Post by horsefreakjb on Apr 3, 2007 1:18:15 GMT -5
My family unknowingly "rescued" my horse, Dash N Bogie Bar "Smokey", a grulla AQHA Appendix Quarter Horse gelding, when we purchased him from who we now think was a horse broker. He was advertised as "sound, in good condition, with potential as a hunter/jumper." When we saw him, he was a good 200 lbs. underweight, with horribly overgrown feet and a mane that stuck up straight and a tail no longer than his hocks from being previously roached and then denied the amount of nutrition necessary for proper growth; many people thought Smokey was an Appaloosa when we first brougth him home, due to his sparse mane and tail hair. Apperantlly the old owner's farrier was "on vacation" for the last ten weeks, and that was her excuse for Smokey's bad feet...although her mare's feet were perfectlly fine. Even in this condition, Smokey was in barrel racing training. However, when we test rode him in the pasture, he seemed sound and we made the purchase.
Smokey pulled up lame the next day. He didn't seem in pain, but when tracking right, especially on the lunge, he limped a lot on his left foreleg. Our veterinarian said he noticed a very slight club foot on the left fore, but even if he had seen the horse before our purchase - we didn't do a pre-purchase exam...big mistake - he said that he would not have been able to diagnose the lameness...he had no clue what it was. Our vet suggested we take Smokey to Oregon State University for a vet exam, which we did.
The OSU vet techs diagnosed Smokey with "a left forelimb lameness of unknown origin." After ten days of nerve blocks, radiographs, bone scans, and stall rest, Smokey only seemed slightly more sound, and the lameness was still undiagnosed. The OSU vets told us to put him on 6 weeks stall rest and pray for the best.
When we emailed the old owner with the test results, she claimed she "could not remember" her veterinarians name, and also claimed that Smokey had never been lame for her, although the OSU vets insited this was a lameness that had been ongoing for some time.
After 6 weeks, we lunged Smokey for the first time....and he actually seemed much better. When I got to ride him again, slowly, he began to seem more and more sound as he regained stamina and fitness.
Presently, Smokey is servicably sound, and can be ridden at all gaits in both directions without an obvious limp. I took him to his first show in-hand, and entered two halter classes...we didn't win anything, but it was a great feeling to be competing with a horse that I'd helped bring back to health and to bring him to competition condition.
Although we did not buy him from a feedlot or killer buyer, we did rescue Smokey from continued hard riding and training in speed events while so underweight and in the condition he was in.
BEFORE.....September 2006
AFTER........February 2007
Smokey pulled up lame the next day. He didn't seem in pain, but when tracking right, especially on the lunge, he limped a lot on his left foreleg. Our veterinarian said he noticed a very slight club foot on the left fore, but even if he had seen the horse before our purchase - we didn't do a pre-purchase exam...big mistake - he said that he would not have been able to diagnose the lameness...he had no clue what it was. Our vet suggested we take Smokey to Oregon State University for a vet exam, which we did.
The OSU vet techs diagnosed Smokey with "a left forelimb lameness of unknown origin." After ten days of nerve blocks, radiographs, bone scans, and stall rest, Smokey only seemed slightly more sound, and the lameness was still undiagnosed. The OSU vets told us to put him on 6 weeks stall rest and pray for the best.
When we emailed the old owner with the test results, she claimed she "could not remember" her veterinarians name, and also claimed that Smokey had never been lame for her, although the OSU vets insited this was a lameness that had been ongoing for some time.
After 6 weeks, we lunged Smokey for the first time....and he actually seemed much better. When I got to ride him again, slowly, he began to seem more and more sound as he regained stamina and fitness.
Presently, Smokey is servicably sound, and can be ridden at all gaits in both directions without an obvious limp. I took him to his first show in-hand, and entered two halter classes...we didn't win anything, but it was a great feeling to be competing with a horse that I'd helped bring back to health and to bring him to competition condition.
Although we did not buy him from a feedlot or killer buyer, we did rescue Smokey from continued hard riding and training in speed events while so underweight and in the condition he was in.
BEFORE.....September 2006
AFTER........February 2007
I've competed there was a couple of greenies owned by my riding instructor...awesome awesome facilities.
