Rocky’s Special Gift
For most of his life, Rocky’s special gift was unseen and unknown.
Spinal Injury
He is, in fact, a proud and majestic 10-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse, standing 16 hands. His actual “registered” name is Heisenberg.
“Horses are measured by “hands” because they didn’t have standard measuring tools in ancient societies, so they commonly used hands to measure horses; this tradition continues to the present. One hand is considered 4 inches, so a 16-hand horse is 64 inches tall.”
He tried to be a winner on the racetrack, but he just was not fast enough. His first owner was not ready to give up on this beautiful horse, so he sent him out of state for Dressage training.
“Dressage” is a sport involving the execution of precise movements by a trained horse in response to barely perceptible signals from its rider.
“Heisenberg” worked diligently at that school, but the trainers ultimately rejected him because as he tried to practice the Dressage routines, he showed considerable pain that seemed to be centered in his withers.
“Withers” is the highest part of a horse’s back, lying at the base of the neck above the shoulders. The height of a horse is measured to the withers.
His owner then turned to a rescue operation in his home state, asking if they would take him for further diagnosis, and possible rehabilitation, and they agreed. After x-rays and an initial physical examination by their equine vet, it was concluded that “Rocky” (the nickname given to him at the rescue) was suffering from bone necrosis of the spine above his shoulders.
“Bone Necrosis” is irreversible cell death due to an external injury.
He was given 3 rounds of spinal injections to relieve the inflammation and reduce his pain, and that helped. The vet and rescuer speculated that this crippling injury was likely due to being ridden hard with an improperly fitted racing saddle that repeatedly slammed into his withers. As a result of this injury, they concluded that he should never be ridden again at more than a walk.
“Horses with spinal injuries, that cannot be ridden vigorously, are almost always doomed.”
However, Rocky had a special personality that made him a good candidate for permanent residency at the rescue because he likes being around people, is easy to handle despite his size, and has a consistently sweet disposition. Rocky began “earning his keep” there by working with senior citizens who regularly meet at the rescue facility to experience the joy of equine companionship, attend equine education programs, and practice horse brushing and grooming exercises.
Foot, Hoof, and Leg Injuries
On a day when the rescue founder was away, Rocky was put into a paddock for grazing.
A “paddock” is a small, enclosed field where horses are kept and exercised.
Unfortunately, when she returned from her appointment that day, he was obviously injured and lame. After her vet examined and x-rayed him, she said that he had split one hoof, broken a foot bone above that hoof, and scrapped a chunk of flesh off the back of his other front leg. Neither the rescuer, nor the vet, could figure out how those injuries could have occurred in that field. But now he was limping and in pain again.
Transported to the local equine hospital, he underwent surgery to remove that errant piece of bone in his foot, to assess the extent of any other bone or ligament damage, and to treat the other leg where he had lost muscle and skin. The outcome of the surgery was that the foot damage was limited to what could be seen in the x-ray, and the leg injury had not reached the tendons.
“A more extensive foot or leg injury would have meant making a “quality of life decision”.
This wonderful news means that Rocky is on his way to a full recovery. He is enjoying 30 quiet days in his stall, wearing a special shoe while his split hoof is healing, receiving regular chiropractic treatments and medications to help reduce his pain, and taking whatever time is necessary to heal the broken foot bone and the tissue injury on his leg. Animals Abused & Abandoned paid for the vet surgeries, medications, and early follow up visits required for these injuries.
In truth, Rocky is a walking miracle. First, he failed as a racehorse, for which he was expensively bred, and second because of a spinal injury during his racing years he was unable to complete Dressage training, both of which meant that his first owner would not get his considerable investment in this horse back. The cruel reality is that so many other young horses experiencing similar failures and injuries are routinely discarded by their owners, sold to the “Kill Guy”, and shipped off to Mexico for slaughter.
But Rocky’s kind and caring rescuer recognized his special gift with elderly people, and then sheltered and protected him while she helped him develop this new and important role as a therapy horse. He is responding to this new life by nurturing people who need his companionship and affection. He loves their attention, and they love him for it. His special gift has finally been recognized and, as a result, he has found a kind and loving forever home.