I went in the stall of the sorrel horse, who’d recently been turned over to the Conquistador Equine Rescue and Advocacy Program. I wanted a closer look at the brand on his hip. When I touched his body, hair came away in large clumps. Aside from being emaciated (he weighed in at 600lbs) his whole body was covered in rain rot. I called the Director of the rescue, and volunteered to wash him the next day. Medicated shampoo was provided, and the horse called “Blaze” stood like a champ for 3 hours on the hot summer day in Arizona while I scrubbed, rinsed and repeated. When I was done I sat on an overturned bucket to watch, I allowed him to graze on the few tufts of green grass growing around the wash rack. After munching a few bites, he walked over to me, stopped directly in front of me, and stretched his neck over me, as a mare would to a foal. It was his way of saying “Thank you.”. I called that evening, to tell Pat, the Director, that I would adopt this gelding, whos’ previous owner had turned over to the rescue with little information. She’d told them he was a Paso Fino…when she forged a deal with the Sheriff to turn over his papers, rather than face charges, he turned out to be a foundation bred Quarter Horse. His papers showed that I was the 6th owner he’d had in his 8 years of life. There was little information given about what training he’d had in the past…I didn’t even know if he was saddle broke! He was completely unresponsive to the name “Blaze”, and because of his incredible personality, I changed his name to “Sugar”. His first month at the rescue, he’d clearly seemed depressed…barely eating, gaining very little weight, and unresponsive to humans. I began turning him out, and bathing him. A close friend provided me with a months supply of Platinum Performance, which had been recommended to her by her Vet. I also took pictures every Friday, in order to see the differences as they occurred. By the end of the first week, there was a brightness to his eyes, and he’d gained a bit of weight. By the end of the second week, he had the beginning of a shiny new coat! His appetite improved dramatically, and quickly he was gaining weight! After several months, he was well enough to see if he was saddle broke. He turned out to be very well behaved, although terrified of a bit in his mouth. Soon I was riding him everywhere, with a bareback pad and rope halter. He’s a perfect gentleman on the ground, or in the saddle. He’s taken care of several adults who had never ridden before, and has a way of teaching them step by step, how to ride. He’s now in charge of teaching my 2 year old niece how to ride, and he takes his job very seriously. He’s also learned out to pull a cart, which he seems to enjoy! I’ve had Sugar for 3 years now, and every day I feel blessed to have him. Although his road to recovery was not an easy one (he’s been treated for ulcers, skin infections, allergies, and selenium deficiency, just to name a few things), he’s been worth all of it. There have been times when I’ve tried other supplements, in hopes of something working better for him. Each time, we’ve come back to Platinum Performance. He seems to gain weight and muscle tone better, his skin is healthier, his coat is glossy and dappled, his eyes are bright, and his attitude is more playful as a benefit of taking Platinum Performance. Every time I’ve taken him off of it, I’ve seen a decrease in his overall health. I don’t know what it is, but obviously there is something that works for him, in Platinum Performance. He will always be a Platinum Performance horse, and the love of my life!

Wendy Hart – Denver CO

Tags: rescue

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