I'm just looking to bounce some ideas and get some input. In all my years with horses, I've never had this happen before. I just sold a heel horse that had a mild case of navicular (diagnosed on hoof test only, never x-rayed) that had been responding to once yearly injections. He was shipped from Michigan to Wyoming. Upon arrival, he was so lame he was barely able to walk. He hasn't improved and the buyer's vet recommended putting him down. The vet said he had severe ringbone and there was nothing they could do (again, no x-rays taken).

I was 100% honest with the buyer on his condition and he was NOT lame when he left our farm! The buyer has been very nice, but of course wants his money back, as I would too if I were him. Unfortunately, I can't see the horse to know what he's like & if he didn't handle the trip out there, he certainly can't handle one back to MI.

Has anyone ever had this happen? I'm a brutally honest seller & would never have let the horse leave the farm had I known he was so lame. I'm pretty sensitive to lameness issues & always take my horses in if they are showing any signs of lameness. What could possibly make a horse go from fine to never-again-rideable in one trip??? Any input would be appreciated. I'm completely tore up about this and want to do what is right for the buyer, but I want to know what could possibly go so wrong with our horse too!!

I know this isn't exactly what your looking for but I would have him x-rayed first off. I had a horse that reacted to hoof testers when I had a pre purchase exam done on her and the Vet told me he expected navicular but when we xrayed her she didn't have the slightest case of navicular. She was just sore b/c she had been shod too many years w/ cutting off all the heel and it made her sore there.

I used a transport co. last year that loaded a horse I sold at 6am on Friday and did NOT unload him until Monday night at 9pm out of a regular slant load trailer. Very Bad experience! The horse was extremely thin, had not eaten and did not appear to have drank water. Some horses can handle that kind of a haul but most cannot and it would not suprise me a bit to have your horse so sore and stiff that he just couldn't walk when he got out, especially if he was pre-disposed. But, I would want x-rays to confirm the degree, if any, of navicular and a few days rest before I made a decision on what to do.

Question, what kind of injections were you giving him/her and was it by any chance close to the time that you were to give him/her the injections again? Just curious, something sounds kinda fishy to me about how the horse ended up when he left your place as sound as can be? I am not an expert, but it seems as though he might have experienced some trauma on the journer. Just my opinion. But like another poster said, i'd be trying to get a vet examine that horse asap to see what is wrong and what caused it!

If he was still good for the once a year thing, he wasn't due until Sept or Oct for another injection. We used Vetalog in Sept 05, then Depo in Sept 06.

I'm floored by the whole thing & it has spiraled into a mess that involves his vet, my vet, and alot of suspicion on both sides. I'm completely torn up about the whole thing! It will end up costing me a bunch of money, but I just want my/his horse to be better. He just wants his money back & for the horse to be gone.

It has been over a month since the horse arrived & he's still profoundly lame, according to the new owner. My concern is, if he became that lame between Michigan & Wyoming, how can I ship him back here without making him worse??

His vet says there is no way he wasn't severely lame for a considerable time period before he left, I know that he was running around my pasture & showing no signs of lameness the day before he left! Things do sound fishy on his end, however, I'm sure he is feeling the same way about me right now & if I were in his shoes, I would too. But the fact remains that I am a brutally honest seller & I'm baffled by the whole thing!

I am very sorry and feel for you in your situation, all I would suggest is that you pray about it if you haven't already and let the man upstairs work it out for you. Wish you the best of luck!

Thanks Jamie! That's what we've been working on the last couple of days.