ETA: I"m posting this for Sprague
Everyone is so great and supportive. It means the world to me. I promised that horse that I would always do what was best for him and not me.
I decided that the best for Vanny and not me, was that he should be put down. We were all in agreeance (is that a real word?) that it was more than likely neurological damage from some sort of trauma.
The other vet came out and told me that she has seen 3 other cases like this, 2 his age, 1 a young filly. The 2 his age were later put down after a while and the filly recuperated but she was not as bad as Vanny and she was much younger. So I’d rather let him go when he was not in pain than to just wait and put him at risk of other injuries and pain. And she said that if it were her horse, she’d put him down without hesitation. She was pretty certain that since there was no improvement with him holding weight in the 4 days, that he’d never be able to. And I just don’t have the funds for further testing. So he will be buried in the back pasture in his favorite spot. I have the mane and tail for use later. It will be so hard going to the barn and not seeing him anymore.