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Discussion on I need your advice!!
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Member:
Twhgait
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 16, 2006 - 10:56 am:
I'll try to make this as brief as possible....promise!
7 years ago, I bought a stud from TN who was found by my former vet left in a stall to die. He was contracted and standing on his toes in both front legs and severely underweight and heavie. The vet took him home (after the guy didn't want to pay for the euthanasia) and did the corrective surgery on his front legs. He rehabbed him and sent him to a padded trainer and that's where I came in. I was looking for another horse and my old vet told me about "Humphrey".
I had him hauled up here to WI and proceeded to put endless amounts of money in him to keep him sound. I believe he was sored while he was with the trainer in TN. His feet looked like the guy just pulled the pads off and put plantation shoes on. He was scroffing like crazy on his front fetlocks. We did Legend injections, special trims and finally what seemed to work best was a shoe called "natural balance". FINALLY he was sound enough to ride and his front legs straightened out wonderfully. He always had some chronic trace edema in his front leg (can't remember which one). Well, we decided to try a horse show and sure enough, he came up lame during work. Turned out it was another abcess. He had blown 2 abcesses previous to this for no obvious reason. Our running feeling was that Humphrey was born under a bad star and would just always be fighting in his life. Employment opportunities intervened and we moved back down to our hometown. I had to sell our farm and board all three of my horses. At the boarding facility, I ran into a friend who knew a girl who was looking for a light trail mount. At this point, Humphrey was able to tolerate riding 1-3x's a week. Her and her parents knew all about Humphrey (I should mention he's a gelding at this point) and in the end they took him (free of charge) and for the last 4 years he's been a part of their family.
Flash forward to earlier this week. The girl apparently has an ad running on a local message board saying he's up for a free lease. She is leaving for college. A friend of mine found the ad and went to see him. He's lost all of his TWH gaits, and mostly just paces around. He has become a nice trail mount though, ridden in traffic and in woods. She says he hasn't been lame at all in 4 years except he still occasionally blows abcesses (I find this hard to believe because I owned this horse for 3 years). I ended up getting involved because I cringe at the thought of him going "free lease" to someone who's going to ride the c#ap out of him and break him down. I don't think this girl is really "screening" anyone and she's just looking for a home for him. Apparently he can also stay at her parent's house and be free-leased out of there.
Now I'm involved. Besides my feelings of responsibility to this horse, I do again own my own place and have the room. I already mentioned to her I don't like the "free lease" part and IF I took him back, it'd have to be permanently. See, I remember all the money I put into him to get him sound.....and I know he'll never ever be "free". I don't intend on rehabbing him (he's got terribly long toes that she let go, he's barefoot and overweight and apparently still having abcesses) and spending money on him only to turn him back over when she's out of college. That's #1. #2 is I still so well remember all the work and all the rehab. I'm kinda worried to take all that on again, but willing to do it. I have an old mare here already that I work on daily to keep comfortable. And these abcesses....why do they still occur? I'm feeling more educated now, and I have this wonderful board to research all his different problems and I know I can get him back into ship-shape. But I'm scared.
Any advice? I'd love to hear from you too DrO. I'm sure there's a reason somewhere for these abcesses and nobodies found the answer yet. I don't want to act on my feelings alone...I want to really think this thru because I do have other responsibilities to the horses I have now and to my family. As much as I loved that horse and as much as I'm responsible for him, he was a drain on my wallet and yes, my emotions. I think if I declined, this girl would allow me to be a part in his new placement. At least I think so!
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Member:
1sally
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 19, 2006 - 10:44 am:
Kim,
Are you talking about abscesses on the sole of the hoof? On the frog? or elsewhere?
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Member:
Ella
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 19, 2006 - 12:21 pm:
Which feet do the abscesses occur in? Both front or just one?
Ella
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Member:
Mcbizz
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 19, 2006 - 2:03 pm:
Hello, Kim...
I know you are looking for answers on the abscess problem and I have no input on that, but it sounds like this horse needs you to stay involved, if that is possible. And I know that is not always realistic.
I was born and raised on a farm in southwestern Wisconsin...I'd love to know where you are located. Wisconsin is very dear to my heart!
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Member:
1sally
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 21, 2006 - 2:06 pm:
Kim,
Haven't heard anything from you, but will put in my 2 cents worth of advice anyway. Sounds like you're not getting the original abscess healed completely. I went through an abscess problem on the sole of a mare many years ago. The vet cored out the abscess very deep so that there was an upside down type of funnel on the bottom of her foot. I injected a penicillin based ointment into the funnel and then packed it with sterile gauze. The bottom of her hoof was then packed with cotton kept in place by duck tape. This was done every day until I could no longer get the penicillin up into the hole. We continued to pack her hoof until the hole grew out. The whole process was done on a clean mat so that no dirt got into the hoof. She healed up fine and continued as a jumper.
A friend had a similar problem. Again, the vet cored out the abscess very deep. My friend soaked the hoof each day in soapy water with betadine added. She then pack the hole with iodine mixed with sugar to the consistency of cookie dough, and packed the hoof with cotton with the final duck tape wrap. Her horse also did well afterwards.
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Member:
Twhgait
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Posted on Friday, Dec 22, 2006 - 10:46 am:
Hi Everybody! I had been checking back to read any responses, but it didn't come up that I had any when I checked "last days posts" everyday! Today, it popped up!
Not a whole lot has happened since I posted originally. I've not been successfull with getting much information on how Humphrey has been doing for the last 4 years, I'm still waiting for the name of the vet that's been treating him for that time period. I know when I owned him, the absesses seemed to be related to stress..sounds strange...the first time he did it was after he moved to my house from TN, the next time was after he was gelded and scoped for the heaves diagnosis, the last time was when we moved them to that boarding barn when we moved back home. The abcesses for me would always pop out on or near the heel bulb..ALWAYS, so can I assume it was the same track? It was both front feet-usually one and then a few days later the other. It was always a good amount of time that went by in between them (several months to a year), but it was common for him to go "off" on his fronts monthly. I would love to find out from her how often he's been doing it again...that would answer a lot of the questions that you pose on the abcess not being completely treated. That's what I was wondering too...does he have something in there that just keeps festering?
I am continuing to keep in contact and we are discussing the possibility of bring him back here (although I'll be honest and tell you my husband is not thrilled about it-he feels I have enough going on with Maude (grandma) and to have 4 horses and only one that is reliably ridable is pushing it). I have also not heard one way or the other on if she is willing to relinquish him back to me....that's a MUST for me to take this on. And knowing Hump the way I do, it could take almost a year just to get him sound again. I can't put all that time and energy into him just to give him back. She has not done well with keeping him up.
Carolyn, I'm in Dousman, Wisconsin..and I've also lived in Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin...Where were you from?
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Member:
Mcbizz
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Posted on Friday, Dec 22, 2006 - 1:11 pm:
Kim, I hope things work out for you and Humphrey. (love that name!) I think sometimes it's more stressful when we know what is going on with a horse we no longer own...ignorance is bliss???
I was born and raised on a dairy farm between LaFarge and Viola, Wisconsin. Gorgeous area.
I know exactly where Dousman is...I have a nephew in Eagle and a sister in Waukesha. And I've been in Wisconsin Rapids. Small world, huh?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 23, 2006 - 8:18 am:
Hello Kim,
We have an article that explains how solar abscesses develop. You will find it at, Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Hoof Abscesses, Bruises, and Gravels.
DrO
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Member:
Twhgait
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 23, 2006 - 10:03 am:
I don't know how I missed reading that article DrO, it answered everything (as usual, thank you again!) It makes much more sense to me and I'll know what questions to ask if I ever get a hold of his current vet.
Carolyn, you hit the nail on the head! I never really didn't wonder about Humphrey and how he was doing, but not knowing had it's benefits too. If you stripped away all his lameness issues, you couldn't have asked for a better stud/gelding. I still have pictures of him up on my wall. I just wish I knew what to do.  I guess my answer will come if she wants to give him up completely or not and if she's like me, that's a tough decision to make. I know Viola well! That IS beautiful country. Where I am is confusing...my mailing address is Dousman, but my property taxes go to Sullivan, and my kids to to Eagle/Palmyra school district! It was no fun trying to figure all that out when we bought the place!
I'll follow up here again after the holidays if I get anywhere!
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Member:
Lhenning
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 27, 2006 - 1:25 pm:
Kim,
I also know exactly where you are located. I used to live in Waukesha (grew up there). Now I am up near Oshkosh in Redgranite. Good luck with Humphrey, it sounds like he needs you.
Linda
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