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Salute and Smile
The hunt for my Dressage Unicorn goes on. I am trying to keep reality in check and at the same time not accept a horse thats too risky, and this has been a balancing act in which my friends have been a hugely key component.
I had been pretty close this week to vetting another horse, or getting another horses PPE done (as they would say over here). The horse in question sounded very promising, in the videos he looked sweet if a teensy bit behind the leg (but I'm good with that for a safe type dressage horse). The seller was superbly honest about some lameness that had been pretty much eradicated after the horses sacroiliac (SI) had been injected. Now here's where my concerns were, and please do bear with me through the boring, detailed bits. Now, during the assessments the hind suspensories were showing problems. They were sore through palpitation and when nerve blocked, the horse improved in it's lameness by 80% or so. To me this absolutely shouted suspensory pain.
Oh- now please do accept my apologies for the disruption to this 'happy' little story but 'Side Note': I had to retire my first (perfect, wonderful and angelic horse) 'Carats' because of hind suspensory disease so I understand it pretty well, I have done tons of research into it and worked my arse (and my husbands wallet) off on fixing, caring for and rehabbing him. *Side, side note: he is now happily retired, hacking and chilling with his first ever Mum.
Now, back to the possible dressage Unicorn... This horse had it's SI injected during the vet assessment and improved hugely but was this just treating the symptom and not the cause? Horses that have suspensory pain usually show problems in this area before obvious lameness, there is usually a reluctance to go forward well before any limping begins.
The Veterinarian who completed the assessment, noted on the discharge forms, that if he didn't improve considerably (which he has) that he should go back in for more assessments. BUT, he also 'Strongly Suggested' that further diagnostics were done into hind suspensories and back/ neck. Now, as I said to the seller, I totally understand that if it's your horse, and said pony seems so much better that you wouldn't do anything more at this point. However, as a buyer, and one whom has already spent money on failed vettings and kissed goodbye to a competition horse because of PSD (Proximal suspensory desmopathy) that it was a major concern.
So here's my disclaimer: In all these horse hunting type situations my heart wants to run away with my head. I start to get excited about our life together. About what groundwork we can do to help the ridden work, what ridden work we can do together and what we can learn. I can see myself riding down the centreline in my Pikeur and our (perfect of course) halt and salute. I can see all those little images in my head of sweet moments spent in the stall and hacking in the Colorado countryside with the sun on our backs. My dreams can run away with me, and trying to keep them in check and helping with my 'keep it real' head is a few very trusted friends and my lovely husband.
So, after a little thought, my offer to the owner was such: During the PPE, if said horse failed the soundnesss exam that they would pay up until this point. On top of this we would need Ultrasound scans done on hind suspensories. If there's PSD present, then they would cover this cost. Of course, if the horse was sound and didn't have suspensory disease I was more than happy to cover the costs of all of it, and with absolute happiness. My reasoning was that most buyers would want to discount PSD with this horse in any case. I also would assume that no owner would want to sell a horse with suspensory problems and if said horse did have suspensory issues, they would end up having to have the Ultrasound scan one day or another anyway.
However, not that surprisingly (and totally within reason) the owner said they would not pay for the Ultrasounds. (Although she did say she would pay for the basic assessment if he failed the PPE on lameness). Now in all fairness I had already been told that the owner is short of money so budget for those scans would possibly be an issue, but in my view if I was selling a horse and was sure enough to sell that horse as sound (and for a decent wad of money) I would be sure enough about the soundness that I would gladly agree pay for scans (as I would at least want to know if my pony did have pain).
Of course the upshot was that I will lose out on that sweet horse. Maybe he is chronically affected by pain or maybe he is actually clean as a whistle, but it's not for me to find out sadly.
That means of course, that the search is not over yet! I continue to hunt and reach out to contacts here there and everywhere. I am probably driving my friends crazy. My British buddy Jules (who helps assess all the vids for lameness or ridden issues before I bother others with them) and my gorgeous trainer and one of my closest friends Sara (who also goes through each and every video with eagle eyes).
The other part of the horse hunt puzzle that makes finding my pone all the more difficult, is the gut feeling. I have watched some beautiful videos this week of horses going very sweetly and correctly but very few of them make me really want the horse. I have watched stunning chestnuts, gorgeous bay mares and some fancy Andalusians but very few push that button. Now, how the hell do I relay that to sellers. I know what I want on paper, but in practice it needs to make me feel that buzz. We are RIGHT back to the internet dating again! On paper it all looks good, but does it make your belly buzz? Are the butterflies there? Sometimes the right partner ticks all the wrong boxes but is still the one for you. So, guess that means I am more bloody confused than ever!
I had been pretty close this week to vetting another horse, or getting another horses PPE done (as they would say over here). The horse in question sounded very promising, in the videos he looked sweet if a teensy bit behind the leg (but I'm good with that for a safe type dressage horse). The seller was superbly honest about some lameness that had been pretty much eradicated after the horses sacroiliac (SI) had been injected. Now here's where my concerns were, and please do bear with me through the boring, detailed bits. Now, during the assessments the hind suspensories were showing problems. They were sore through palpitation and when nerve blocked, the horse improved in it's lameness by 80% or so. To me this absolutely shouted suspensory pain.
Oh- now please do accept my apologies for the disruption to this 'happy' little story but 'Side Note': I had to retire my first (perfect, wonderful and angelic horse) 'Carats' because of hind suspensory disease so I understand it pretty well, I have done tons of research into it and worked my arse (and my husbands wallet) off on fixing, caring for and rehabbing him. *Side, side note: he is now happily retired, hacking and chilling with his first ever Mum.
Now, back to the possible dressage Unicorn... This horse had it's SI injected during the vet assessment and improved hugely but was this just treating the symptom and not the cause? Horses that have suspensory pain usually show problems in this area before obvious lameness, there is usually a reluctance to go forward well before any limping begins.
The Veterinarian who completed the assessment, noted on the discharge forms, that if he didn't improve considerably (which he has) that he should go back in for more assessments. BUT, he also 'Strongly Suggested' that further diagnostics were done into hind suspensories and back/ neck. Now, as I said to the seller, I totally understand that if it's your horse, and said pony seems so much better that you wouldn't do anything more at this point. However, as a buyer, and one whom has already spent money on failed vettings and kissed goodbye to a competition horse because of PSD (Proximal suspensory desmopathy) that it was a major concern.
So here's my disclaimer: In all these horse hunting type situations my heart wants to run away with my head. I start to get excited about our life together. About what groundwork we can do to help the ridden work, what ridden work we can do together and what we can learn. I can see myself riding down the centreline in my Pikeur and our (perfect of course) halt and salute. I can see all those little images in my head of sweet moments spent in the stall and hacking in the Colorado countryside with the sun on our backs. My dreams can run away with me, and trying to keep them in check and helping with my 'keep it real' head is a few very trusted friends and my lovely husband.
So, after a little thought, my offer to the owner was such: During the PPE, if said horse failed the soundnesss exam that they would pay up until this point. On top of this we would need Ultrasound scans done on hind suspensories. If there's PSD present, then they would cover this cost. Of course, if the horse was sound and didn't have suspensory disease I was more than happy to cover the costs of all of it, and with absolute happiness. My reasoning was that most buyers would want to discount PSD with this horse in any case. I also would assume that no owner would want to sell a horse with suspensory problems and if said horse did have suspensory issues, they would end up having to have the Ultrasound scan one day or another anyway.
However, not that surprisingly (and totally within reason) the owner said they would not pay for the Ultrasounds. (Although she did say she would pay for the basic assessment if he failed the PPE on lameness). Now in all fairness I had already been told that the owner is short of money so budget for those scans would possibly be an issue, but in my view if I was selling a horse and was sure enough to sell that horse as sound (and for a decent wad of money) I would be sure enough about the soundness that I would gladly agree pay for scans (as I would at least want to know if my pony did have pain).
Of course the upshot was that I will lose out on that sweet horse. Maybe he is chronically affected by pain or maybe he is actually clean as a whistle, but it's not for me to find out sadly.
That means of course, that the search is not over yet! I continue to hunt and reach out to contacts here there and everywhere. I am probably driving my friends crazy. My British buddy Jules (who helps assess all the vids for lameness or ridden issues before I bother others with them) and my gorgeous trainer and one of my closest friends Sara (who also goes through each and every video with eagle eyes).
The other part of the horse hunt puzzle that makes finding my pone all the more difficult, is the gut feeling. I have watched some beautiful videos this week of horses going very sweetly and correctly but very few of them make me really want the horse. I have watched stunning chestnuts, gorgeous bay mares and some fancy Andalusians but very few push that button. Now, how the hell do I relay that to sellers. I know what I want on paper, but in practice it needs to make me feel that buzz. We are RIGHT back to the internet dating again! On paper it all looks good, but does it make your belly buzz? Are the butterflies there? Sometimes the right partner ticks all the wrong boxes but is still the one for you. So, guess that means I am more bloody confused than ever!
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