Someone give me a slap. Pfb horse syndrome?

[tallulahturtle]

A while back I started helping a friend out with her horses , there was a thread on here about it, (am i being negative or realistic) if anyone was curious .
Anyway suffice to say i have just bought a horse that I have been loaning for 6 months and helped look after for 18 months.
I bought her saturday and didn't think much of if, nothing will change I thought from day to day as i had her on full loan so was paying for and doing everything.
Boy was I wrong! I seem to now be getting very overprotective, and paranoid that she is lame/unhappy/doesn't like me. I thought she was a bit stiff the other day and a lady on the yard said she couldnt see anything wrong, we trotted up etc then sunday I thought she was fine and another lady said she was stiff/lame behind. Now i find myself googling lameness and im convincing myself that she has every problem I read about and will have to be retired , she is 15 and I am now very aware of her age and am panicking that im asking too much of her, but I know im being silly as she has been in regular work since Ive known her and her age has never crossed mind before. My plans for her are hacking, sponsored rides (pop the odd fence) , try le trec, low level showing and also maybe go to a newcomers meet with the new forest hounds- no jumping.
Also I feel like a bad mum as i seem to see lameness when its not there but then cant see lameness when she is. :( .
I almost want to get a vet or similar expert out to reassure me and to teach me how to spot lameness in her.
Also think I need a good slap and be told to snap out of it and just chill out.
Have started her on a glucosamine suppliment to try help any stiffness and support her joints. She is sometimes stiff coming out the stable but once warmed up seems fine and full of beans.
Is it ok to ride a stiff horse? I try turning her out for a leg stretch before riding but usually in the field she just stands there like her field mates do so she isn't exactly stretching anything! :-/. Im
Dreaming of a horsewalker , to loosen her up before i ride.
what does everyone else do with stiffness? Do you not ride or do you just keep to walk until they loosen up?
Sorry i am rambling, just need to snap out of this :/

[SunnyBaudelaire]

for a start, calm the fuck down! You sound like a great caring horse owner.
15 is not old.
If you think she is stiff, you can walk it off her on the ride.
Stop asking random yard 'ladies' if she is lame and watch some youtube videos.
Horse walkers are kind of shite as they just go round and round on a small circle, and are not suitable for walking off stiffness.

[tallulahturtle]

Thanks Sunny. Will look at you tube when I get home, I just need to try teach myself to see lameness so I can make my own judgement and not be so anxious that im doing a shit job.

[SunnyBaudelaire]

deciding if a pony or horse is lame or not is really tricky.
I remember one yard I worked at years ago where we would run up and down, up and down, while the two yard managers tried to make up their minds! lucky we were young and fit.
As well as youtube, maybe identify ONE person at the yard that you would trust to consult?

[OscarWinningActress]

How about lunging? It's a great way to get used to the look of your horse's gaits and to 'check in' with her before you ride...see how energetic she is, get her loosened up. Maybe get the vet to come out and watch her go to reassure you? The call out fee may be worth the peace of mind :) FWIW, I think a bit of stiffness is normal in all ages of horses (and people!) at the beginning of a workout... It takes a few minutes to get them warm, fluid and supple.

And the PFH thing you describe? I TOTALLY get that :) Just relax and try to learn as much as you can. Don't hesitate to call the vet out if you're unsure...they're happy to help new horse owners learn and will happily answer all your questions without making you feel self-conscious. In time you'll feel more confident about his care...you sound like a great horse-mom, btw. Enjoy your girl :)

[tallulahturtle]

Yeah it does seem to be a minefield. I also want to get her a sort of MOT. Wasn't sure if I should be looking at a back person or a physio type person, just to give her the once over. She is having her teeth done soon.

[tallulahturtle]

Thanks Oscar. Yeah I think I was fairly chilled when I loaned her but now I realise I am her owner I am a lot more anxious that she is happy and thriving.

[tallulahturtle]

Here is my girl

[Pixel]

Try and stop panicking about lameness, it never crossed your mind before did it? Being paranoid and trotting her up all the time isn't going to help as you can always see something if you look hard enough! You've been riding her a long time so I'm fairly sure that if there ever is anything properly wrong you will be able to tell as soon as you get on her (I'm talking about non-obvious lameness, doubtless if she comes in hobbling you will notice before that!).

Having her checked over is a good idea if it will put your mind at rest, however I'm something of a cynic and can't help thinking that if you ask a 'back person' if there is anything wrong they will find something that requires further visits. You'd be better off asking the vet for his opinion of her general health rather than going for anything specific at this stage.

One thing I would recommend if you are desperate to check something is to have her saddle fit professionally checked if it hasn't been done already to your knowledge, especially if it's one she originally 'came with'. You can avoid a wealth of future problems by paying attention to stuff like that.

[Pixel]

Ah she's pretty!

[frostyfingers]

Congratulations (love the shiny clean wheelbarrow too, that won't stay that colour for long), she's very sweet looking.

Give yourself time to get to know her as "yours" rather than as a loan - you'll find out what's the norm for her stiffness wise and then be able to assess whether anything has changed. If you'd find it reassuring then you could get a vet to give her a once over for you, but I really wouldn't rely on advice from yard people unless you really know/trust them, you hear terrible stories about strange people on yards!

To warm her up I would just ride her gently at a walk for a while - lunging is great but can be hard work for them. The best thing is as much turnout a possible then they can pootle about gently - is there any chance of 24/7, at least during the summer?

I do get how scary it is though, you're suddenly fully responsible for this thing and it's very daunting. It doesn't have to be, use your common sense and trust your instincts. Don't fall for every gimmick and gadget - keep it simple, above all have fun with her!

[tallulahturtle]

She will be on 24/7 turnout from May until September so hoping that will help . Saddle wise she came with an ancient wintec and my lovely husband bought me a new wintec as a present which the saddler took one look at and said not a hope in hell. ( I have long legs so need a 17.5 seat, but she is short coupled), so the wintec went back and the saddler found me a saddle that suits us perfectly and somehow
manages to fit me and her :). She has her flu jab in April so will ask the vet for a quick opinion on her general condition , rather than go the back person route i think.

That was an old photo, wheelbarrow is now filthy , and thank you I think she is gorgeous, as does she :)

[OscarWinningActress]

She's so pretty!

[honeyroar]

Good plan, ask the vet for a general check up in April, including a trot up. As much turnout as possible is always good. 15 is no age, especially for what you want to do.