EHSC--Moonshyne's Back Part 1

["Marci Cunningham" <mcunningham@calcot.com>]

I wanted to share with ridecamp the story behind the comeback of my mare, FM
Moonshyne+/.  Two years ago in July she suffered a tragic, career
threatening injury.  She was being ridden by a visitor from New Zealand who
was visiting family friends in Bakersfield when for some unknown reason
bolted and dumped her rider and went galloping down the trail.  From what we
can determine, when she was running she struck both front leg tendons with
her back hooves and severed the superficial flexor tendon on her left leg
and received a blow to the right tendon.  Luckily when she was found it was
near a road and she was trailered back to my house.  We got her to the vet
within two hours of the accident.  The prognosis was that she would never do
endurance again, in fact the vet said I would be lucky if she was sound
enough to ride a few miles down the trail.  Needless to say I was
devastated, but after regaining my composure I never looked back.  When
given lemons I say make lemonade.  I decided that it was up to Moonshyne if
she wanted to do endurance again.  She was a good patient and tolerated the
year long confinement.  She was wrapped and rewrapped and ultrasounded and
reultrasounded.  I will admit that she got more walking than was first
recommended.  If she told me we were doing too much I would back off but I
knew how important it was to keep up some level of activity.  In fact at six
months after the accident I was riding her at a walk because when I tried to
lead her she was dragging me down the trail and I couldn't keep up with her.
When she was hurt she was in the best shape ever.  We had just completed the
Californio 100 in June 1997 and she had 2,750 AERC miles.  After one year of
confinement in a small corral I was given the go ahead to turn her out to
pasture with our other horses.  At this point my vet was still urging me to
breed her because he was still sure that she would never do another
endurance ride.  I never told him that it was up to Moonshyne to make that
decision.




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