Story submitted by Gentle Spirit Horses

Our farrier posted a quick “first trim vs now” about Rachel’s hooves that made me want to share quickly what we see, and what we do. Sometimes it’s easy to forget where we started and how much of a difference we can make with your support!

Rachel was one of the very first horses that came in to GSH through the ISPMB neglect and seizure case last winter. We had very little hope that she would ever be sound based on what we were told and observed, but were thrilled when her x-rays showed a nearly normal bone structure with a prognosis of a return to full soundness!

undefined

Rachel literally ran everywhere she could for the first 3-4 days after her initial trim. She had never been observed to run for at least 2.5 years prior to that, so once she could, she DID. It has been one of the highs of the ISPMB situation, from finding out in x-rays that her bones really aren’t far from normal so that she could be rehabbed to full riding soundness, to seeing the changes and joy in her personality.

We hope you enjoy these “before and during” photos. The left hand photos are from late February when she was gentled enough for her x-rays and trim, and when we still assumed she would never be sound. The right hand photos are from October’s trim. That’s six months rehab – an aggressive first trim based on x-rays and 3 follow up trims since, along with good nutrition, turnout and movement. The last picture gives you a glimpse of the inner heel that still needs to spread some from the contraction. This winter, Rachel has been allowed to heal and run. She is a wonderful “mom” horse to all the younger horses in our rescue herd and with the go ahead given from the farrier, she will be starting her training under saddle this upcoming Spring! (Assuming the ice and snow finally leave South Dakota).

undefined

Rachel is currently looking for her permanent home.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get our newsletter featuring adoption success stories and available horses, delivered straight to your inbox.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

Additional Offers
By clicking "subscribe", I consent to Equine Network’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service and I represent that I am over 16 years old.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Tags:
Share this:
About Hope Legacy Equine Rescue

Hope’s Legacy Equine Rescue was founded in 2008 when we took in our first donkey. Since then they have taken in over 450 horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys.

Related Articles

Image placeholder title
Adopt a Rescue Horse - What You Need to Know
Untitled design (50)
The Riderless Horse - Hank the Tank
nuzzo-1
Helping Hands
IMG_1323 (1)
A New Beginning for Horses at Rising Starr