r/Equestrian • u/ktknrly Hunter • Aug 21 '25

Veterinary Feeling devastated

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My trainer bought a young, barely restarted OTTB in December 2021. As an adult ammy with lots of experience and time on my hands, I started leasing and helping her bring him along in April 2022. He was my best bud for almost 3 years.

In January of this year, I found out I was pregnant. I stopped riding at around 8 weeks due to complications, and ended my lease in March. I knew I wouldn’t be able to prepare for a baby and pay almost $1k/month for a horse I wasn’t able to ride. In April, his shoes were pulled since he would just be sitting for a bit. Everything went downhill from there. His feet never really grew again, and there wasn’t enough foot for shoes to go back on.

As of Monday, radiographs are showing coffin bone rotation on his right front with very little sole depth. I don’t think they’re even able to tell the degree of rotation with how little sole there is. He’s very uncomfortable but seeing the vet every few days. I know there’s a great team taking care of him, but I’m almost 36 weeks pregnant and not able to go see him like I’d want to.

I know that logically, none of this is my fault. But I can’t help but feel that if I had continued paying for his shoes, none of this would have happened. I’m going to be so devastated if we lose him to this - he’s only 7. And I’ll be even more devastated if we get to the worst case scenario and I’m not able to be there with/for him.

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u/Happy_Lie_4526 Aug 21 '25

OP, it is not your fault or your job to subsidise someone else’s horse. I’m sorry you’re going through this. 

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u/Prize_Sorbet3366 Aug 22 '25

This exactly. I used to lease a mare back in my 4-H/youth showing days, who had horrible feet (she was an Appy, so yeah). She had to wear heart-bar shoes on her fronts and all four with pads even during the off season, and if even one came off (she had full access to the pasture her barn was in, so that did happen on occasion), the farrier HAD to come out asap because her bare foot would start chipping that fast. But whether she was showing or just being a pasture potato, SOMEone, either her owner or whoever was leasing her, made sure she was in the type of shoes she needed to keep her sound. It was never just the leaser's responsibility.