The Bradshaw Family

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Note to self: don’t attempt to take pics at 5am 🤦🏻‍♀️

Sorry for the rubbish photos, but just wanted to let you all know that my remaining two boys (Rufus and Merlin) are doing very well 🥰

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They wouldn’t come out of their hay for pics 😂 clearly the hay is just too good!
 
Bradshaw Piggies said:
Note to self: don’t attempt to take pics at 5am 🤦🏻‍♀️

Sorry for the rubbish photos, but just wanted to let you all know that my remaining two boys (Rufus and Merlin) are doing very well 🥰

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They wouldn’t come out of their hay for pics 😂 clearly the hay is just too good!
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Merlin at 1 year old looks a lot more adult now. He's definitely got the family look with is dad and half-brother!

A belated happy first birthday to Merlin from his whole family and the three other boys.

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My gorgeous boy is having some down time whilst we get on top of some health issues, with the help of our wonderful vets.
I feel like we’ve missed out on so much this year, but hopefully we will be back stronger soon!

We think we have found the problem with him. Vet has found navicular changes and collateral ligament changes in both front feet (he thinks age related and wear and tear over the years). Good news is, vet thinks with corrective shoeing and some treatment, we will be back training and competing at the level we were at again. He says there shouldn’t be any reason why his dressage career can’t continue

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Love reading posts, I hope Woody’s treatment goes well and the vet can correct his problem feet 🤞Loving all the wonderful photos of your gorgeous gang x
 
Woody update:

So Woody has some damage to his menicus in his stifle joint (hind leg). The vet thinks it is an old injury that is now causing further degeneration. He has started on Cartrophen injections (he has them twice a week) and is having stem cell treatment on the 16th November. He also has some evidence of degeneration in his navicular bones (both fore feet) and collateral ligaments. This is most likely due to him being a large horse and having such a sporty career (lots of jumping). So we are doing some Osphos drug and steroid treatment in both fore feet. The farrier is also speaking with my vet today to discuss remedial shoeing (probably including some wedges for some pressure relief on both fore feet). The vet has said that I can keep him active (but hacking out only) for 3 months. So no training or competing for the next 3-6 months. If he is sound again in 3 months I can start to build up his training gradually.

It's not an ideal time of year for hacking out, as it's always dark at 6am and 6pm when I get home from work, but I'll do my best to keep him gently exercised. At the moment he is having paddock rest every day. It's heartbreaking to see as he's usually fully clipped and ready to get competing for the winter season at this point in the year. At the moment, he looks more retired :(

Behaviour wise, he's still having some tricky moments - but he gets fed up as he has a really active brain (he's a well bred sports horse at the end of the day). So I think he's missing working and having a career :( Needs to keep his mind busy.
Some of his behaviour that we struggled with this summer has settled (I really think due to the decreasing sugar levels in the grass and that I've switched him from this year's lush hay, back onto haylage for the winter). He finished his course of Omeprazole injections to treat the inflammation in his stomach (that the vet thinks could be linked to the pain from his legs), and we have another gastroscope booked in (also on the 16th November).

I'm so thankful for my insurance! I've paid out a couple of grand in insurance excess for the different claims for different treatments (he's had the ulcer treatment, dental treatment, fore legs and hind legs treated this year so far); but they have paid out huge amounts! The amount of CT scans, x-rays, vet checks and injections they have had to pay out for, is crazy. I'm so glad I had my platinum package. The injections he's having twice a week are over £100 each and the omeprazole ones (once a week) were £200 each.

So it's going to be a long winter for us. Devastated to not be out competing. I think Woody is too!

But hopefully he will come back sound. The vet is very positive and said he will be very suprised if he doesn't return back to work.



It's been an awful year. I last competed in April and by the time we are going again, I feel liked we've lost a whole year.
But we have to stay positive and get through this rough patch

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Ah beautiful Woody - it’s amazing to have a thorough diagnosis and treatment plan - I’m sure with you and Woody’s determination and love for each other you will get there - as you say keeping Woody’s mind active and getting out hacking when you can will help the next months go quickly ❤️❤️
 
Thank you both. The vet and I are working hard to get him back to being a competition horse. Hopefully he will respond to the treatment. As he's getting older, we don't really have time on our side, so we want to get him out and competing and me enjoying him before he does reach a retirement point. I'm not sure how well he would retire, as he has such an active mind, so we will have to deal with those worries when that time does eventually come.

He's such a nervous/anxious horse, so my months of having to hack out aren't going to be very relaxing..... 🙈😂
 
Hannah_xx said:
What a big shame for you and Woody, I really hope this time next year your getting him fit for some light competitions again.
Good luck with the treatment plan, enjoy hacking x
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Thanks Hannah. The vet seems to think that we can begin training and light competitions in the new year, so hopefully by summer he will be back to where we left off 🤞 🤞 🤞 It is a shame as he was really progressing; but at least we are getting on top of things now to hopefully maintain his soundness for longer. He really does need a job to do, he's driving me mad already (after only a week off) 😂 He can be a pain to hack as he's so spooky, but we will do our best (he'll have no excuses once back in the school)!

Hope you are all well x
 
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