More questions (Heaves)

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Molly

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Image

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Pippa

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I've been reading up and almost everything is saying things like "If recognized early, good feed and stable management may slow or prevent its progression and the horse may be able to take on an almost normal workload"

Does this mean something like Image's barrel racing days are over before they got here?

All four horses have the line, they were coughing but aren't now that they've been moved away for a week.

Pippa, the pregnant bay mare, sounds like she has a harder time breathing then she should.

Everyone else sounds normal for the most part.....

Anyone with horses with heaves have advice? Can the be ridden normal again?
 
My one and only exp with heaves was probably about 20 years ago...when I was really young...
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My QH had it.....at the age that I was I didn't fully understand it but I was able to ride her as long as I didn't over do it....that meant.....just easy short trail rides....that was it. Vet said that would be fine just take it easy.

She was also on a medication in powder form that was to help ease it some.....but there was no cure and was tricky to manage it at that time.

I didn't find this out until years later, but when the vet had examined her.....he told my dad that she probably wasn't going to live much longer.....my dad didn't have the heart to tell me.

We did find her one day in the pasture and believe she died of a heart attack associated some how with the heaves?? I can't be certain on that.

Sorry I just don't know much and I'm sure in 20 years things have advanced so much

Good luck.
 
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A friend had a older horse and had heaves, and he noticed when we rode his horse more often the better the horse was and we used to go on 2-4 hour rides.
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I only seen it once and it was in a mini mare. She alwasy had a bit of a cough, but it was really bad if she had to run after her foal. For the health of her it ended her foaling days.

NOt sure about rideing. Cant imagine running barrels would be good for it.
 
My only experience with it a million years ago was a very old pony that had been locked up in a filthy dirty stall stench of urine a mile away. She was bedding on hay that they kept throwing in there on top of the other already soiled sinking hay full of pee and manure up to her eyeballs. Oh, and no ventilation.

I bring her home and cannot bed her on shavings unless I sprinkled it down with the hose. I always wet her feed and hay down too. I kept a fan going in there constantly.

I couldn't lock her in the stall so it was kept open so she could get in and out as she pleased. Pollens from springtime would nail her good. We did steriods I think it was azium I shot right into her feed. or maybe dex. Can't remember., man what a hack without it. Riding? Zero.

That could be a heave line but don't assume the heaves until a very good equine vets says its so. Just coughing isn't enough to think that or that line. Could be lung worms, anything. This cough could be still that lingering of strangels, who knows? That can linger on for months. No sense of guessing until they have been properly examined and tested. Riding a heavy horse, no way. If they were mine I would put them on no riding period and rest until I got a vet's blessing. Good luck Nic. I hope you get your answers soon as I know this has got you worried.

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Thanks again guys.

There are two vets down here that we know of and use, neither one real good about taking a call and coming out (Noticed this when my horses had strangyles and when Wackem needed an exam)

If anyone near the Flint area in MI knows of a decent vet.....

If that woman caused my two year old only to be able to do light riding for the rest of his life so help me God!

Not to mention Molly did not need that added to her list.

Never again will my horses be in a boarding facility.

Well they are out now
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Hopefully they are healthy, fat and happy again soon, and as long as they are with me thats how they will stay.

Guess I'll keep trying these vets.
 
Yep I remember that too....always had to keep all hay watered etc and really watched any dust. Vet had said that being inside was the worst for her.

Good luck.
 

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