Vet Visit

Burlington Equine has become a sports medicine organization. Randy came out and helped when the horses had strangles. I have a lot of respect for him. He also  came out yesterday to evaluate all five of our taller equine herd members for "fitness" for the plans we have for them.

The star of the morning was Cocoa. Despite the concerns raised by one of the people who came out see him, he is completely sound. His vision is perfect, his hocks are fine, his back needed a single adjustment (already done) that Randy thinks will hold for a while. Cordell has been adjusting his feet slowly over time, and Randy thinks this is the correct strategy. Coco stood quietly for his exam and for the chiropractic adjustment. He moved around the ring and demonstrated for Randy his preference for the trot over the canter. When I asked Randy what he thought Cocoa should do for a living, he suggested driving. I think that puts all of us in agreement now that Cocoa needs to learn to pull and will be a very flashy and exciting horse in harness. Randy suggested that this would actually open up a market of buyers for him. I am so happy for Cocoa that I would like to throw a party. It has been a long haul for him and he has come through like a star.

Meg: her choppy gaits can be fixed. She needs dressage training to fix her posture. She also needs some chiropractic adjustments. It will not be easy to change the confirmation of her neck, but it is possible given time. When I told Van, he was very happy for her. We are still discussing exactly how to bring this about. One of the possibilities is that she joins him in Georgia and he takes lessons on her.

Ed: Randy recommended changing him to the Ultium feed that Dante and Cocoa are on. He said that conditioning is very important for his well-being in light of the HYPP. He is allowed to have sweet treats like carrots and apples. But he also recommended vigilance -- horses with even mild HYPP can die of it. Plans for Ed -- ride him. Feed him. Love him.

Dante: can't do tight circles or jumps. Will enjoy a light trail riding and possibly even second field foxhunting. I want to find somebody who can foxhunt with him in the second field. I think that he will absolutely LOVE it.

Rocket: has sore withers. Needs a bit of bute. Needs a better fitting saddle. Is sound and perfect for endurance.

Having Randy come out and evaluate these five horses was one of the best things I have ever done in our rehabilitation program. I think taking a sports medicine perspective on any horse entering our program is going to help us figure out exactly which direction to move the horse in.

Thanks, Randy.