forced to make a decision. Julie was to start college in the fall and Amistad needed a rider. It was then that Michele began the partnership with the talented gelding. “I loved him from the start,
even his naughty habits,” Michele says. “When Julie was heading to university, she needed someone to keep him going so I volun- teered since I liked him so much and was impressed with his way of going. He has a lot of power!” Upon Amistad’s arrival at Cedar Valley Stables,
Michele learned a lot about his personality, both in the stable and under saddle. “Amistad, at times, can be very cuddly,” says Michele. “But not too often; he is more of a ‘leave me alone, get out of my face’ kind of horse unless you have mints for him! He is called Studly by most at the barn, but I call him Mon Ami. I do consider him my friend and partner.” Michele and Amistad had a strong start to their
competitive career. The pair rarely finished outside the top three during their first few seasons together. As their partnership flourished, Michele and Amistad moved consistently up the levels. The big chestnut’s dressage work excelled too, thanks to Michele’s early dressage training. “Ami is a quick study. Things like mediums,
extensions and lateral work were easy for him, but he finds the collection work more difficult. It’s coming along and we will work on perfecting it as best we can this summer.”
INSTINCTS ON ALERT By the summer of 2008, Michele and Amistad were competing at the Advanced level and enjoying
continued success. In the fall, the pair completed their first CIC*** at the Wits End Horse Trials where they finished
second. A few weeks
later, Michele and Amistad took on the infamous Fair Hill International and competed in their first CCI***. There the pair
finished eleventh out of fifty- three competitors. After Amistad had a few months off for the winter,
they were back in action, placing second at their first Advanced competition of 2009 and preparing for their next three-star. Michele thought that nothing would be different as she saddled Amistad for the dressage at the 2009 Southern Pines II Horse Trials, but after Amistad turned in an uncharacteristic test, Michele knew something was wrong. Although some vets reassured her that Amistad
was fine and that he was just being naughty that day, Michele insisted upon ultra-sounding him to be sure he was all right. Unfortunately, the ultrasound revealed what Michele had feared. “Amistad had a small tear in his super digital flexor
tendon in the right front,” Michele explains. “It was treated by Dr. Jamie Carter at Southern Equine Services in Aiken. He had platelet-rich injections into his tendon which he responded very well to, and then he had to be hand walked for three months before cautiously being put back under saddle.” Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is a relatively new
treatment for some injuries in horses, including Amis- tad’s tendon injury. In Amistad’s case, a supply of his own blood was drawn and spun in a centrifuge to
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