business profile
changed to stricter low carbohydrate, his grazing was limited,
and his hoof care was performed by a Strausser-trained hoof
trimmer.
Alchemy recovered after sloughing off half of the sole from his
Finding the right Fit Leads
right front foot. he later suffered a mild laminitis episode with
no change in his overall demeanor or behavior and I treated
to Specialized Saddles
him with Sulphur 1m one dose. The mild episode required
no computer analysis because he was not moved out of his
N
o one understands the importance of a good foundation
better than a professional homebuilder. Dave Kaden, 57,
constitutional state of Sulphur this time.
of Specialized Saddles in canutillo, Texas, brings that expertise
to constructing saddles for the king of malaysia, and five of the
I
have regularly repeated Alchemy’s blood work to check
top finishers at the 2010 World Equestrian Games Endurance
his blood insulin levels and blood glucose and I am happy
qualifier in Lexington, Kentucky.
to report that over the one and one half years, his levels have
become normal to close to normal with every test. I have not
This horseman understands the relationship between a good
limited his grazing at all for almost five years (unheard of in
fit and a good ride. Growing up in Greenville, Texas, “I didn’t
insulin resistant horses). he has not had any bouts of laminitis
own a bicycle. I rode my Shetland pony, Star, and horses remained
in over five years. We are currently working on fourth level
my passion until college.”
in dressage and successfully showing third level. he’s the only A mid-life crisis led to
horse I know of able to show at this level with his history and endurance riding: “Getting
with no drug interventions or limitations!
back in the saddle was what I
needed. I began conditioning
Alchemy’s case shows us that career ending diseases (frequently and competing three geldings.”
leading to loss of use or euthanasia) do not have to become
reality when using homeopathy to treat.
T
hat was 1998, when his
“great saddle hunt” began.
As Dave logged miles and
Robin Cannizzaro, DVM, CVA opened Wholistic Veterinary Care
his horses gained muscle, he
in 1996 to offering predominantly classical homeopathic medicine,
saw how badly his saddles
some acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine and nutritional performed. “I had seven saddles
consultation.
www.wholisticvetcare.com for three horses. None was David and his wife Tracy enjoy
perfect. The right fit became a the trails at their Flight Leader
‘moving target.’
Farm near El Paso TX.
“I was the kid who tore up his toys to see how they worked. I
wondered why I could not find a saddle I could adjust right now,
instead of making templates or tracings, and sending it out for
another well-intentioned, but failed attempt, at a good fit.
“There had to be a better system -- between a saddle’s rigid tree
and a horse’s dynamic back -- to cushion muscles in motion, be
easily adjusted, and accommodate different horses.”
Dave came to a “better solution,” and friends who tried his
prototype saddles reported their problems solved, too. “I quit
my job and started Specialized Saddles. These are the only saddles
where you can adjust width, arch, and angle without any tools
other than scissors.” A how-to video, and more about adjustable
saddles, is on
www.SpecializedSaddles.com.
“Alleviating pain and discomfort is our mission. We make custom
saddles, special trees for mules and draft horses, and have solved
saddle fit problems for groups like the Fort Lauderdale mounted
police. We get hundreds of letters telling us how Specialized
Saddles changed someone’s relationship with their horse and their
riding experience.”
H
is fascination with how things work continues: “I am
working on new prototypes, including dressage and jumping
models that increase the surface area and decrease pressure on
horses’ backs, and roping and barrel racing saddles.”
If Lexington was an indicator, Specialized Saddles will carry riders
into the medals at the World Equestrian Games, as Dave continues
to help horses and riders enjoy the same happy partnership as that
little boy from Texas had with a pony named Star.
holistic horse™ • February/march 2010 • Vol.16, Issue 65
www.holistichorse.com
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