He Lives!

Where has the winter gone? I am quite ashamed to say that I have ridden Brego a total of three times since the new year. But each time, he is relaxed and fun and as smart as ever. The boy remembers everything, and unlike last year, I am not worried that we will be behind once Spring truly arrives. We will do just fine, with maybe some special care taken to conditioning.

A terrible photo, but not a bad ride, considering...

I've been battling a virus myself, so getting back in the saddle today was a good test of my own abilities. We went across the street to the indoor for the first time this season and did some walk/trot/canter. Nothing too crazy. We finished with some nice simple changes. Brego is definitely not as strong as he was at the end of last season, lurching a bit into the canter, carrying himself a little low, but his brain was sharp and his overall fitness was good. No heavy breathing, no sweating, soft jaw, plenty of go. He really is so much better since his Lyme treatment, both mentally and physically.

Only a couple more months until we begin our training for real. Hopefully, we will get some snow to cover the frozen ground and we can continue our fun rides. He's been doing well with skijoring practice, but no photo evidence exists, unfortunately.

Until then, we'll just muddle through and every ride this winter will be a gift.

Holiday Cheer

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the farm
Not a creature was stirring, trying to stay warm;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;



The horses were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of mango slices danced in their heads;
And having finished the chores, I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap.



When out in the field there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.



The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a giant draft horse seeming to float in the air.



With his big fat belly and enormous toes,


I knew in a moment it must be Brego.
Released from his stall and dashing in the snow
He was running and bucking and looking to show.



More rapid than eagles his hooves they came,


And he snorted, and neighed, and I called him by name;


"Now, Brego you are too big to call this play!


You scare me I will be crushed where I lay!


When you leap in the air and jump the wall!
Now settle down, before you kill us all!"
Then Brego stood still with a twinkle in his eye
And he answered me back before leaping to the sky.

"All our time together, you have wanted to run
And jump and play and have so much fun.
Now I enjoy going fast as much as you do
and jumping so high to the birds we flew.

So why now do you get way too scared?
It seems like just now, we've finally been paired.
So relax just a little and in time you will see
I am an equal partner and you can trust me.

Just now I was practicing to be light as air
So I can win at dressage with little care.
And the running is good for building my heart
Remember how boring it would be to pull a cart."


His eyes -- how they twinkled! his big goofy ears how merry!
His coat was all dappled, his nose like a cherry!
I smiled to myself, remembering the time
He saved a jump distance, a mistake that was mine.

And then there was the time, he took care of my dad
carrying him softly with all the skill that he had.
And of course, he saved me when I hurt my back,
moving carefully home to keep me in the tack.

"You are right, my big man" I said with a shout.
"You've taught me so much, you are the best mount
For all my adventures, I am sure that is true.
And there is no doubt, how much I love you.

But get thee to bed, before we miss St. Nick.
And in the morning, you will have a special gift.
We will play together in the driven snow
And package our adventure with a giant red bow."

Then with glee, he turned 'round in the snow,
And I lingered at the window to watch him go.
He had a broad face and a giant round belly,
That shook, when he played like a bowlful of jelly.



He sprang to his stall, with a neigh loud and clear,
I am so lucky to have a horse so dear.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he dove out of sight,


"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

See ya, 2009! Don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

What a year. What a freakin' year. I am going to be so happy to see 2009 in the rear view mirror, and pray, dance, and sacrifice to the rain gods that 2010 is drier and we see the beautiful sun. Remember that 80% cloud cover in June? Remember that record precipitation in June, July, September, October and now December?

What a freakin' year.

When we last left our hero, Brego had just had his first, and hopefully only, set of shoes pulled because he wasn't adjusting to them. The leading theory now is that the equipack was too hard and hurt his sole. If I try shoes again in the future, it will not be with a pack.

Regardless, Brego snapped back to normal within a few days and we ended up going clear at the Groton House Fall Classic and placing 4th after a fairly disastrous dressage ride. Bucking in the left canter does not endear yourself with the judge, but he was foot perfect cross country. Despite the heavy rains, he did not slip on course and I felt like our stadium round was the most even and "hunter-like" to date with good distances, nice tempo, calm and easy.

We started foxhunting and Brego continued to improve foot wise, to the point that I would take him to almost any of our fixtures and not worry about it being too hard on him. He was sound, sound, sound and very happy to be following the hounds again. Too happy, it seems, because at our opening hunt, he was so explosive in his, er, exuberance that I had to retire early for fear of endangering the field. He bucked me out of the saddle (although I managed to stay on), bolted and almost ran over my field master. He was just out of his mind in a scary way that I've never seen in him before.

His Lyme titer came back borderline positive (like most horses in New England), but after that display of athleticism, I decided to treat. Unlike Andrea, who is either brave or stupid, I do not laugh when my horse rears (nothing but love, Andrea, but you are crazy!).

During the month long treatment, I was galloping Brego one Wednesday on an old carriage trail, about a 1/4 mile around, nice and cleared and good footing in all weather. It is a 30 minute walk hack through the woods from my house. I do carry a phone with me for safety, but my SO was away working with the fox hounds that morning. Anyway, we did our two 5-minute trot sets and had just started the first canter set and I suddenly felt very sharp pain in the middle of my back. I fell forward and couldn't breathe for the pain. I managed to utter "whoa" but was otherwise largely unable to gather my reins, steer, or sit up. Brego came back to a halt immediately and stood (fresh out of a gallop). I determined my back was not getting better after a few minutes, so I laid on his neck and asked him to walk home. He walked the 30 minutes home perfectly, picking the right turns in the woods, with zero input from me. He carried me home as gently as you could ask, navigating a stream and some steep hills without a single trot step or jar. When I got home, I lined him up to a stone wall and he stood perfectly while I took 2 minutes to get on the ground, hanging on his side. I put him away and went to the emergency room. Lumbar sprain and muscle spasm. I was riding the same way I have for years. Brego did not trip or slip or pull on me to cause it. I did not hit the back of the saddle or anything else. Who knows? But Brego's maturity and calmness during the whole ordeal showed me that my boy was back. And since the treatment, he's been nothing but a very fun, safe horse.

Not the best picture, but it makes me laugh. I call it "Air Brego" (top rail is 3'3") and I secretly wish that my ass looked that small in the saddle. Maybe in 2010...

While I was injured, I asked Andrea to ride Brego in the New England Hunter Trials. She already wrote up her very polite comments. What she failed to say was that Brego started warmup like a complete cow and she had to literally whip him into shape. She didn't say it, but I know she was thinking that *I* was the crazy one for wanting to event this slow, lazy, fat, pompous fool. But when she finished the ride, after 12 minutes on course, she was all smiles. Watching someone of Andrea's ability ride my horse was the best thing that could have happened to me. She handled his minor challenging outbursts like a pro and from the ground, I could see them for what they were: minor. He *feels* huge when he gets all humped back and high, but he is not really doing much more than breathing so it helped me relax that my death was not impending. She also gave me some very honest tips and appraisal of where Brego was and where he needed to be to compete Novice. Although they did not place well, I am eternally grateful to Andrea for that gift.

My back healed 100% and the rest of the season involved twice weekly foxhunts, a lot of drinking from my flask, and farm work. Brego completed enough hunts to earn his "Hunt Horse" certificate so now he's the Real Deal. Or something like that. :) Brego's feet continued to improve and now I think I've got the right maintenance routine for them to handle the climate here in New England (did you see me knock on wood there, because I just knocked so hard I think I broke my hand). I intend to compete in eventing barefoot. Next summer will be telling as to whether I can keep him comfortable for foxhunting as well.

Brego in the snow. Not pictured: His manly "Ruby" blanket.

Now, under the first foot of snow, Brego will have all of December off. My goal is to not let him get as out of condition as last year so I will being skijoring work with him January. I am also going to work on ground driving again, with the ultimate goal of getting him safe in harness again. We have logged the back acreage, and so after a couple of years, he will have better turnout and grass most of the growing season. My money is still tied up in the farm, with the need to buy lime, seed, and fencing for those new pastures ($$$), but I intend to get to some recognized USEA shows next year, and I want to compete in one jumper show as well (for grins).

I am not going to formalize any goals, however, because 2009 taught me that sheer will is sometimes not enough when the weather, the farm, and the job pull you in 10 different directions. Brego and I will just work to improve, have fun and make every outing the most it can be.

What a freakin' year. At least I learned a lot and Brego and I are none the worse for wear. My horse is a gift and the big lesson of 2009 is learning to appreciate him even though things don't work out the way you planned. Good boy, my Big Man.

The Search for the Perfect Hoof (Solution)

Since I have gotten some excellent leads on good hoof products, I thought I would write up what I already know or have researched. My readers can then extend the search, armed with data.



This is Brego's right front foot right after we pulled the steel shoes. You can clearly see the nail holes in addition to his enormous and quite healthy frog. (An old barefoot trimmer I cliniced with once remarked while looking at Brego's foot: What do you call a frog that's bigger than a frog? A toad!) Brego's foot measures 7.5" to 8" across and it is wider than it is long, which is the challenge to fit. Most conventional hoof products (boots, shoes, etc) are longer than they are wide. Right now, Brego would wear a size 8 shoe. That is a tremendously big shoe, and very hard to find in "sport" models.

We live close to Meader Supply, which is one of the foremost suppliers of Draft and light horse farrier supplies, so we have access to a boggling array of options. Unfortunately, most do not fit. The most common draft shoe is called "Scotch Bottom Shoes" and they are falling out of favor in the driving community and are completely inappropriate for sport. They encourage big hitch action and not the kind of movement I need for eventing or hunting. My current farrier calls them "archaic". The biggest challenge is understanding not only the needs of a big foot, but also the needs of a sport horse, who must have a comfortable breakover, minimal weight swinging on the fetlock, and excellent traction. In short, I need a performance option for a light horse, in a big horse package.

As for boots, I have tried all the major names. The following boots do not come big enough, or they have the wrong shape for Brego's feet (longer than wide): Renegades, Easyboot Gloves, Easyboot Epics, Marquis, etc. Brego does fit in a pair of Boa Boots, but they are bulky and he tends to slip. They are for walking only.

The following composite shoes do not come big enough: Eponas, Smoothwalkers, Flex Step. I ordered a pair of Hoof-Its and they were too small, but there is a larger size to try, so we may be ok there. If Brego fit in Eponas, I would buy them in a heartbeat. I love the traction options and the mesh insert is perfect to prevent balling in winter.

I have also tried Super Fast glue epoxy, glue on pads with Adhere, Sole Guard, and other "pour on" options. One tube (at $30) is enough for one foot for one fast hunting ride, so they quickly get expensive.

However, Brego has been sound barefoot for 8 years and now that the incessant rain has stopped, he is sound once again. I rode him at a rocky fixture at a hunt on Wednesday and he was fine. I pulled back to hilltop after the stirrup cup to save his feet, but he finished the ride just fine. After a long, foot-tiring ride, I do pack him with Magic Cushion and put him in his Davis soaking boots, which do thankfully come big enough. So there is a possibility, with correct conditioning and cooperative weather, that Brego can work over most of the terrain in New England.

I have written up a post including his original feet when I bought him and described the trimming philosophy before. I also have xrays of his front feet to show what's going on inside.

That does not mean there is not more to do or to learn. Brego has sported a pretty significant "splat" flare since I bought him at 3. It is one of the things that you can't really get ahead of without doing something drastic, like rasping a lot of his hoof wall straight. And every time I have done something drastic, he is uncomfortable. I think for his long term health, however, we need to get his foot more upright. This will lead to more concavity of his foot and allow him to be even more comfortable over rocky terrain. So, each winter, while he is resting in soft snow, I will work on the flare. This year, it has already gotten significantly better, with continual treatments of "White Lightening" to sanitize the white line to help it grow in tighter, pulling his foot up stronger. The 60 days of rain really set us back, but the hope is to get his foot nice and tight, and not wider than it is long, by the end of next year. That would probably put him in a size 7. Still too large for most products, but I think better overall.

The CBC came back completely normal, so we can eliminate EPSM, Anemia, and other horrors from possible causes of distress last month. The Lyme titer should take a week or so to get back.

Quick Update

I am not immune to the tremendous outpouring of support. I really appreciate each and every comment. I have a quick update on Brego, since so many people have pinged me privately to ask if he is ok. I am relieved to say that he is doing very well!

We pulled the steel shoes and found close nails on both fronts. The farrier came out that evening, was very professional, and helped us to glue the shoes back on to see if it was the weight of the steel or if it was a close nail that was making him look strange. There was some question because normally being quicked causes three-legged lameness and Brego was just not lame. Anyway, he did much better with the glued on steel shoes so we feel like it was the nails that were causing the issue. The farrier was floored at Brego's pain tolerance, but I was not surprised. That horse has tremendous heart.

The steel shoes fell off after a single ride, but I got the evidence I needed so I didn't mind the cost and effort of gluing them back on.

Since his steel shoes were off, I took the opportunity to order him some composite shoes. It was hard to find some that came in his size, but I found a brand and ordered them and lo' they are too small. So, I've been riding Brego barefoot and over the course of a few days after the shoes were removed, he was back to 100%. To finish up the investigation, I had a chiro out and he passed just fine. She did not find any issues up front. His left his is a bit sticky as always. I am going to up his lateral work to strengthen that left hind.

On Wednesday, I am getting a blood panel drawn and a Lyme test just to finally and conclusively say it was his too-tight nailed shoes. I rode him at the hunt barefoot on Saturday over a less rocky fixture and he was foot perfect, keeping up in the gallops, jumping 3' coops and even leading the field twice over fences when the master begged off. Such a star!

To help him with the increased load from hunting, I've added electrolytes to his breakfast and I just finished a full body clip. That horse has a lot of surface area!

Tomorrow we go cross country schooling, Wednesday it's back to hunting, and there may be a show or two before the end of the year. I am still willing to try properly fitting and nailed steel shoes to help with the rockier fixtures for hunting, I just need to coordinate with my farrier whom I still respect and trust.

Whew, now we're all caught up. I am still slow on the blogging, but I wanted people to know that Brego is doing very well and to thank you for your well wishes, thoughts, and prayers. I have learned a ton through this experience, both about Brego and myself. Brego continues to be challenging to fit, but he is willing to work and has so much heart. He amazes me daily.

Once Again

Ok, once again I am in the position to defend my actions and decisions regarding Brego's discomfort. I urge everyone who reads this blog and thinks they know the whole story to reconsider.

Jennifer and others, please do not think my decision to take my matters private have much, if anything, to do with you. It's totally acceptable to challenge, it's not acceptable to make assumptions. I get emails every day from people who say more damning things than asking if my horse is rearing because he is uncomfortable. For whatever reason, people think some pretty horrific things about my character because I have the audacity to ride my draft horse as a sport horse. And I get to hear about it. All the time. So much is said outside of the realm of this blog, and that's the price you pay for having a public presence. Which is something I mean to correct. Out of respect to my readers, I wrote the last post letting them know I was working on some issues and that I would be out of contact. I did not just fade away and let people wonder if Brego is ok. I decided to be honest.

Secondly, Brego is not chronically sore. He is not suffering sitting in my pasture. He is not moving as well as I know he can. Which is not OK, but there's a big difference between where he is and *suffering*. And please do not assume I have given up. The implication that I am not pursuing treatment due to not wanting to spend money is beyond ridiculous. I have spent more on this horse than some people make as an annual income, getting custom tack, custom treatments, all to make him happy in his work. I have an appointment with a chiro, xrays are planned, I am working with my farrier whom I trust. I have looked into draft farriers and been worried about the "big hitch" shoes. Walking and trotting in a straight line, Brego is totally fine. How many farriers in the US can claim they shoe drafts for sport?? Do you really think that someone who shoes the big hitches in scotch bottom shoes understands the breakover at a gallop, the twisting of tight turns on the hunt, or the impact of jumping? Do any of my readers live in the area, have interviewed draft farriers and know what kind of expertise is available to me?

I obsess over ever detail of my horse and his way of going. His current situation is so subtle that most people would not see it, which does not make it right, but I think should lessen the hysteria that I am doing nothing but letting him rot in a field.

I am being very active to make Brego feel 100%. I am just not doing it publicly anymore, because no matter what I say or write, I cannot win. And again, this is not directed at the people that have the courage to sign their names to their comments, but those who attack for no other purpose than to erode my confidence in my ability to care for my horse. I find it quite remarkable that when we are doing well and winning, I hear nothing but positives about my care and ability to maintain my horse. But when he gets foot sore due to a ridiculous year which is affecting thousands of horses in the area (read COTH or Equisite sometime), then all of a sudden I am too cheap, stubborn, ignorant, vet-hating, quitter, etc, to care for my horse.

A little benefit of the doubt goes a long way.

No Progress

After almost three weeks, Brego has not adjusted to the shoes. He is not lame per se, but not comfortable striding forward and is reluctant to hold the canter. I have been away for work most of the time, so I am relying on my SO to ride, longe and report back.

We've decided to pull the shoes asap and reevaluate. Although Brego was perfectly sound on turf barefoot and would have been fine at most eventing venues, he was not sound over rocks which means hunting was uncomfortable for him. I am now concerned that because of the aggressive trim to fit his hoof to a shoe, he may not be comfortable even for eventing until his foot can grow out. I can keep him comfortable around the farm in boots if need be, but there's a high likelihood that hunting, and eventing, are done for the year.

There are a couple of options I may investigate, such as nail-on hard plastic shoes, in case it is the hard concussion of the steel that is bothering Brego. I am also looking into a hoof casting material that will work as well as the epoxy but have more longevity.

Regardless, this is a devastating time for me, to have come along the entire year and not been able to keep him comfortable barefoot. And now, even shoes are a problem and I am frankly nearly out of options. If he cannot stay sound barefoot in the North East for whatever reason, I have some very hard choices ahead.

As a result, I have decided to stop blogging for the near term. The hard choices I face are very personal and I am loathe air them publicly. No matter how much I try, people always misunderstand and I don't need projected guilt added to my own.

Thanks so much or your warm wishes and for being great readers. I hope to return in the spring, a new, drier year, with much better news.