Ginger was two and was being prepped for sale at one of the national horse show sales. She is a sweet mare, is remarkably beautiful and has very strong blood lines. We thought she'd bring a high dollar at the sale. Prior to the sale she started to show some signs of soreness on her left front foot. A vet was called and recommended that we authorize check ligament surgery on her left front leg to increase the flex in that foot and to relieve some of the stress being caused to her coffin bone. We took her out of the sale and we authorized the surgery. After six months of time off and rehab, including time at a therapy center, she was doing better and we decided to put her in training to see what we had. At first the training went well but Ginger kept developing abcesses in her left front hoof. A vet was called to treat her and he recommended the usual treatment, time off, soaking, rest, etc. Eventually it became clear there was more going on in that foot. X-rays were taken and it was determined the coffin bone was rotating downward. We brought her home and began a program of therapeutic shoeing with our farrier. This included pads with wedges, special shoes, leg rubbing with liniment to relieve the strain on the ligaments and tendons, and a few other things. Eventually, she got to be reasonably sound and was able to resume just being a horse. She was never going to be a rider but she could be a broodmare, she was only 4, she had so many positives including beauty, bloodlines, and kindness that we wanted to try to breed her. Last year, we bred her to a double registered stallion named Iresistible Sudden by A Sudden Impulse. He had produced several big winners and his bloodlines crossed well on her.
We were aware that the added weight of the pregnancy would have to be watched. There would be a balancing act between giving her the necessary energy to allow the baby to develop but not make her fat. To accomplish that, we've chosen just a ration balancer grain, with very low levels of starch and a good quality timothy, orchard grass and alfalfa hay. Until the 9th month of her pregnancy, there were very few days that she was too sore to go out. She always had a slight limp but she would run and play and some days she would act perfectly normal.
Beginning in the 9th month of her pregnancy she became increasingly sore. The fetus was obviously growing rapidly and her belly began to get wider. The added weight was enough to make her uncomfortable. Plus, the hormones, the soreness from just carrying a baby and the lack of energy has made her less than happy. She is still kind but just kind of grumpy. Our vet has been out to look at her multiple times and so has our farrier. It was suggested that we try bute and give her omperezole to reduce the risk of ulcers. It was also suggested that we try Soft Ride boots to relieve some pain on the sole of her feet. These therapies have helped but have not eliminated the problem.
The x-ray below is today's image of her left front foot. The plan now is to adminsiter a temporary nerve block to get her through the delivery. Our farrier and another farrier are consulting each other on additional shoeing techniques through the remainder of her pregnancy. After she delivers, we will administer plasma to the foal to help build up the immune system and the foal's strength. Soon thereafter, we will take them both to an equine surgeon in Indiana and they will operate on her deep digital flexor tendon, which should allow the coffin bone the ability to have less "pull" and possibly rotate back slightly, which would relieve her pain. This surgery can be done with local anesthesia so that she won't have to be separated from her foal. This is a long ordeal and it is nerve wracking but it is my responsibility. I bred her mother to bring her into the world and she is my responsibility to care for. This will be the only time she carries a baby. If we breed her in the future, and that's a pretty big if at this point, we will do embryo transfers.
Like I always tell people, breeding and raising horses is not for the faint of heart.
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