Arthritis in a 6 year old horse

Question

My 6 year old canadian warmblood, who has been doing very well in the show circuit and at home suddenly started limping so we called the vet and he said he had arthritis and could no longer be ridden. Ive ridden many horses, and even jumped on ones with arthritis and the vet's conclusion seems rather rash and dramatic. My horse's trainer now lightly excercises him about 20 minutes a day and insists that he is now useless and should be given away to a good home.

Any thoughts?

Answer 1

I would get another opinion that's pretty dramatic.

Answer 2

First of all, any animal at any age can get arthritis due to injury or genetics but I would definitely get a second opinion because mild exercise is good for an animal with arthritis, also there are many medications out that can keep your horse comfortable. Also what type of arthritis did the vet say your horse has and where is it located, Ring bone is a type of arthritis but can be helped with shoeing a certain way. I would definitely be getting a second opinion before making any type of decision. Hope this helps.