HELP - injured horse looking for home (long)

[AJANDCRYSTA@aol.com]

Sugar stepped on a nail in late August (around the 17th).  It was a 16-penny (framing) nail, it went in about the middle of her frog and penetrated about 2 inches deep.  She had surgery to have the nail removed on 8/21.  The surgery involved actually cutting a cone shaped hole in the bottom of her foot to allow the injury to drain and heal "from the inside out".  She has completely healed the hole shut but now has scar tissue growing out of the hole.  This tissue has no nerve endings but is all capillaries, so if not protected, will bleed profusely.  She has a special shoe on with a medicine (or hospital) plate.  There is a small notch filed in her hoof in the front right under the shoe.  The plate has a small tongue which latches into the notch and then it bolts onto the heel portion of her shoe.  The wound typically only bleeds a little bit when I change the dressing though, which I now do once or twice a week.
 
About a month ago I took her to the vet again.  He did a complete set of X-rays and found no infection.  Other than the small pocket, which the vet cannot tell what it is yet, maybe just air or pus, everything looks good.  He said he feels she has a very good chance of being sound again.  At this time he cut off what scar tissue was there and froze the stub with liquid nitrogen.  He said that it shouldn't grow back but it has, although not nearly as much.  He recommended that she be allowed to move around as much as she wants.  She's in a 40 x 60 paddock right now (my only option where I board) and I take her out whenever I go to see her and either hand-walk her or lunge her.
 She is a really awesome horse.  11 years old, beautiful buckskin, a nice dark gold in the summer but more sandy colored in the winter.  She also has faint dapples pretty much year-round.  She's up to date on all her shots and worming.  She could be registered with either buckskin registry, but since she is ranch-bred out of Idaho her lineage is untraceable, although I do have the phone number of her breeders, who don't register any of their horses.  She's done a little bit of everything, endurance, parades, rodeo, flag team, barrels, tons and tons of trail riding, had 9 months professional training with a reining base.  You cannot ride her now, when you can she's typically a little "hot" for a beginner to ride, I'd only recommend advanced-intermediate to advanced rider.  An intermediate rider could handle her out on the trail, it's just in the arena or competition setting that she really gets excited.  At home if you walk with her she will carry little kids and just follow you around like a puppy dog.  Loves
 people, especially since her injury, she and I have really bonded.  I almost don't need a lead rope for her as she will just follow me.  Very easy keeper, just hay or grass is all she needs to keep up her condition.  This was true even when I was riding her 4+ times a week for hours at a time.
 
The main reason I am looking to get rid of her is we cannot afford to keep putting money into a horse I cannot ride and probably will never be able to compete on.  I really love to do endurance and although Sugar may be sound again, I don't think she will be able to stand the rigors of competing.  We've already spent over $2,000 in vet bills, not counting my time off work to take her there and the fact I blew the exhaust on my truck hauling the trailer to her last appointment (go figure :)).  I pay $150 a month in board and, with a baby on the way, my husband and I are looking to conserve our resources.  Although I would like to get SOME money for her, I realize this is probably not going to happen.  I would be much happier seeing her go to a good home where I know she will be treated well than get money for having her auctioned off.  She is located in Sparks, Nevada, near Reno.
 
Please contact me with any other questions you may have.
 
Crysta