winter?! Thanks.


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

So sorry you have to make this tough decision. AS the vet said-you know what is right, but it's so hard. Hugs to you, & peace of mind also. I hope sharing your pain & your lovely horse w/us has helped. Be kind to yourself.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Oh, Kayty, I am so sorry. 

I am sure you're making the correct decision, but how sad and what a loss.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I'm very sorry, Kayty. That's one of those very tough decisions for the owner. 

Hugs go to you and the boy....


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I'm so very sorry, Kayty. 

He's a gorgeous boy and you've done wonderful things for him over the last two years. He knows he's loved.


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## princess warrior (Dec 28, 2009)

Kayty, My daughters and I are so saddened to hear about Hugo, and what you are going through, our prayers are with you, we know this will not be an easy time for you, you will get through it, and you will never forget your horse, never. You have done everyting possible for Hugo, and if given a choice you would probably do it all over again.
I have been where you are, spent 25,000 in the last 2 yrs of Warriors life, but we tied to fix him for 7. I waited about a yr too long to end his suffering, I thought I was doing the right thing, trying this and that, and hoping he would be ok, hoping something new would come along to help him. He has been gone for 3 yrs now, He was a horse you wait your whole life for. 
I am proud of you for making such a difficult decision for your boy, in my opinion only a day too soon is far better than a day too late.
My heart really hurts for you, and today I have tears for Hugo and Warrior. May they RIP together.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Princess Warrior, you've got me bawling again! 
Warrior sounds very much like my Hugo, one of those once in a lifetime horses. I would never have believed that a horse would pick its owner until I met Hugo, but within a few minutes of being with him, I knew I had to take him home with me. 

I've been trying for 18 months to fix his hock, like you, spending 10's of thousands in my attempts. But now that he has also damaged the suspensory AND tendon, I can't keep doing it. It's not fair on him, and there is no guarantee that he will even be paddock sound at the end of it. Even on the slim chance that he will return to work, I don't think the journy and treatment will be worth the risks involved. He is still happy and not in too much pain, so as much as it is tearing me up inside, I think now is the best time. 
I can't put him through any more just for my own selfish human emotions.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Kayty said:


> Princess Warrior, you've got me bawling again!
> Warrior sounds very much like my Hugo, one of those once in a lifetime horses. I would never have believed that a horse would pick its owner until I met Hugo, but within a few minutes of being with him, I knew I had to take him home with me.
> 
> I've been trying for 18 months to fix his hock, like you, spending 10's of thousands in my attempts. But now that he has also damaged the suspensory AND tendon, I can't keep doing it. It's not fair on him, and there is no guarantee that he will even be paddock sound at the end of it. Even on the slim chance that he will return to work, I don't think the journy and treatment will be worth the risks involved. He is still happy and not in too much pain, so as much as it is tearing me up inside, I think now is the best time.
> I can't put him through any more just for my own selfish human emotions.


 If I ever come to this fork in the road I can only hope I will have 1/2 the strength that you have. I know this isn't easy. Please, never think you didn't do all you could for your handsome boy.


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## trixie1128 (Nov 21, 2011)

Just wanted to add some extra internet hugs. I'm so sorry for your loss. Me and mine will keep you and Hugo in our prayers.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

All is booked in for this afternoon. I can't be there myself, I don't want my good memories of him tainted by seeing him in those last few minutes, so I have asked my dad to drive over and be with him. My dad was always close to Hugo, and he is very similar to me in that he gets quite emotionally attatched. I know that Hugo will be in the best care when he goes. 
It has been awful trying to find someone that will put him down on the property and take him away. We are not permitted to bury on our property as it has a waterway running through it. 
I have finally managed to find someone that picks them up and has a permit to bury on his property, and he is a lovely man. My vet of more than 10 years, will put him to sleep for me. I have asked for him to be sedated first, and have the sling from the truck attached before he goes completely so he won't need to be dragged onto the truck. 
Other horses I have been on the mindset that once they're gone, they're gone and it doesn't matter what happens to them. But I need it to be as quiet as possible for Hugo, its the least I can do for him.


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Morbid at this time, but before it's too late, do you want to ask anyone to cut a lock of mane or tail for you? Or to save one of his shoes? You may want it someday and be grateful that you asked...


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I already have Bubba, I cut a piece of his mane and tail last night.
There is a local silversmith that makes beautiful horsehair jewellery - I am going to get the heart necklace pendant made in stirling silver
Damian Maloney’s Equinelox - Custom jewellery made from your horse’s hair


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

It's always nice to have things like that. I have "equinite" jewelry, a horsehair necklace, and a windchime made from a last set of shoes.

Don't know when the deed will be done, but my heart is with you...


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Oh, Kayty.

Some of mine I was there for, some I just couldn't bear to. 

Glad you have a good plan in place to ease his passing. Be good to yourself for the next couple of days, too. Take a break from the world and let yourself go for a little while. 

So sorry.


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