Thursday 28 June 2012

Roo's footage and a wake up call?

I was in the throes of a rant, but I will shelve that for now...though I will revisit it shortly...
More importantly, here is the footage for Roo, who has been here just over 6 weeks.

With all the usual warnings that our arena is a REALLY tough surface and she is on a 10m circle, I hope you will agree she isn't looking bad...Bear in mind she should improve over the next 3-4 months as well.


FWIW, this is a horse whose vet was suggesting a neurectomy - de-nerving the front feet - as the last ditch attempt to allow her to move properly. This is a 12 year old horse who has been competing in affiliated dressage competitions.

What do you think?

Is it  - perhaps - time for veterinary practices who are recommending nothing better than box rest, de-nerving, retirement or remedial farriery for horses like Roo to wake up and smell the coffee?

15 comments:

amandap said...

Nic wrote...
"Is it - perhaps - time for veterinary practices who are recommending nothing better than box rest, de-nerving, retirement or remedial farriery for horses like Roo to wake up and smell the coffee?"

In my inexperienced opinion YES.


I am only a 'low key' owner but I wince every time I read of de nerving, cutting tendons etc. and of course the dreaded box rest! I'm sure there are occasions when box rest is required but it seems to me to be a blanket, ill thought through prescription that causes so much stress for horses and owners and what for in the end?

amandap said...

Forgot to say, go Roo, looking good.

cptrayes said...

I think it's time to kidnap them, strap them to a bed, hitch them up to an intrevenous drip and force the damned coffee into their veins!

How many more do we all need to do between us, before they all wake up!

Nic, you are doing the most fantastic job for horses in this country, and probably in the world. You still have the only rehab yard I know of and you have now either completely cured or markedly improved every single on of 50 horses in the Dexter project and, I think, about 10 before Dexter started.

How many more do the vets and farriers want to see?

I am also amazed by how some people on HHO are desperate to believe that it does not work. One, you'll remember, even quoting a success rate of bar shoes of 50% using a study where they started with 82 horses and shot 27 of them as "too bad to be saved" before they even started counting!

Rant over.

Keep up the good work.

C

Clare said...

It's all they know unfortuantely, and being the "Experts" it's hard for them to admit that they are sometimes wrong.

It is probably even harder for them to admit that someone who "technically" isn't vet trained may know more about these things! Hey ho . . .

Val said...

I cannot view the video (does not exist?).

I agree. Keep brewing that coffee, Nic!

Nic Barker said...

Thanks all of you :-) you lot definitely keep me sane! Val I know there is a problem with the clip so will sort that later today!

Jassy Mackenzie said...

I am so over this idea of box rest that my left eyelid starts to twitch whenever I read about it... which means it is twitching permanently because the damn vets seem to prescribe it for EVERYTHING these days...

Nic Barker said...

The video clip is back on :-)

Unknown said...

wow! for a horse that was to be de-nerved and lunging on a hard arena surface she looks pretty damn good :) deffo a wake up call. I hope my vet will rethink things if/when Dali comes sound. I know hes got a few 'hopeless' cases atm and he was skeptical of the Rockley idea and although was happy for Dali to stay alive for the near future, could only give us a terminal diagnosis and ano hes constantly away at seminars etc learning the newest thing and has talked to colleagues around the country trying to find away to help (with my persistent bothering lol) The closest thing to a 'cure' he could offer us was horrific surgery to remove the hoof capsule and manually recorrect the biomechanics of the leg followed by strict box rest til the hoof regrew! as you can imagine its not something wed put him through, nothing was guaranteed and from what Ive learned here the problem more than likely would have been reoccuring cause of shoes etc So why on earth vets havent snatched this up...We'll never know x

Sara said...

I think roo looks great - and after only six weeks! So relaxed and long in her frame

M's mum said...

""...horrific surgery to remove the hoof capsule and manually recorrect the biomechanics of the leg..." WHAT?!?! OMG?!?! Really?

Re. Roo - I think she looks fab, she carries herself beautifully - way to go Nic & Roo!!

Unknown said...

yep apparently a vet in Edinburgh would do it tho its rarely done in the USA and ever rarer in the UK. That was my understanding of the precedure but I never really looked into it after hearing the post surgery part! They deffo open up the hoof to do it afterall you cant get into the navicular area any other way :( It has been done to some horses, remember seeing a draft horses owners promoting a hoof supplement which helped him recover from the surgery in only a few months apparently. sounds horrific and no life for the horse while recovering :( x

Carolyn said...

I am so glad I found this website!

Kate Williams said...

This drives me as insane as eveyone else. It is not only the veterinary world that fail to recognise the alternatives should actually not be an alternative but an option for treatment. Doctors are exactly the same with humans. Despite research proving that the best route from recovery of injury is to remain mobile and undergo rehab, doctors consistently prescrive pain killers and sitting on your backside. Just the recepie for re injury.
I think vets need to more than wake up and smell the coffee. I find it disgusting that the best options available are not routinely offered alongside what is often the worst options possible (box rest, de nerving, remedial farriery).
I could rant all day. Nic you are doing a fantastic job. Keep it up.
Kate (Saffy's owner)

Nic Barker said...

Thanks Kate :-) You're so right that is a human problem too - at least horses mostly want to move, so we aren't struggling against inertia with them :-)