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Post by coconut on May 13, 2010 10:49:25 GMT -5
I had the pleasure of meeting Lucky yesterday. He is incredibly sweet and very handsome... impossible not to fall in love with, on the spot. He is super gentle and polite. The first thing he did when I walked in his stall is rest his head on my chest, then he searched my pockets (very gently) for treats. He'd prefer to be out of his stall, and certainly makes that wish known- but he isn't silly about it. I tried to figure out how to stuff him in the forester and keep in my back yard, but no such luck. Hard to explain but Lucky just has that way about him.... I'm finding people fall for just the thought of him...he's a very special horse. Let's all hope today's vet visit brings us hopeful news for him.
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Post by Sara on May 13, 2010 15:26:30 GMT -5
Well, to be fair, he is basically my dream horse. Fingers crossed that he can at least be useful for light riding.
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Post by schwung on May 13, 2010 18:39:27 GMT -5
Dr. Bryant left a little bit ago. Overall the news is good...not great, but good.
Lucky has two bone chips in his left front ankle. One is quite large and completely detached, the other is smaller and adhered to the bone. He also has significant remodeling going on on both sides of his cannon bone above the joint indicating that his body is still healing from a fracture or some type of trauma (no fracture was evident but it may have filled in already).
Prognosis: without doing anything, Lucky is pasture sound and could be a light-riding trail horse, walking and maybe a little trotting. Chances of arthritis settling in at some point limiting him further are likely as he ages. He can be turned out (already is) and does not require any further rehab.
Another option is surgery to remove the chips. This will cost $2300 at Pilchuck. The surgery will give him a little more ridability (maybe more trotting, some cantering) and will prolong his usage. However, it will not make him suitable for dressage or arena work.
One caveat to that is if the remodeling in the cannon bone stops and smooths out as it heals...in that case he may be upgraded to arena work or dressage (no jumping ever) if he has the surgery to remove the chips. Dr. Bryant recommended follow-up xrays to check the status of the healing in 4-6 months.
The lump on his right hind cannon bone is old and cold, he said there was probably a trauma or impact there at some point but he did not think it was a concern and we did not xray it.
On to the eyes - the left is completely cloudy, and the right has partial cloudiness. Dr. Bryant felt they were two separate events, with the right eye injury being older than the left, which is more recent and we have since learned happened when he pulled back in the cross-ties, and the snap hit him in the eye. He stained both eyes and neither took any stain, so neither are a long-term concern. He can see just fine although his vision may be a little cloudy if he looks to the right on the right eye.
Lucky is happily turned out into a paddock right now, and tomorrow I'll turn him out on some grass. Oh, and can I say, he was a star patient? For a horse that has been in a stall for almost a week, he was super. Dr. Bryant had me trot him in hand when we first took him out of the stall and I was a little worried he was going to be a handful but he just trotted along calmly beside me, and stood very still for his xrays without any sedation even though he really wanted grass. This horse has a STELLAR temperament and is going to make someone a great partner!
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Post by Sara on May 13, 2010 18:49:17 GMT -5
Thanks for the update Jaime. It's more than a little heartbreaking that this guy was raced until he broke again and again. *sigh*
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Post by girlfriendsmom on May 13, 2010 20:04:50 GMT -5
Did I read that right that he is only 6 years old and already has all these physical problems? Poor guy. It sounds like he has a great attitude though. It seems like many of the horses who are dealt the worst hands have such a good attitude - maybe how they survive.
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Post by coconut on May 13, 2010 21:41:24 GMT -5
I'm at the airport waiting for my next adventure... Happy that the outcome is not worse. Now we know & can move forwward... Whew!!!
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Post by schwung on May 13, 2010 22:14:33 GMT -5
Julia - he's only 5 actually. Raced since he was 2, so there you go.
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Post by monicabee on May 14, 2010 0:00:14 GMT -5
Arthroscopic surgery is a simple investment - if you amortize it over ten years, it is less than a dollar a day to have a really rideable horse as opposed to one who is marginally sound. Good rationalization, right?
It's the kind of thing that an adopter should consider.
I did it for Willy and it worked out really well. He has had no problems at all with either the chip site or the sesamoid fracture that was cleaned up. He was xrayed a year and a half ago as a followup and was given a clean bill of health.
However, the rehab (handwalking) was a serious commitment and a test of my strength! Still, if someone had the time to do it right, Lucky could be a gem if he is really as sweet and polite as reported.
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Post by ecaitlynn on May 14, 2010 15:25:02 GMT -5
These kind of injuries at a young age are actually quite common among race horses. It's just one of the many reasons I cannot deal with the whole racing industry.
Beth Thompson
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Post by Sara on May 14, 2010 19:54:43 GMT -5
Jaime- is the surgery decision one that can wait? In other words, would his prognosis be similar in a year or so?
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Post by schwung on May 14, 2010 20:06:14 GMT -5
Yes, the bone chips can be removed at any time, or never.
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Post by hooti4me on May 16, 2010 13:56:42 GMT -5
Would it be possible to do some serious fund raising for this guy, and get him, his surgery he needs while in SAFE hands? He is such a beautiful horse, thats had a rough life in his short life. So thankful he was saved!!
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Post by jennywho on May 16, 2010 22:29:35 GMT -5
chances are it may be much cheaper to have WSU do the surgery. Dr Schneider does surgeries at EMD once or twice a week during the season so you wouldn't even have to haul him that far. He is considered one of the best in the country.
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Post by coconut on May 20, 2010 1:55:35 GMT -5
I'm interested to find out how to get in contact with that Dr Schneider to see if he might donate the procedure or at a highly discounted rate... On another note...Over the last week, I've been in contact with several folks in Lucky's past collecting information... As of right now, the track officials believe that Bucky B Lucky is at the track. There is no log for this horse leaving the track ...how does this happen?? Poor protection for the horses, that's how. I'm so mad at the system that allowed this...but it gets worse.... The trainer, Roy Lumm, says he gave it to Denise Mitchell who told him that she had a "nice family with a young daughter" who wanted him...good grief, how many times has THAT line been used in the last 6 months?? I don't buy it for a second...and Denise? She claims not to know who Bucky B Lucky is...of course not! I'm fuming!!! ... on the bright side (kinda) I wrote to the Jockey Club last week regarding the policy on selling pedigreed/registered horses without their papers and explained the situation with Lucky....they reported that I would need to take it up with the local racing commission because they were a breed registry. But guess what was reported in a Washington Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners Association (WTBOA) email today? ;D The very section of their rules that I wrote to the JC about....and a reminder to the WTBOA that they need to follow the rules.... NICE! I don't know if it was my email that got the JC to contact the WTBOA but it's uncanny timing....coincidence? Maybe I've been saying for a couple of weeks, while I dig into this matter that I probably have very little chance of changing their minds on a moral level but I'll do my best to make sure they are held to their procedural standard if I can! Rules regarding Thoroughbreds "Sold Without Pedigree" The completion of a Sold Without Pedigree removes the horse from any consideration in regards to racing and breeding within The American Stud Book. There is no process within The Jockey Club and the Principle Rules and Requirements of The American Stud Book that allows for the removal of a Thoroughbred from only racing purposes or only breeding purposes. 18. SOLD WITHOUT PEDIGREE A. Any owner who desires a horse no longer to be considered a Thoroughbred for racing or breeding purposes must promptly surrender the Certificate of Foal Registration to The Jockey Club within 60 days of the date of sale with an accompanying notation that the horse was transferred or sold "without pedigree." The notation must be signed by the owner or authorized agent and indicate the date of disposition. In the event the owner or his authorized agent surrenders the Certificate of Foal Registration to The Jockey Club in the above manner more than 60 days after the date of transfer or sale, then the new owner or transferee must also submit a statement that the horse was purchased or received without pedigree. B. Upon receipt in The Jockey Club Registry Office, the respective Certificate of Foal Registration will be cancelled. Once the registration is cancelled, the horse cannot be reinstated into the registry, and a Duplicate Certificate of Foal Registration will not be issued. C. Notations upon a Certificate of Foal Registration which do not clearly indicate transferred or sold without pedigree, including notations such as "not to be raced," shall not result in cancellation of the Certificate of Foal Registration. Such notations could be regarded as defacing the Certificate of Foal Registration and, submission to The Jockey Club of any such defaced Certificate of Foal Registration, may cause a Corrected Certificate of Foal Registration to be issued. For more information, contact The Jockey Club, 821 Corporate Drive, Lexington, KY 40503; phone 800-444-8521; fax 859-224-2710; registry.jockeyclub.com.
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Post by ecaitlynn on May 20, 2010 11:27:58 GMT -5
I am so impressed with all the work you are doing - good for you! I WISH there were a way to change the system and people's minds. Maybe the contacts you are making will get at least a few people thinking.
It's because of all of this that I can no longer enjoy participating in ANY way in horse racing, even watching it on TV. I am so discouraged and disappointed by how thoroughbreds are treated by their own industry that I refuse to have anything to do with putting money in their pockets or participating in the system.
I am just so impressed with how much you care and all the work you are doing. Wow.
Beth Thompson
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