Listen to your heart, it is your horse speaking

Blooty · 08-22-2008, 02:12 AM

This is kind of a long post. I’ve recently been criticized by someone I used to trust, and pay a lot of money to – an ex-trainer. I followed all her referrals for professional services, because I trusted her judgment. ..to save those of you who don’t want to read to the end: always listen to your horse, my horse spoke to my heart and told me what was wrong.

I will try to make a long story short and end by posing an analogy – based upon real happenings.
Recently, my horse lost her right shoe, about a week after losing her left shoe and about 3 days after left shoe was tacked on. When the shoe was loose, I heard it and so just walked her back to her stall. Called the farrier. Left a VM. Next day, shoe was off, called farrier and left a VM stating shoe was off and told him where I left it. Day after that, still no response from farrier. My horse, however, now had a gash in left corona band and a strange but correlating portion of right hoof wall missing. She was really lame. So, I left yet another VM for farrier, now stating my horse was really lame and I thought she had a piece of hoof wall embedded in her left corona.
So, next day, the farrier finally gets around to my horse, trims and shoes both front feet, and he calls and tells me that the wound on the left leg is an abcess, that my horse will be fine if I walk her every day, not so soak the wound….etc. He says he has walked my horse and she “got better after walking.” I specifically told him what I thought it was and I believed I should soak to get that piece of hoof out. So, I run down about an hour after his call and lo and behold, my horse is so lame and hurting. I give her two scoops of butte and call the vet. Vet looks at it and says I should soak it. She can’t tell what the matter is. So, now another day passes…but in the morning the vet calls me and says that I was right, there was a piece of hoof wall in the corona band/leg. Soaking helped it come out. Now my horse is on antibiotics and the vet says her hoof will never grow out right again due to the injury.

So, I call the farrier and tell him the news, to update his prognosis. He is laughing and he sounds like he is on crack. That doesn’t sit so well with me after I go see how much pain my horse is in and I send out an email to my equine buddies, including the trainer I trusted – stating the truth and what I got back from her was a scathing email about how my horse was “predisposed to losing shoes” and how the farrier is the “best in the business”. Well, if that’s the case, if he is so knowledgeable, how come he couldn’t see that there was a large piece of hoof wall sticking out of her corona band??? I saw it!!

But lastly, because this has gotten much longer than I wanted it to, the same trainer who sent me the scathing email about how dare I criticize this farrier, who is “the best farrier in the business” had a horse that was predisposed to colic. Well, she made us all use her vet of choice until the day her horse happened to colic and the vet did not run down there right away, knowing the horse was always colicy. The horse died. Those of us who were in training had to change vets, because of course now the golden vet was not so golden.

So, my point is, when sending out emails warning people about those whom you trust to the care of your horse – I can’t imagine most people will do it with malice, but only because something terrible has happened. And, I think most of us will agree that our horses speak to our hearts, we know, we just know when and what is wrong with them.

For a trainer to send me a nasty gram for telling the truth about what happened to my sweet mare, especially when that same trainer made us all switch vets after what happened to her horse – that is another subject entirely.

Rant off. Thank you for reading and I hope you all take this to heart, please, listen to your heart, it is that of your horse.

version1955 · 08-22-2008, 06:51 AM

It can be difficult for some people and for all of us from time to time to filter advice from experts through the gauze of our own perceptions. To have faith in what we know to be true against authority is a skill.

Thankfully you trusted your own judgment enough to keep trying to help your mare. And I've seen some nasty hoof injuries grow out pretty well. Not from personal experience, mind you, but right here on HT. So have faith in your mare still

ThorArb · 08-22-2008, 02:37 PM

So sorry that your poor mare had to go through that. Speaking from experience, I know that horses can make some spectacular turn arounds. As a yearling, my stud literally ripped off half of his hind off all the way up through his coronet band. It was months in recovery but he got better. You'd never know it now unless I told you. Then recently, he broke off a chunk of his front hoof, had a hairline fracture and was put on rest again. Amazing but he is making a full recovery. Hoof is still growing out but it will be back to normal in no time at all.

Hope your mare gets better soon! Poor girl.

Brittany

FehrGroundRanch · 08-23-2008, 02:45 PM

The title of your post is amazing. One of the most touching things I've ever heard!

Sorry about your mare...hope everything works out in the end for you.

ahlihaff · 08-24-2008, 05:58 PM

You are so right - it is best to listen to your horse.

I hope your mare will be well soon.

BarnBum · 08-24-2008, 06:10 PM

"Listen to your heart, its that of your horse"

Very nicely said.

Hope your mare is getting better.

A J · 08-24-2008, 08:57 PM

Here's wishing for a full recovery for your mare.

Some people really just can't accept critisism, even if it is well founded. I hope that your trainer somewhere managed to hear your story and will keep that in mind in the future.

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08-22-2008, 02:12 AM
Blooty Halter broke Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Where Gravy is considered a beverage Posts: 127	Listen to your heart, it is your horse speaking This is kind of a long post. I’ve recently been criticized by someone I used to trust, and pay a lot of money to – an ex-trainer. I followed all her referrals for professional services, because I trusted her judgment. ..to save those of you who don’t want to read to the end: always listen to your horse, my horse spoke to my heart and told me what was wrong. I will try to make a long story short and end by posing an analogy – based upon real happenings. Recently, my horse lost her right shoe, about a week after losing her left shoe and about 3 days after left shoe was tacked on. When the shoe was loose, I heard it and so just walked her back to her stall. Called the farrier. Left a VM. Next day, shoe was off, called farrier and left a VM stating shoe was off and told him where I left it. Day after that, still no response from farrier. My horse, however, now had a gash in left corona band and a strange but correlating portion of right hoof wall missing. She was really lame. So, I left yet another VM for farrier, now stating my horse was really lame and I thought she had a piece of hoof wall embedded in her left corona. So, next day, the farrier finally gets around to my horse, trims and shoes both front feet, and he calls and tells me that the wound on the left leg is an abcess, that my horse will be fine if I walk her every day, not so soak the wound….etc. He says he has walked my horse and she “got better after walking.” I specifically told him what I thought it was and I believed I should soak to get that piece of hoof out. So, I run down about an hour after his call and lo and behold, my horse is so lame and hurting. I give her two scoops of butte and call the vet. Vet looks at it and says I should soak it. She can’t tell what the matter is. So, now another day passes…but in the morning the vet calls me and says that I was right, there was a piece of hoof wall in the corona band/leg. Soaking helped it come out. Now my horse is on antibiotics and the vet says her hoof will never grow out right again due to the injury. So, I call the farrier and tell him the news, to update his prognosis. He is laughing and he sounds like he is on crack. That doesn’t sit so well with me after I go see how much pain my horse is in and I send out an email to my equine buddies, including the trainer I trusted – stating the truth and what I got back from her was a scathing email about how my horse was “predisposed to losing shoes” and how the farrier is the “best in the business”. Well, if that’s the case, if he is so knowledgeable, how come he couldn’t see that there was a large piece of hoof wall sticking out of her corona band??? I saw it!! But lastly, because this has gotten much longer than I wanted it to, the same trainer who sent me the scathing email about how dare I criticize this farrier, who is “the best farrier in the business” had a horse that was predisposed to colic. Well, she made us all use her vet of choice until the day her horse happened to colic and the vet did not run down there right away, knowing the horse was always colicy. The horse died. Those of us who were in training had to change vets, because of course now the golden vet was not so golden. So, my point is, when sending out emails warning people about those whom you trust to the care of your horse – I can’t imagine most people will do it with malice, but only because something terrible has happened. And, I think most of us will agree that our horses speak to our hearts, we know, we just know when and what is wrong with them. For a trainer to send me a nasty gram for telling the truth about what happened to my sweet mare, especially when that same trainer made us all switch vets after what happened to her horse – that is another subject entirely. Rant off. Thank you for reading and I hope you all take this to heart, please, listen to your heart, it is that of your horse. Last edited by Blooty : 08-22-2008 at 02:17 AM.

08-22-2008, 06:51 AM
version1955 Kid Safe Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Minnesnowdah Posts: 6,630	It can be difficult for some people and for all of us from time to time to filter advice from experts through the gauze of our own perceptions. To have faith in what we know to be true against authority is a skill. Thankfully you trusted your own judgment enough to keep trying to help your mare. And I've seen some nasty hoof injuries grow out pretty well. Not from personal experience, mind you, but right here on HT. So have faith in your mare still __________________ gonna do what I can instead of complain and fret about what I can't Joanie

08-22-2008, 02:37 PM
ThorArb Kid Safe Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Conyers, GA Posts: 5,532	So sorry that your poor mare had to go through that. Speaking from experience, I know that horses can make some spectacular turn arounds. As a yearling, my stud literally ripped off half of his hind off all the way up through his coronet band. It was months in recovery but he got better. You'd never know it now unless I told you. Then recently, he broke off a chunk of his front hoof, had a hairline fracture and was put on rest again. Amazing but he is making a full recovery. Hoof is still growing out but it will be back to normal in no time at all. Hope your mare gets better soon! Poor girl. Brittany

08-23-2008, 02:45 PM
FehrGroundRanch Newborn Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Sundre, Alberta, Canda Posts: 26	The title of your post is amazing. One of the most touching things I've ever heard! Sorry about your mare...hope everything works out in the end for you.

08-24-2008, 05:58 PM
ahlihaff Greenbroke Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Western MA Posts: 3,635	You are so right - it is best to listen to your horse. I hope your mare will be well soon.

08-24-2008, 06:10 PM
BarnBum Greenbroke Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sunshine State Posts: 3,612	"Listen to your heart, its that of your horse" Very nicely said. Hope your mare is getting better. __________________ Murphys Horse Law - A horse's misbehavior will be in direct proportion to the number of people who are watching !!

08-24-2008, 08:57 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,356	Here's wishing for a full recovery for your mare. Some people really just can't accept critisism, even if it is well founded. I hope that your trainer somewhere managed to hear your story and will keep that in mind in the future. __________________ Try not, do. Do or do not. There is no try.