Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Hi Everyone, 

 

For those of you who know Redhaven's Ezekial (Zeke) I just want to let you know that his endurance career has come to an unfortunate end.  Instead of having to tell everyone I see individually, I am writing a long message to fill in all the details at once. 

 

Zeke had a month off after obtaining his COC at Fairhill in october (coming in tied with Patti Pizzo in 11th and 12th place on a very rainy, muddy day) Zeke had reached his 1,000 mile marker and he was third in the nation in 100 mile points last year behind Valerie and Steve.  After six years of building him up for international competition, he seemed to be in his best shape ever.  He was getting ready for spring competition and we nominated for the North American Challenge and were getting ready for the Sandhills and the Pinetree.  I had been taking him to the Middleburg, Va track for weekly workouts in the sand and riding dressage (one of Zeke's many talents) in the indoor arena during the winter.  I stopped fox-hunting him (another talent as well as four foot jumping-although I had stopped jumping him a couple years ago to save him for endurance)  as my vet thought the stop and go and mud at a gallop was not good for his career.  (He had shown some early signs of ringbone, but th e vet thought he had another three years of competition.).

 

About one month ago, I rode him on sunday, monday, and tuesday in the indoor arena practicing our dressage.  He felt awesome and powerful and completely sound.  On tuesday night he went into his stall and nothing eventful happened.  However, wednesday morning he was off and by thursday he was three legged lame.  The vet came immediately and we thought he may have had an abcess, so we took off his shoe and wrapped him.  His pastern was swollen, but we were hoping that the hopping was from the abcess.  In two days he was still three legged and his pastern area was more swollen.  My vet told me to take him to have an ultrasound and I went to SpurlocK's in Virginia and had an ultrsound and a bone density test completed.   Zeke had lost the cartiledge in his pastern joint and his bone was scrapping bone.  The vets said it was highly unuasual for this to develop overnight (fine one night and then three legged lame), but that's how it happened.  Zeke came home for stall rest and bute and actually started walking fine within a week, but then went downhill again the next week and was once again three legged.

 

I then took Zeke for an MRI to make sure I knew what we were dealing with.  The MRI confirmed the other results and I was told I had three options: (1) euthenasia, (2) stall rest to see what happens (but he could founder and have to be put down as soon as a couple weeks if he stayed three legged, (3) or fusion surgery which would stabilize his leg with screws and he would wear a cast for months, but then should be pasture sound and possibly able to do light trail riding down the road.  I took the news of Zeke not competing ever again very well, but when the doctor said he would have to be put down in the first two options, I lost it and I knew Zeke deserved a life of enjoying the sun while grazing and playing in the field (which he loves to do).   The choice was easy for me and Zeke is now recovering with his cast on in a stall and he is walking well and happy for now (knock on wood).  He is actually being very quiet and more friendly then in the past as well as eating well for the first time in years (I am being careful not to feed him to much).

 

For those of you who knew Zeke is is an amazing animal.  I bought him as a one year old for $650.00 and I never found anything that he couldn't do.  I enjoyed riding him no matter what type of ride it was because he gave it his all and never complained.  When he was only four years old, someone told me he was my "once in a lifetime" horse and they were right.  I still can hug him, talk to him, and give him treats everyday and for that I am Grateful.  Thanks for everybody who helped us through rides when I had no crew and thanks for reading this long message.  Please remember Zeke as a great endurance horse, because he was. Sam