Most of you know I sold my big Easy Jet gelding last March. He wasn’t really for sale but some people called and wanted something for their daughter- who college rodeos in Utah, so I priced him, their trainer came and rode him and they bought him a week later. He passed his vet check with flying colors and for an 11yo barrel horse, that was great. It meant that I had taken great care of him.
So he went to Utah, and the first time I saw that she’d run on him she was over 2 seconds off. This is a horse that was running with the best of the rodeo horses- 3 tenths plus or minus- when he was legged up. Obviously she wasn’t with him. But how she couldn’t be, I don’t know. He was easy- point and kick.
In October I get a call from the vet that did the prepurchase. They wanted to know if they could release the radiographs from the pre-purchase to the new owners. I told them I didn’t care- that he wasn’t my horse so send them. So I called a week later and they said he was lame- the shoer had trimmed him too short.
I called yesterday and they tell me he’s lame again. This was a horse that was lame ONE time while I owned him for 5 years. The reason he was lame was an abscess. I was off of him for almost 3 months as it was a bad abscess but that was the only time that we had ever had a problem. Of course, I think I have one of the best shoers going, so that might have something to do with why I never have crippled horses, but still. I try to buy prospects that have good feet and bones so that they are more likely to stay sound. The only problem this horse had with his feet was that he grew very little heel, but keep him shod right and he’s a happy camper. I asked the girl’s dad yesterday what it was that he had- he said there was some damage near his coffin bone, but it’s not in the laminia -so not laminitis. He couldn’t remember what it was, but said it has something to do with PED. So I look it up- Here is what I find- it’s Pedal Osteitis:
http://www.anvilmag.com/farrier/012f4.htm
http://www.ladyfarrier.com/content_pages/2003/fall/osteitis.html
If you take time to peruse these links you’ll find that it comes from poor shoeing, work on hard ground and too much work on bad ground. They took him out of his NB shoes after they’d had him for several months. I believe I talked to his daughter in September and we discussed how she had him shod and she had no idea how to keep him done- I explained wide webs and NB shoes and why he was shod that way- as it should help him. They’ve also been hesitant to send him to the chiro.
I’m contemplating asking if they want to ship him down here to me, and I’ll get him sound- of course on their dime- but get my shoer to shoe him, take some trips to Doc Howell and have Doc Brand do some acupuncture on him to see if we can’t clear it up. I’m so sad.
What's on your mind?