Menu
Dear you, feeling frustrated with your horse...
You are not alone. Not at all. And neither is your horse. My horse has a bad back - that's what we're dealing with. Not all the time, but every now and then. Despite this - and despite my worries about it - we've managed to put up with each other for a decade now. And we intend to keep it that way.
So, what am I getting at? I'm just trying to say that when you buy a horse, you never really know what you're getting into; you have no idea what cards the horse holds - but there will be both good and bad. It's only when you get to know them - day by day, month by month, year after year - that you slowly figure it out.
There are the cards that give the horse its splendid markings, its delicious gait or its innate jumping technique. And then there are the bad cards. They might read "mouse in the hind leg", "unusually scared of plastic bags" or "poor hoof quality". Besides having drawn the "four white socks and a symmetrical star blaze" and "temperament like a wildfire" cards, my horse unfortunately also drew the "bad back" card. I can't help but be proud of his looks, and I can - to some extent - learn to manage his temperament. But the back issue is a whole other story.
Having a horse with a bad back is probably not that different from having a horse with frequent colic attacks, tendency to laminitis or something else entirely. Still, I occasionally and deep down miss having someone dealing with the same problem as me. Of course, there are the vets - and what would we do without them? But they're not there every day, and they see the problem with different eyes than I do. For me, it's not just about bones, ligaments and muscles. It's about emotions.
My horse has been through the wringer in the attempt to understand his back pain. He has had numerous X-rays, from ear tip to tail root. He has been checked for stomach ulcers - and nothing was found. He has even been under the knife and had a spur removed. I have considered and ruled out renal colic and PSSM (a muscle disorder). Now a scan has established that it's arthritis in the facet joints in the lower part of his back and loin. It shows when he walks in a curved path, where he clearly objects. Therefore, he needs to walk as straight ahead as possible.
That's why he has now become more of a trail horse than the dressage horse he always used to be. And it hurts. It hurts to have a horse that has so much talent for moving his legs correctly, but physically just can't keep up all the way.
Fortunately, I find comfort in the thought that he can still do something; we've just reached a new chapter, where the focus needs to be on a different kind of training. A chapter where the forest is to be explored and our trust in each other faces its greatest test, as we ride out into traffic and over into the green. I never thought I would become a trail rider. But I have, and I've simply ended up with the happiest and most comfortable horse because of it. And you know what? I've actually also become a happier rider myself.
As you can probably tell, I'm willing to do more or less anything to give my horse a good life, where we can continue doing what we both love: to share the joy of riding. And I'll do this all the way until he becomes an old horse with a swayback and bad teeth. Even though I'm glad that he's reached an age not all horses can boast of, I've told him that he needs to make it to at least 20. And it's my responsibility to help him achieve that - just like it's my responsibility to realise if that's unrealistic. I'm absolutely certain that I'm not the only one who feels this way. Right?
Even though I often feel alone with the problem, I also know that I'm never completely alone. There are many other horse owners out there who are also dealing with a bugbear; who are also frustrated at having a horse with some physical or mental flaw. To you, I need to say this: Please remember to appreciate all the good aspects your horses also possess. The kind nature, the fantastic gallop or something as simple as the ability to defecate in the same spot in the box, making mucking out a breeze. Because the day your horse is no longer here, it's not the flaws you'll miss - it's the joys.
And even if you may be the only one in the stable dealing with a specific problem, there is always one other who is battling with exactly the same - and that's your horse. You're in it together, and it's far from the only thing you share. I believe that if you get better at focusing on the positive things you do share with your horse, the bad will fade. For me, it's certainly all my horse's strong sides that together trump the flaws and make him worth fighting for.
With love,
Editor, Tina - definitely not the only one with a horse holding a bad card.
