Re: Newcomers (long)

[Lauren Horn <fourhorn@fea.net>]

Merryben@aol.com wrote:
  We used to figure a minimum of 6 weeks
> for a horse in fairly good shape and maybe 2-3 months for a pasture maggot.  I
> still feel that it is plenty of time.  


Yeah, that's what I thought too when I got my mare. (Little did I know
what was about to unfold!)  I thought I was only dealing with a slight
under-nourished, skinny, horse that needed some touch up training. Get
the weight on, some schooling, hit the trails, and viola! enter an
endurance ride. Not so fast. After a few weeks trainer says my horse
looks stiff, maybe she should see a chiropractor. O.K. that's easy.
Chiropractor says back is out, pelvis is out, withers are out, "this
horse needs work" Time off after the adjustments. Some riding, more
training. More adjustments, more time off. At the same time, I am
working on her messed up, "never wore shoes" hoofs along with one
semi-club hoof. Making slow progress on her feet.

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel I plan for an upcoming
endurance ride 7 months after I brought her home. Plenty of time to
train. So train we do. She is doing well and I am happy. But wait -
"What's that slight swelling in her rear fetlock?"  More time off. Then
I notice that she seems to be uneven in her gait, not lame, just a
little off. No one else sees what I see. I know she is off, but the vet
says no. No heat in her fetlock, "just some windpuffs…but keep an eye on
it" More training, but I know something is not right. I consult another
vet and he tells me it is all in my head. O.K. maybe it is all in my
head. So we continue to train.

A few weeks before our first endurance ride, a few miles into a training
ride, Kyla takes a step and immediately I know. Her right hip drops and
she is dead lame. Heartbroken, I get off and walk back to the trailer.
After the ultrasound (strained, not torn tendon), vet says I really
should give her 3 months off. 3 MONTHS!!  I am so desperate to do an
endurance ride, I beg and borrow a horse to ride. Great first ride
(except it wasn't on my horse) and to top it off, the horse and I got
Best Condition!

After a slow 3 months we start back all over. I start conditioning her
again.  I plan for another ride. Endurance Ride day is finally here, and
Kyla vets through fine. But, it was not to be. Three hours before the
START of the ride it is cancelled. A perpetual downpour all night made
the trails unsafe.

Kyla still continues with body work and chiropractic. She is still
uneven in her gait, so I know I haven't fixed the cause of her original
lameness.  More work, more specialized training, like cavelletis.  Then
breeding season comes and I stick by my original plan to breed her. So
off she goes to the breeding barn. More time off. Can't get her bred -
stallion is sick. We wait. More time. Stallion dies. I bring her home
and start riding again. She looks good and feels good. More maintenance
body work. She is looking better - her gait is even and free. We train,
train and train. Gait looks uneven again, very slight like always, but I
can tell. Some adjustments and time off. Then back to the conditioning
rides.

So here I am, 16 months after I first brought my "endurance prospect"
home. And my horse still hasn't done an endurance ride. I did learn that
the pre-purchase, endurance vet-check was worthless, in my case. I also
learned huge volumes about alternative therapies, conformation,
training, care and  shoeing. AT THIS TIME, Kyla looks great, feels great
and is moving great. She is in great shape. Her feet are perfect and at
the last few chiropractic visits there are fewer and fewer adjustments.
She is finally holding her own…for now.

Next weekend is our first ride together. It will also be a first ride
for my husband and his new gelding (whom we owned for about 2 months). I
will let you all know how it goes. With all my trials, tribulations,
hardwork and set-backs, I can say for sure that TO FINISH IS TO WIN.

Lauren