|
A CHANCE TO SHINE
by Courtney Jacob
Every rider has that one perfect
equine partner — a truly special horse who
totally changes all previous expectations and furthers
a passion for the art of riding like no other. The
amazing qualities of such an animal are not always
obvious, hiding within and waiting to be uncovered.
This was the case for my dressage partner, Chance.
In hindsight, I never should have
brought him home, but thanks to the combined efforts
of a knowledgeable instructor and good veterinary
care, Chance was given a chance to shine.
I saw Chance in an Internet advertisement
and was intrigued from the moment I saw his picture
and information. The gray never-raced Thoroughbred
was for sale at a northern Michigan barn, run by
a person my instructor knew and believed to be reputable.
On a warm weekend in late February
of 2000, I made the drive out to see him with parents
and horse trailer in tow. I first noticed how remarkably
quiet he was when I approached him, standing calmly
in cross-ties, while noisy geese waddled around
his hooves. He was handsome, with a kind eye and
expression, but he was visibly thin. I could feel
Chance's ribs under his thick winter coat as I ran
my hand along his side, and he did not have much
muscling on his rear end at all.
He was stabled in an area that
was known for harsh winter conditions, and at that
time, I attributed his appearance to being a hard
keeper in cold weather. I was able to ride him a
few times while we were there, and he willingly
did or tried to accomplish everything I asked of
him. His gaits were beautiful, especially his floating
"ocean wave" canter, and his basics and
groundwork were acceptable.
I decided that after I had brought
him home and put a little weight on him, Chance
would be a more than decent dressage partner to
continue my pursuit of riding.
I was not prepared for the shock
on my instructor's face as I backed him out of the
trailer at her barn.
"Please tell me this isn't
the horse you bought!" she cried, looking him
over and suspecting that something was seriously
wrong with the horse.
When our vet came out to do a Coggins
on Chance the very next day, other tests were done
and he was given a thorough check-up to uncover
his ailments. The results that came back a few days
later were horrifying. Underneath his rough exterior,
the vet told us that he had horrible bloodworm infestations
so severe that if they were left untreated, he would
die in another month. She couldn't believe that
he had even lasted the entire trip home across the
state in such poor condition.
Our vet recommended that he should
be sent back, trying to give us an idea of how much
work was going to have to put into this animal to
bring him back to life. At that point, I don't consciously
know why I didn't have him hauled right back to
where he came from, moving on in my search for a
dressage horse. I knew that I absolutely could not
and would not send him back, because knowing that
he would just be left in the same condition to die
would have broken my heart.
After discussing his fate with
my instructor and my parents, I made Chance my "rescue
case." I decided that I would have my instructor
help me try to care for him and bring him back to
good condition. If his health could not be improved
so that I could use him, we would put him down humanely,
or he would go to the local therapeutic riding stable
to be used as a lesson horse. Once that course of
action had been planned, I set about the task of
turning a sickly wasted animal into a dressage mount.
Immediately, Chance went on an
aggressive de-worming program and a strict feeding
regimen to bring his weight up safely. I estimated
Chance's weight to be only 800 pounds, severely
low for his 15.2 hand body. It was frightening knowing
that at any given time, the poor animal could lose
his weak grasp on life and slip away.
He was literally a walking skeleton
with three inches of dull winter hair hiding nothing
but the bones of an emaciated frame. His back had
deteriorated to the point where his spine stuck
up a few inches over its entire length, and his
hind end was almost totally devoid of muscle, giving
him a terrible wobble. Corrective shoeing was done
as soon as possible to help lessen this problem.
I worried that he would lie down to roll or sleep
and never get up again in those early days.
Fortunately, the excellent feeding
program set up by my instructor and the medicines
from the vet began to fight his ill health, and
Chance slowly became a horse again. He was still
in a fragile state — for an entire month,
I could only walk him around the arena for fifteen
minutes before he was winded and sweating —
but his health did not affect his gentleman's attitude
and his willingness to please throughout his recovery.
As his condition improved, Chance
went through a phase I called "Disease of the
Week," where some new problem showed up every
time I went to visit him. When his thick winter
coat began to shed out, more hidden health issues
surfaced -- runny noses, lice, ringworm, and a host
of other things. It was frustrating because just
as one affliction would finish running its course,
something new would take its place. Though his immune
system was still under constant threat of illness,
he was putting on weight steadily and no longer
looked as if he would fall over in the slightest
breeze.
With my instructor's guidance,
Chance and I worked on simple riding exercises that
would help him build up his stamina and muscling,
done carefully so as not to exhaust him and send
his stressed systems into shock. He always did his
best for me, no matter how difficult a time he was
having in battling his ailments, and his balance
and coordination started to come back as he became
healthier.
Chance's under-saddle work improved
gradually, and he was able to start trotting exercises
a month and a half after his rescue with cantering
soon to follow. I had to use three thick saddle
pads whenever I rode to protect his exposed spine,
easing some of his discomfort.
My instructor and I were concerned
that as soon as the good feed boosted his energy,
my nice, quiet Thoroughbred would turn into a wild,
rambunctious beast. This, however, never became
an issue for Chance. He retained his calm and easy-going
attitude and still continued to give all he had
to give as his spirit reappeared. His back was still
weak and I worked on rising trot exercises with
him as his health progressed.
This animal's transformation was
incredible — I could literally watch as his
muscles were built up and strengthened week by week.
His spine began to disappear under a growing cover
of muscle and weight, and the wobble in his hindquarters
improved as riding made him fitter and stronger.
I set a goal to have him ready
for two Training Level tests at a show in the beginning
of June, and together we pushed towards that goal
for weeks. Our hard work paid off and Chance and
I turned in a 55% and a 56%, more than amazing considering
what kind of animal he had been just four months
earlier.
I was overjoyed that I finally
had a dressage horse to enjoy, without having to
worry constantly about whether he was going to survive
the night or not. We did two more shows that summer,
picking up scores mostly in the high 50s and low
60s, and Chance's heart of gold continued to shine
and win the love of everyone he came across. He
came home and I let him spend three months just
being a horse that winter, giving him time to fill
out the rest of his weight.
Chance started training in March
of the following year at an estimated 1,100 pounds,
in good health and good spirits. Some barn regulars
did not even recognize him because his appearance
had changed so dramatically in a year's time.
He is fit, he is healthy, and he
is happy. Now, two years later, I am currently schooling
Second Level with him, showing Training Level, and
First Level, and he is still tackling everything
with his winning attitude and work ethic. We have
so much left to learn together, and I have a renewed
passion for dressage because of this incredible
horse.
He is truly a joy to ride and love,
and this only the beginning of our promising career
together.
Read
some more Horse Tales!
| 
