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  Discussion on Buying a horse with COPD??
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 14, 2001 - 3:32 pm:

I have been searching for an appropriate horse for my husband (age 56, novice rider) since February and have spent, literally, thousands of dollars on pre-purchase exams (which 3 horses have failed!) x-rays, horse hauling, etc. I have finally found "the perfect horse" -- almost.... In the pre-purchase exam, the vet diagnosed the horse with COPD. The horse is a 10 year old paint (mostly quarter horse) who has been used primarily as a trail horse. The people who own him have had him since he was 3 and have ridden him extensively on organized trails (he has logged over 300 "official" miles) - and they never noticed that he had any kind of problem (which is not to say he didn't have it only that they noticed nothing, and I really believe they are telling me the truth)

I have read EVERYTHING I can get my hands on regarding COPD including the main article here but am still undecided as to whether or not to buy this horse. He is sooo wonderful, I am loathe to send him home.

We have had this horse on trial for several weeks and I have about 7 more days to make a decision as to whether or not we keep him. The horse had the whole winter off and was not ridden more than a dozen times before he came here so he was quite unfit.

He does not cough, he sometimes has some nasal discharge, and he often breathes heavily -- particularly on hot days. After there has been rain or when it is cool he does much better. When he is breathing hard, his respiration rate does not seem unusually fast, it is just that it is "heavy". This does not seem to slow him down and he doesn't seem to "feel bad". He has nice forward gaits and takes very little push to move along. He does have a visible "heave line" and the vet heard the "crackle" in his lungs so obviously this is not a brand new problem.

We live on the coast in southern Mass. The horses are out on a couple of acres of fairly lush pasture all day (at least 12 hours) and at night in stalls bedded with shavings with dutch doors on both sides and the tops left open to the outdoors.(The mosquitos are really bad and I am loathe to leave them totally out all night, and they always really want to come in at night -- but every vet who has seen my little barn arrangement, two stalls with a run in shed, the dutch doors on both sides of each stall -- and screened windows on the other sides and a high ceiling and no hay or anything stored in barn -- have said it was ideal for minimizing dust/mold problems) I have been feeding hay which was soaked all day but after reading the articles here I realize I should not be doing even this and have eliminated the hay as of today.

This has been a particularly bad allergy season in our area. My vet has said she has seen more horses with allergy problems than ever before and all the people I know seem to be wheezy & sneezy too. My 6 year old Danish warmblood mare has been sneezing & snorting for over a month.

My vet suggested giving both horses Tri-hist which they have been getting AM & PM for almost 3 weeks. It seems to help some...

So my question is this -- would it be crazy to buy this horse? He is sooo wonderful. My husband is a novice rider who will primarily trail ride the horse, mostly walking & trotting, a little cantering, 1-2 hour trails. In the winter months he'll probably do some arena work. I could keep him out 24/7 through the spring/summer/fall. In the winter they go to a barn op the road with an indoor arena. The horses are only out for about 8 hours a day there and keeping them out at night would not be an option - but the barn is also nice and airy with stall windows to the outdoors.

Posted on Thursday, Jun 14, 2001 - 7:16 pm:

Michele,

This is a tough decision to make. I bought a 10 year old Appy mare with heaves who had already been on predisone for 2 years. I was able to do light riding with her until she was about 15 years old and then I retired her. I spent thousands on special testing at our State vet school, steriods such as Azium, Ventopolum,etc, special natural remedies, AreoMask, inhalants...you name it, she and I tried it...always looking for the miracle. She had 24 hour turnout in Michigan. Sadly I lost her May 17th at the age of 22 to complications from long term steriod use.

I lost my best friend..she was my heart and soul. I would gladly spend thousands on her again. She was the sweetest mare ever and understood my every mood. Some could not understand why I kept her and I feel sorry for them. I would spend a billion dollars to have her back as I feel so empty without her.

Bottom line, if you feel this is the RIGHT horse and you are willing to commit to him, then follow your heart. Yes, it is hard to see them when they are having a severe episode but I always believed that if her quality of life was still there she and I would continue to find any possible way for her to feel better.

I wish you the best with your decision. Debbie

Posted on Friday, Jun 15, 2001 - 1:09 am:

Debbie, you sound like my soul mate. I'm glad there are other people in the world who are as crazy as I am :)

Michele, I agree with Debbie. Follow your heart. This sounds like a wonderful horse. Maybe you ARE asking for heartbreak, but there are no guarantees with any living thing after all. This horse sounds like he deserves someone like you to take care of him and love him for what he is. Good luck.

Posted on Friday, Jun 15, 2001 - 11:57 am:

I have a friend with a mare with COPD and with good management the mare does wonderful. She uses Ventipulmin, when necessary, has her turned out all day, keeps her barn dust free and feed also, wets down shavings when she is inside. It sound to me this horse is worth the extra care he may need, and has been very lucky to have been found by someone who cares. My friends horse also does trail rides with her husband, who is also a novice, and takes great care of him. She is worth her weight in gold. I have ridden her also, and have noticed since she was first diagnosed with copd there has been incredible improvement, solely due to good management. I hope it all works out for you . I agree to follow your heart. I have never been wrong in doing that. I would like to bet, you don't give him back!!

Posted on Sunday, Jun 17, 2001 - 10:46 am:

Thanks for all the input! I have, meanwhile, contacted a "pulmonary specialist" at Tufts who just happens to be starting a relevant clinical trial next week. She said I could bring the horse up to have a pulmonary function test done, as part of her research. She said this would give us a handle on how much damage exists and just how well he is likely to respond to treatment.

He is, as I've said, a wonderful horse and I don't mind putting in the maintenance time and money if the likelihood is that he will respond well. The owners have agreed to an extension of his trial period here to accommodate doing the exam -- which won't happen till the week after this.

So, my fervent hope is that we find that we have a manageable problem on our hands and he gets to live out his life on our farm!

Posted on Sunday, Jun 17, 2001 - 11:36 pm:

Sounds great! I'm keeping ALL my fingers crossed that this works out!

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 19, 2001 - 8:40 am:

Michele, the best to you and your husband's horse. I think you are doing the right thing in finding out his actual status with a professional. If you decide to keep him, I wish you many wonderful years with him and he is very lucky to have found you. I too, will keep all my fingers crossed for good news. Debbie

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2001 - 3:12 pm:

Just to let you know -- the tests came out very positive -- he has very little permanent damage to the lungs and should (and is) responding well to treatment.

So we have decided to keep him. Even though the intense one month therapy is quite a capital and time intensive investment, he really is worth it. I ride him down to the beach bareback at sunset and he is just a jewel, he actually moves toward you to help you get on when you are flinging yourself on to him bareback off some rock or fence -- anyway, sunsets with Austin on the beach are a spiritual experience!

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2001 - 5:07 pm:

Hi Michele, I have been reading the posts re your new horse with COPD with interest, I have a 14 year old mare with the problem. You mentioned an intense one month therapy for your horse, what exactly are they going to do with him? If I thought there was a one month intense treatment available for my mare I would go for it. So glad you decided to keep the perfect horse! val

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2001 - 8:40 pm:

Hi Michele, I have been wondering what had happened since you took him to Tufts and had the pulmonary function test. Needless to say, I was hoping everything would turn out good for both of you, and could not be happier it did. It is always so great to hear the stories that turn out so wonderful for everyone, especially the horse. Horses always need someone to go the extra mile for them, they cannot do it alone. Many years of happy rides and beautiful sunsets to you both. Lynne

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2001 - 9:25 pm:

Michele,

Wonderful news and I am so happy for you, your husband and Austin. It is a match made in heaven. Many, many years of partnership and riding to you both. Debbie

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 11, 2001 - 11:29 pm:

Sounds super, Michele! Congratulations!

Suzy and DJ

Posted on Thursday, Jul 12, 2001 - 8:30 am:

I too am interested in what was involved with the one month of intensive treatment. Remembering this being an allergy, there is no cure and as far as I know there are no better treatments and management than those outlined in the article on COPD.
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Jul 12, 2001 - 4:18 pm:

Yes, the vet at Tufts stressed that this was a permanent condition which only gets worse BUT that with proper treatment can be minimized particularly in a horse that does not have extensive lung damage in the first place.

So -- he is on one month of prednisolone (sp?) 450 mg two times a day the 1st wk, 350 the 2nd wk, 250 the 3rd & 4th wk. Also he is on inhalers -- he has one of those $300+ aeromasks and gets 12 puffs of Tilade, 12 puffs of Flovent, 5 puffs albuterol two times a day the first week, then less each week thereafter until I think, he only gets the Flovent (or albuterol) as needed. (I am at my office and don't have the instructions with me...) Anyway, he is doing great -- even on the hot muggy days he has been symptom free. (We are on week two of the treatment.)

The vet did stress that there can be relapses etc.
However, I don't think he (Austin) ever showed really acute symptoms until he moved here to his breezy barn and big pasture with the great ocean view. Our farm is beautiful BUT for allergy sufferers, equine, human or canine, it can be a real challenge.... so much moisture in the air! Pollens, molds etc. all thrive. My mare goes into sneezing snorting fits in the spring time here, too. (As does my husband) But spring is really the worst time so I think that is consistent with what Austin's experience here. We will probably have to use the inhalers every spring.

Also, this has probably been the wettest spring / early summer we have had in a decade... reallllly bad for allergies (not to mention the bugs)

On the management side -- the horses are out on pasture all day - 8am-8pm, in their stalls at night, no longer getting any hay (though i think this is not the biggest culprit in our case) -- anyway, the vet at Tufts determined that Austin needed to lose weight (he scored 7/10 - the ideal being 5/10 and she said with COPD he was better off on the thinner side). I'm embarrassed to say, I think he has put on weight since he has been on his diet (they don't get any grain either.... and they do get ridden at least 5x wk..). I've even brought them up in the middle of the day to get them away from the bugs AND the grass for several hours, but then they just eat more when they go out again.

Anyway, that's the treatment program -- and so far so good!

Thanks everybody!

Posted on Thursday, Jul 12, 2001 - 5:42 pm:

Gosh, Michelle, Austin's medication regime sounds just like my daughter's for her asthma (on a much smaller scale, of course!)! She's doing great - hope he does too.

Posted on Friday, Jul 13, 2001 - 4:52 am:

Thanks Michelle. Be cautious you are already falling into two common reasons I see horses relapse:
1) belief the hay is not the cause (so a little won't hurt)
2) exposure to barn air
See the article associated with this forum for more.
DrO
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