tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post903295901540223650..comments2024-03-26T05:15:39.663-07:00Comments on Equestrian Ink: A tale of two horses... and their ownersJami Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05259390150273030284noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-24306038140846898192013-11-20T10:36:59.441-08:002013-11-20T10:36:59.441-08:00Anonymous, the adjustment of my own goals with reg...Anonymous, the adjustment of my own goals with regards to my horse was both the hardest and yet most liberating part of my own journey. After Snoopy won the PCQHA Trail Futurity, my trainer and I had big plans. Get him qualified for the World as a Junior horse, breeze my way through the Novice division and someday take him myself as a Select rider. <br /><br />And then came the injury.<br /><br />Once I realized that I valued his life over his usefulness, I knew I couldn't campaign him, so going to the World was not a goal. Chasing points was not worth the cost to his body. And guess what? I relaxed. I stopped worrying about our performance and started working on a deeper connection between my horse and my riding. <br /><br />Now when I take him to shows, I'm just there to have fun, and it's enjoyable.<br /><br />I know how hard it is to give up a dream, but I know if you want it badly enough, you will find some way to either reach it or modify it to make you happy.Gayle Carlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15783449240138097315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-86399414167472773882013-11-20T09:52:57.518-08:002013-11-20T09:52:57.518-08:00I am still waffling between the spring of hope and...I am still waffling between the spring of hope and the winter of despair. My horse came up lame 1 1/2 years ago- lame on right & front front feet intermittently. I went conservative with treatment, then got increasingly aggressive as time passed, it was narrowed down to soft tissue injury and no improvement was seen.- Two MRIs later, I never received a comprehensive diagnosis of what happened (pasture accident? incorrect shoeing?)- just that he had DDFT & collateral ligament issues, and was unlikely to heal outside of a rare surgery with a 60% recovery rate. Top tier equine surgeon told me he couldn't even recommend it, because he'd only done 4 in his career, and no way of knowing whether my horse would be a good candidate.<br /><br />I nerved him, he still wasn't sound (apparently DDFT issues went further up his right pastern). Now entering the winter, after months of shockwave and injections, my vet has told me I might get my dressage partner sound with another 6 months of walking under saddle. He said time is sometimes the best thing. I've scrapped pennies together to lease another horse while mine rehabs, but it is hard to stay positive, knowing he will be 14, he might not ever come sound, all the plans to show, to lesson & clinic, gone with a possible retirement diagnosis next summer. <br /><br />Sadly I can't afford two boards, even a retirement board & full board, so a second horse is out of the question. I'm getting older, and that dream of getting a USDF medal is further away. I tell myself he is going to get well, that maybe if he is never 100%, at least he's comfortable and well-loved. I still get hours of pleasure just being next to him. My horse and this journey has taught me patience at least, and that I'm lucky I wasn't ever facing a "put him down" decision. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-57944231509966852712013-11-18T19:05:59.118-08:002013-11-18T19:05:59.118-08:00I just got done reading your article, and really e...I just got done reading your article, and really enjoyed it, thank you. You can see some fun horse books at http://www.fun2readbooks.com where you can also hear the books read for the same price as a paperback book, as they are in paperback, digital and also audio, and fun to listen to.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13889908734171341284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-19683240418897319602013-11-17T09:57:21.313-08:002013-11-17T09:57:21.313-08:00Love your positive attitude, but what I really lov...Love your positive attitude, but what I really loved was your photos of your gorgeous horse! My two are fat pasture ponies with shaggy hair so it's nice to see a sleek, athletic example--and of course, your love shines through.Alisonhttp://www.alisonhartbooks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-40374279308668115132013-11-16T21:25:16.455-08:002013-11-16T21:25:16.455-08:00"Realism plus enough of a positive outlook no..."Realism plus enough of a positive outlook not to fall into despair" - that's really it, WHP. As positive as I am, I'm also the person in our house who sees the reality of our older pets and is able to say, "It's time." My husband cannot make the decision. It's too hard for him. Gayle Carlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15783449240138097315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-66057277179445456112013-11-16T17:32:38.234-08:002013-11-16T17:32:38.234-08:00What a great entry on perspective. I am an eternal...What a great entry on perspective. I am an eternal optimist, even when life gives me ample reason not to be. I firmly believe that life is what you make of it, and you can't let the bad times spoil the good times. We all get our share of both.Domhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00139769676714813261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-50020463658519878342013-11-16T16:27:04.138-08:002013-11-16T16:27:04.138-08:00I tend to balance between worry and determination ...I tend to balance between worry and determination to do what I can. It would be better, I think, if I could remain more firmly positive, but I do worry. When I was bringing Henry back from colic surgery, I worried a lot. But he is a healthy horse who has been a sound riding horse for five years post surgery, so I guess the worry didn't hurt him. Like WHP says, there was such a cheerful attitude and so much try in the horse himself that I think it was Henry whose outlook made the difference.Laura Crumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15200878892304748308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-4938524865807030002013-11-16T15:18:21.136-08:002013-11-16T15:18:21.136-08:00I suppose that what matters is realism plus enough...I suppose that what matters is realism plus enough of a positive outlook not to fall into despair. There's no point hoping for an impossible recovery. And yet a bad injury looks even worse than it is. <br /><br />Once I had a two year-old filly that jumped two fences then cut a hind leg deeply on a wire severing a tendon. It was sewn together and she spent many weeks with the lower leg immobilised in a cast. (That didn't stop her from jumping another fence.) The area of the injury remained with some ugly proud flesh, however she regained soundness and was trained to become a good robust trail horse. There was a stubbornness innate in that mare which inspired us to try and save her. We needed to keep her apart from the rest of the herd whilst recovering as they would bully her - native breeds trying to drive out a weaker member. When she became sound again, she went out and repaid her tormenters with a kicking. They showed her respect after that! White Horse Pilgrimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18256903307281225327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-64163947933455908252013-11-16T05:37:02.446-08:002013-11-16T05:37:02.446-08:00This takes me back 7 years when I had a weanling i...This takes me back 7 years when I had a weanling in the pasture shot by a very bad hunter. I didn't expect him to survive or be sound, but we took him to the vet, where he had a hundreds of stitches put into his hip. He had lost a chunk of skin and muscle. After months of care and medicines, the wound was closed and he had skin and hair growing on it. There was a depression where he was missing muscle. The bad thing is, it's not his only scar, he had stitches before I got him, and he had about 50 more after that when someone didn't move the stall latch out of the way before he went in. I worried about him for the first four years of his life. He seemed destined to kill himself or be unrideable.<br /><br />He still has all the scars, though most people don't even notice. The muscle on his hip all grew back. He was never lame, in fact he is the most beautiful moving, athletic horse I've ever owned. I'm going to ride him today, knock on wood.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com