Oh Dear!
I took Jazz out in the beautiful summer sunshine this morning to do some interval training to begin to get him fit enough for hunting. The field I use is about 600 yards (1/3 mile) of steadily rising ground. I normally go up it three times, walking back down to the start each time as a break.
Jazz simply could not get enough breath to reach the top without stopping. On the first run, he set off full of verve, but ran out of breath, was roaring loudly, and pulled up about 2/3 of the way up. On the second run he set off really wanting to go, but began to breathe very heavily 1/3 of the way, then to take huge gulps of air, then he just stopped. Once he had his breath back he chose to set off again, but again he had to stop. Even a horse I had with a definite diagnosis of laryngeal hemiplegia managed to canter up that field without stopping, even if he was slow.
I walked Jazz home, and he felt as if he had run a marathon. Dog tired, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. His muscles were clearly full of lactic acid buildup from not getting enough oxygen. I really don't think I have much of an option here. He can't gallop, but he wants to, and he can't even do what I would consider a normal hour's hack. He's going to tie up (get azoturia) if he is asked to go too fast for too long, so drag hunting is quite likely out of the picture. I just can't get him fit to do it when he is breathing so badly.
As soon as my vet is available I'll talk to him and we will get an endoscope up his nose and find out what the picture is. I'd be relieved if it was a benign growth, but laryngeal hemiplegia is so common in bigger horses (and now I find, particularly in warmbloods and often not possible to identify until they are brought into full work!!!) that it's almost certain to be that.
I really don't want to part with him, I think that he is very special. To cap it all he was a super ride today - happy and confident. And he's hardly a horse that I can sell as a quiet hack :-0 , like I did with the last one I had with this problem. Whilst he could do dressage OK right now, and showjump lower heights, this is definitely getting worse and even hacking around my hills looks like it might be going to be an issue. I think we are just going to have to bite the bullet and go for an operation.
Why did he have to start this after I bought him - couldn't he have done some heavy breathing when we tried him?????
C
posted by cptrayes @ 4:06 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
oh dear Caroline, that's not good. hope it turns out to be something more minor, but if after all that time he can't canter one of your hills.....
He was doing well before. Perhaps there is something else going on. I'm sure you took his temperature?
He could also be having an allergic reaction to something blooming this time of year. In addition to the scoping you might want to do some blood tests to see how his eosinophil count is.
He is wormed regularly too, I'm sure. Our horses had a possible lungworm infection after being stabled with a donkey. I think sheep carry it too. Any chance of something like that? Levamisole, the sheep wormer cured them.
If it is the obstruction, I really would be inclined to bite the bullet and have the surgery. If Jazz's future is ultimately a dressage horse, even with or without you, he will still need air and this doesn't sound like he would have the stamina for upper levels. The money you spend now will cut the heartbreak down the road. If you HAVE to sell him, you can make it up in the sale price. If you don't, you will have years of joy from him.
I hate this kind of thing as it really is a problem, but there is a bond you have with Jazz that I sense is stronger than you may realize.
He deserves the best from you. Wish you were here as only about 20 minutes from here is a super vet clinic--the surgeons there saved Smarty Jones, the eventual Kentucky Derby winner of a few years ago--and they are excellent! I hope you have a good surgery there where you can take Jazz.
Honestly, I think he is really worth it.
Quite by chance I went to a party tonight and sat next to a girl whose friend's horse has had a tie-back done by my vets. It was in hospital (at the place where I normally go to school) for 4 or 5 days, and after 3 months was as right as rain.
Jean, he's as right as a button in all other respects. My vet has already felt his throat, a couple of months ago, and says that one side is bigger than the other, making it almost certain that he has hemiplegia of the vocal cords.
I've pretty much made up my mind to have it done. I think he is too good to let something like this limit his activities. I love his personality and I don't want to lose him, so I'm just going to have to find the money.
C
What are oesinophils Jean?
C
eosinophils are the white blood cells that increase in reaction to allergens. A high count can indicate an allergic reaction to something.
Ta!
C.
Claire that's exactly what is so worrying. He simply can't do what every other horse, including one with laryngeal hemiplegia, could do. It has got worse even though he has got fitter. He can trot as far as he likes, but the faster pace, he cannot sustain for more than 300 metres without a break. Of course I haven't been cantering him that far, so I wasn't aware how bad it had got since I last tried it. Trouble is,their breathing is tied to their leading forleg, so he doesn't have the option of breathing quicker!
C.
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