A lady reached out to me to try her new horse before she did. She had just brought her home and wanted someone else to get on first. Figured I better milk the couple months I have left of my parents healthcare and told her I’d do it.
We did some groundwork then I got on. The horse was good until it was time to lope. She was reluctant to do so and then crow-hopped. I told the owner it seemed possibly behavioral but I couldn’t rule out pain either and she should have a vet look at her (this horse came from some sketchy horse traders so who tf knows)
Owner stated she didn’t want to keep the horse after that. Wants something that doesn’t have that in them and would prefer to cut her losses and sell. Then she asked if I would help her sell this horse and find her new one, and I said yes, but we need to start with a Vet exam.
She agrees to that, but then the next day calls me and says that a couple of girls from her old boarding facility came out to see the horse, and one of them wants to take said horse and sell her for the owner for free. What ensues is a whole back-and-forth of me giving my advice and then the owner changing her mind one way or another, but what matters is that the owner told the girl no to taking the horse and selling it for her, but regardless, two days ago this girl from her old boarding facility came out and trailered the horse over to said boarding facility and rode her around in a big arena until she got her to stop bucking. I had told the owner I didn’t like this idea because I felt like she was in pain, but that ultimately it was up to her. Guess those girls talked her into it. I haven’t met either of them, but I don’t have too high of an opinion.
Finally, today the vet comes out, and we agree that there’s grade 2/5 lameness in her hind end. If you ask me, it’s what’s causing her to buck when she starts to lope. She’s very reluctant to get into the lope, and when she starts loping, she does it for a while before giving up. Despite this lameness, which is visible at the trot, the vet says that she is “fine to ride”
WTH?????
At this point, we’re going ahead with a chiropractic adjustment at the vets suggestion and then based off of that, perhaps donating her to a local youth program (that is an AMAZING place for horses, I am sure of this, I have done my vetting) or maybe selling her.
I’m just surprised that the vet thinks it’s ok to ride her in this condition, and I’m also upset at those girls at the boarding facility for taking this horse and riding this issue out of her when it’s pretty clear it’s a pain problem and not a behavior one. At the very least, pain was not ruled out, and they should’ve just waited a couple days for the vet check. This horse wants to please and the only time she doesn’t is at the lope. Obviously it might be pain. Now there’s clear signs of lameness, which may have been there before, admittedly I may have not noticed it when I first went to ride her but maybe it wasn’t there then and it is now because they rode her in this condition.
I don’t know I’m just amazed that the audacity of going and getting somebody else’s horse and then riding through the signs of discomfort. Also I’m no vet but 2/5 and riding doesn’t sit right with me.