I will start at the beginning and tell you a little about my horse Gus. A little over four years ago I started to dream of owning a horse again. You see I have owned in my youth (quite a distance from that now:) 3 wonderful, perfect horses that never put a step wrong, never ailed, and took care of me like I was made of eggshells. Which I technically am, I have Type 1 diabetes and various other issues that go along with this disease that makes riding a somewhat difficult endeavor. But however nervous my poor parents became, they let me continue my riding career until college put an end to extra finances and my horse at that time, Skip, was retired. That was back in 1989, and when he eventually passed away at a very old age (he enjoyed retirement immensely!) I put away childish things

and started a family, a career, and other very important things:) But then I met a friend that encouraged me to get back into it, maybe take a few lessons with her, and see where it led. My baby was old enough now, and I thought time for Mom to have a little fun. After a few years of lessons, my trainers and I started the horse hunt (with hubby’s blessing). We sat down and figured out a budget, and as long as we stuck to it and made a few sacrifices, we would be able to maintain a horse. I tried many horses, but like Goldilocks none seemed to be a perfect fit. Two came close, but unfortunately one failed the vet check and one just was too young and big for me in my old age. Then came Gus. A beautiful, 17.1 HH dark bay tobiano Dutch Warmblood, age 4. Too young I said. The owner told me I would be impressed with his attitude, he “acts like a 10 year old” convinced me to take a look. He really had no training on board, but was very willing and trusting from moment one. After some time thinking about it, and convincing myself I had all the time in the world to work with a young horse, I brought him home. He was of course thoroughly vetted, by a top vet in our area that I know and trust, and he was happy to suggest Gus would make a good partner for me. So after 22 views of his legs (radiology) and various other looksee’s, I felt confident that we would have a happy life together. Even my husband wanted to learn to ride after meeting him, he really is the perfect gentleman and this has not changed the entire time he has been mine. A little less than two weeks had passed when he started to cough. My vet came out to check (I am a nervous mother) and treated like he possibly picked something up being the new kid on the block. When things started to progress in the wrong direction, and the cough became two-ended, COPD was considered. He was started on a new round of medication as well as soaked hay, but after a little time we were still seeing no change. And to add to it, some mild neurological signs were happening. So with all this information my veterinarian decided to scope him. This is when being a horse owner went from dream come true to nightmare. We found when he was scoped that he had severe laryngeal hemiplegia, Grade III-IV. Of course his breeder was kept abreast of his situation, and when I called to let her know that with this condition he would probably be unable to do what he would be asked to do, she indicated that she would do what was right, she just wanted to speak to her vets first. And she indicated she would like me to at least take him for a second opinion as well, which I was keen to do, and forward the information to her as I received it. I was relieved at this point due to the fact that I was assured she would take him back and let him live life in her beautiful pastures, and I could find a partner that would be physically up to the work we were going to put in front of him. We went to the second opinion, another respected physician but not one recommended by my practice I am sad to say, and she found the original diagnosis was coupled with guttural pouch anomalies as well as mild neurological symptoms. In lieu of an actual diagnosis, and with only a 7% chance of it being EPM, we began treatment for that as well as a biopsy of the guttural pouch. I will say at this point we were lucky enough to have insurance, not something I had ever had with my other three, but something the OCD Mom in me made me purchase. This insurance has only covered part of our expenses I am sorry to say, but at least has helped and at the start we thought it was an extreme blessing. We left with the assurance we should see some improvement, and to hold off on any work till we got things under control. I was fine with this, I had just gotten him and was not yet “attached”, but I wanted him to be feeling better and wanted to do the right thing so I spent time, worked on the Parelli games we had become so fond of, and just enjoyed him. Then the bond started to set in and boom, I was in love with a horse again! I will say I cried on the day of the roaring diagnosis, and thought it was the end of the world. I look back now and think, gosh if that were all of it! But after treatment, then another treatment after that, there was no change in the coughing, and he really seemed ill and unhappy. We had started back to riding at that point, and the joy under saddle I first felt was gone, He was also clumsy to the point of almost going down, and coughing every few minutes. Neurological signs were starting to appear more frequently and my hopes were slowly dissapearing. I contacted my vet and asked her where to go and made an appointment, This past July I met the men that were going to change Gus’s life. During the visit we found just how sick my horse was. I was told there was no way that he was not sick at purchase, and that the hemiplegia being that severe must have had signs. I was told that a very small percentage of horses don’t show any obviously outward signs, and that Gus is one of them. Then on the scoping part of the exam we found that he not only has the hemiplegia, he also has DDSP. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate. He was essentially choking to death. And his airway was not blocked whilst swallowing, so all of the hay and feed materials were heading to his lungs. Upon ultrasound, we found 3/4 of both lungs were compromised, and he was a very sick beastie. Then a miracle happened, just as the doctor we came to see was surprised by the DDSP his friend the surgeon was walking by. Our doctor called him in, gave him a quick synopsis, and asked if a tie-forward would help or hurt Gus’s situation. At first he said no. Then the doctor looked me straight in the eye and said he did not know, there was so much wrong and it had never been performed before for this situation, but he would give it a try. But he said I can’t promise you anything. At this point we were flying without insurance, the past year had capped our allotted $10,000 in just diagnostics, and the surgery would have to come out of pocket. At $4000 it was a lot to spend, and money we did not readily have. We sat down as a family and decided we would try to give this horse a life, instead of waiting for the inevitable pneumonia to come along and cause him to die. My daughter even offered up her Christmas, birthday, and piggy bank for the effort. No child should have to do that, but I am obviously doing something right:) I will say that his breeder was contacted, and basically told me she did not care and it was now my problem, and threatened to both sue me as well as the doctor’s practice that performed the prepurchase exam if we brought a complaint against her. This made me so sad, I thought I was a good judge of people but there will always be one that proves you wrong. A couple of days before his surgery his trainer and I decided to take him over to a local dressage show just to do it if anything happened. It sounds silly, but so much time and problems had occured we wanted to at least have the experience one time. New to the work, and very green but willing, we entered him in Training Level Test 1 and 2 and each was a class of 15. We knew a few “ringers” in each class, naughty professional that bring their horses over for the experience, but we were just their for the fun of it, no aspirations just exposure to it for him and fun for us. In a class of 15 my horse won both classes, and his scores were 70%. He had comments that were truly wonderful and encouraging, and a small note from the judge wishing us luck and she would see us as we moved up the levels:) This was a good note to end on if we had to, and we were ready to try the surgery. Gus went in September, and we were told that after the surgery he would need stall rest for a few weeks, then to start hand walking. With hopeful hearts, his other Mom (his trainer) and I put him on the bus to the clinic. We dropped him off and after two days the surgery was performed. (His surgery kept getting bumped due to emergencies, and we were willing to be patient but it was hard!) He came through the surgery and when we got there to pick him up I found all the techs wanted to keep him, and actually gave him a bath! So I took my new, hopefully improved shiny boy home to recuperate. He was already on a course of Vitamin E, and some other supplements but the veterinarian at the clinic suggested Platinum Performance. He said it was wonderful stuff, exactly what he should be on, and we could also have the exact amount of Vit E added to very easy to administer packs. I immediately ordered them and started the moment we were home. As his days inside began, his coughing subsided. Slowly but surely the coughing became a thing of the past and we all began to have hope. We were told the true test was when he began work, but even these early signs were enough for me. He was so alert and full of life it was almost like a different horse, and when he eventually got outside the change was immediately noticeable. Gone was my staid, steady “10 y.o” and in his place was a fire breathing dragon. We made it through, and continued with some games to help him relearn what he was already taught. And by the time he was ready to start work, he was not only not coughing but behaving like a 4 y o gentleman (albeit one with rocket launchers:), again. I want to say that this is the end of the story, but unfortunately I can not. I will say that at this point in the story we were on the road to recovery, with a very labor intensive horse (hay soaking, meds, acupuncture, and various other necessities) but it was going to be worth it. We were told that we could probably start to taper off of the special food and some of the supplements in some time, but never the Vit E and Platinum. Like I would ever take him off the Platinum that obviously helped to save his life! And the broken backs from the hay soaking were worth it from everyone involved standpoint. My husband at this point was starting to develop a slight eye twitch, but he loves animals as much as I do, and not doing anything was never an option. He was started back to work close to the end of November, very slowly, at that point I might have had about 20 rides on him in that 1 1/2 year period that had passed, But in December I was going to ride for the first time since the surgery. A different horse does not describe what it felt like. Responsive, happy, quiet, and just a perfect ending to a horrible time. This ride happened on December 3rd, a day after my birthday! And then less than a week later, as he was being brought in from his paddock he sustained a R rear into-articular fracture with joint involvement to his coffin bone. Devastated does not begin to describe me. I actually had to be on Valium for the first couple days because I truly was at the end of my rope, and did not think I had anything further to give. The fracture was catastrophic, and while we discussed options and possibilities my veterinarian, the woman that works in the practice with the original vet who did the PPE (whom I still trust and have never blamed but who unfortunately does not want to be involved), told me I was in no way allowed to euthanize. He had sustained an injury that time and special shoeing did not have a chance of fixing but she had another possibility. She just had to speak to a “colleague”. In the short time from the day of the fracture to his treatment plan, and whilst on meds to keep him comfortable, he developed a severe impaction colic. We were of course unable to walk him, he could not be moved from his stall, and the window was closing on the surgery that my Doc proposed. We literally had a week to save him, have him stable and be passing manure or the chance to fix him would be gone. After 4 tubings, and round the clock veterinarians who adore him, he was righted and ready for shipment to New Bolton, in the care of Dr. Dean Richardson. Who when he met us and the horse, and saw his history, asked why we were even making an effort. No lie. But we twisted his arm and he knew this was his only chance so he decided to try a surgery that has never been performed before (see a pattern? and did not promise a thing. The surgery to stabilize this fracture was performed with a CT scanner that was used multiple times during the procedure to make sure the positioning was perfect, And I will say that when Dr. R called me you could hear the smile in his voice as he told me it could not have gone better and Gus was doing just fine. But I had to make sure he will be kept under absolute stall rest for a minimum of 6 months and there are still no guarantees. Once again we are out of insurance coverage, I was amazed what a few CT scans as well as a colic will cost, and I was told we would probably not be picked up for coverage next year (and who can blame them?) but once again we gave him a chance. But there is a real possibility that he will not be sound for even a pasture pet, but we will deal with that as we come to it. As I can not afford two horses, or even have the ability to buy another one, my chances of ever riding my own horse again are slim. (Even if it is not him.) But I press on because that is the way I was raised and I am very proud of that. We then were scheduled for our next special shoe after Easter, and then for a X-ray and shoe in May. Things were progressing more quickly than any of us anticipated and he was always heading in a positive direction. He had a atypical pocket of air space around the screw entrance, but Dr. Richardson put on his poker face and told me to stop worrying, he was going to be fine. And so far so good. Honestly it was more reassuring that something was strange because at least then I know it was my horse:)! May was a wonderful month for us. He went and had his x-rays taken and all I can say is when Dr. Richardson walked out to us he had a look of extreme surprise on his face, which his words following explained. He said he was shocked, this was really a pioneering kind of adventure, so he did not have any idea what to expect or even if this horse would ever walk again but he said the bone looked like a normal bone with a screw in it, and there was no artritis anywhere on the site. That was just mind blowing. He also said he could not believe the healthy foot that my horse grew so fast, and that he did not look anything like a horse that has spent 6 months in a stall! We still have a long road to travel. He has just started going out in a paddock, with some light weight bearing excercise to boot. But I am confident that one of the reasons my horse did so well from an injury no one including his surgeoun thought he would come back friom is his Platinum!!!!!And I must say that whenever I called to talk about Gus I was always greeted with kindness and support from the young ladies over at Platinum. One in particular, Sarah, was such a kind young woman that she added years to my life by letting me talk about Gus, and even sent him a get well package of bars. He loved them and I think they helped him in his recovery as well. I know this story is missing many parts, and much of the little stresses but I wanted to give a picture of what we are going through but in the most objective emotion free way possible. This has been a terrible two years, I have been an emotional wreck, and all I can do at this point is be paranoid. My good friend is also my doctor, and she promises the rubber room is all set up for me when I need it. In purple no less! But I must say there have been multiple good moments, and wonderful people that I have met along the way. (And not so wonderful but that is why I do not name names, so as not to lay blame or cause pain, but to inform and be a case to learn from.) Such as when you purchase a horse do an endoscope exam. My original vet told me it was unnecessary, he showed no need and it is only routinely done for horses that pass a certain bracket in cost. A line we have already crossed in cost that we have incurred over this period. My husband jokes that I could have had a big diamond and a sports car, but I pray that this has been worth it. But the scoping would have cost very little compared to what it could have saved us, and should be a standard practice. All of this pain and heartache could have been prevented, but then he would not be alive I am assured by my vets, he was already in the early stages of pneumonia when we purchased, and probably would not have recovered. So he was put in my life for a reason, and I hope that I have done what was necessary for this horse, my Gus, to now lead a normal life because he is my friend, my confidant, and my sanity keeper, and he has become to me what none of my others truly was, a partner.

Natalie Worthington- Warminster, PA

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