This is concerning the foal with the hip/ leg problem. We recieved a horse, a well bred beautiful buckskin Paso. We, this is Alien's mother, were brought into the picture because my daughter, the yakker here, has a reputation that she can quiet and retrain anything. (For those who what this fame don't. It is a gift she has had since she was two - on the opposite side of the fence she could coo the animals to her. When she was seven she recieved lessons with a trainer who recognized her soothing abilities with horses and she became the 'nanny' to a lot of tense, abused and crazed rehabs. This is a gift few have - I am trying to warn all the young people who think they might have it to.) Back to story. This Paso was stunningly set up and had just sucessfully finished being broke - for anything. During a storm, perhaps a hurricane, a portion of the barn splintered and a foot long splinter ran through the animal's wither. He was doctored, healed and again readied to ride. The minute anyone got on him he bucked as viciously as any rodeo bronc. They retrained - he came back with great ground work sucess - unrideable. Three trainers later, the people came to my daughter. We couldn't believe such a well mannered, beautiful horse - he was loving and sweet - could be that bad. We saddled him, he bucked. Like a devil. We took the saddle off and massaged him. Put the saddle on and he tensed in every muscle. I suggested we sit him bareback. He stood for it but he shook like a leaf. If we had nudged him at all it would have sent A+OA to the moon. So began a long drawn out rehab that never worked. A+OA figured out that he, though well trained was not gaited. Perhaps he was before the accident, but when the saddle was put on him and he was forced to gait there must have been something that caused pain. He was terrified and in pain. He bucked. AOA didn't know what to do. It is our philosophy that a working animal is a happy animal. He wasn't happy. He wanted to go off with his buddies when they did trail rides. He pranced around the work ring when the others were exercised. Finally, we had the happy thought that he would make our friend a great carriage horse. (She had lost hers the year before.) When we told her we had a Paso for her she was sceptical. When she came reluctantly out to see him she got so excited! He is a stunning horse. We gave him away - after all he was given us. He will do anything for her and because he has been trained and retrained - by reputable trainers - he took to the carriage like a dream. She says he's bomb proof. We see him on our way to church weekly. He's happy. This long winded story is to explain that you HAVE to hear (the bucking, the tension, etc.) what the animal is telling you. The people in this colt's blog keep putting human opinions on him. How can they tell whether the little animal gets panicky when he can't leap up if danger appears? Did they try to solve the hip problem? Swim him? Well, the whole exercise muscle care route. I liked what the woman said about the Universities with Vet disciplines. That's good. Just don't push human ideas into a horses brain. Our little buckskin could have been a great ride - humans got in the way.

 
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Horse and I, we're dancers in the Dark

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