moral to Max's story-- trust your gut

[Tara Wheeler <harpy@io.com>]

> My
> point in telling Max's story was that anytime our horses are in the care of
> a third party, whether it is a farrier, vet, trainer or horse hauler, we
> need to be our animals' advocates. If our gut instinct tells us something
> isn't right, we need to speak up and act on our animal's behalf and don't
> assume that the "experts" have all the answers.

If we learn anything from this horrible incident, I hope it's this.

I ruined a wonderful quarter-horse mare by letting a greedy farrier trim her
feet repeatedly too short until she foundered and rotated her coffin bones.

She may never be rideable at all again and I'm 90% sure she's finished for
CTRs.

I mistakenly thought that the farrier knew what he was doing.

The horse was telling me that she hurt.  She was telling me that she hurt
after each trim, and that each one was worst than the last.

I listened to the farrier tell me that she was a spoiled brat and that I was
spoiling her.  Yeah, she's good and spoiled now.

Listen to your horses.  You know them better than anyone.  If you feel at
all uncomfortable, get another opinion.  Let people call you a nut.  Let 'em
rant and rage.  It's your horse, not theirs.   Get charged for an additional
vet, hauler, trainer or farrier call.  It's worth it in the long run.

My $25 trim has cost me $1000 so far.  It may cost me my horse.

The morning before her trim, I had a photographer come out and take my
portrait on my favorite horse.  It was the last time I was able to ride her.

I can barely look at those pictures now.

Chris, you have my deepest sympathies.