Re: "Glass" horses

["Robyn Levash" <questarabians@inreach.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Robyn Levash <questarabians@inreach.com>
To: <tallcarabs@juno.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 7:38 PM
Subject: Re: "Glass" horses


> This is a tough question to answer that depends upon how much your friend
is
> willing to do to keep the horse going comfortably. My first endurance
horse
> that was given to me came with one major suspensory problem in the right
> front and tons of lumps and bumps (jewelry) on every leg. God knows what
> other injuries he may have had in the past. His legs were far from clean.
He
> was 12 years old. He came from an endurance home in which the owners "win
or
> get pulled" mentality. They gave up on him after he badly injured his
> suspensory. It took me about four years to rehab his mind and body before
I
> attempted to do our first fifty miler. He was 16. His heart really seemed
> into doing endurance after he relaxed and realized that he did not have to
> go 100 miles an hour blasting down the trail. I never regret taking him
on.
> He was quite a challenge, I learned a lot, and most of all we had the
> greatest  time with each other. But no matter how fit I got him the
> suspensory problems would occasionally pop up here and there. It is
> frustrating to put so much time into this type of horse that comes with
past
> injuries/problems. I call him my "glass horse". Everything can be going
just
> great down the trail, and a moment later a nasty trip ---- and you can be
> back to where you started.
> If your friend thinks that she may want to work with this horse, I highly
> recommend having a vet do a full vet check with X rays before she attempts
> to do any kind of endurance conditioning. It is just not fair to the horse
> to ask him to do anything that may not be realistically within his
physical
> ability. If the horse is completely sound and comfortable, it is possible
> for this horse to do endurance if your friend rides sensably. She needs to
> be aware that setbacks are much more likely to happen with a horse like
> this. With the cost of travelling to rides, the cost of the ride, and the
> immense amount of time conditioning for the rides, it just may not make
> sense for her to ride a "glass" horse. That does not mean that the horse
> can't be a wonderful pleasure horse.
> Good Luck!
> Robyn
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <tallcarabs@juno.com>
> To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 6:46 PM
> Subject: RC: Unidentified subject!
>
>
> > Need some advise.  A friend of mine is really wanting to get into
> > endurance, but wonders if horses that have had bad leg injuries can
still
> > compete (finish)successfully.   I asked her to summarize her gelding's
> > attitude and leg history (below).  Can anyone give us a clue as to
> > whether we should try with this horse or get another for her???
> >
> > Rae
> > Tall C Arabians -- TX
> >
> > Rafiq SO has the heart for it.  He has had two separate injuries to the
> > suspensory ligament on his right front leg...  One lasted years - till I
> > gave
> > him a year off and did major rehab.  He came back 100%.  THEN he
> > fractured
> > that pastern bone and strained a DIFFERENT section of that same
ligament.
> >
> > Now he is 100% on it again.  He has some arthritis in his hocks, but
> > seems to
> > have nothing else.
> > Oh - and there was a right hindleg injury that severed his superficial
> > and
> > partially cut into the deep flexor tendons ... no one expected a full
> > recovery... but in less than 6 mths he was back 100% and has very little
> > scar
> > tissue.  Shocked alot of folks.
> >
> > He was, [on Glucosomine & MSM - my question]  but hasn't been
recently...
> > back on it tho' as soon as I can fill
> > that lil box on his stall - "SynoMSM"  - Great stuff.  Works better than
> > anything - and I have tried it all
> >
> >
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