The prognosis was not good. Her vet, Jill says, told her
there was just a small chance that she would ever be able to ride her mare again. The insurance company authorized euthanasia. Still, Jill says, there was no question in her mind: she would do everything possible to save her friend and competitive partner.
Smal, Unique Steps
Working with veterinarian Dr. Quinn Gavaga of the nearby Cache Creek Veterinary Clinic and farrier Dave Gilmour, Jill devised a plan to help Aria recover—to whatever extent possible. “First we had to get her to lose weight,” Jill says. The mare was put on a diet of mostly hay, with just enough grain to provide a “vehicle” for any needed oral medications. “We did blood work to find the imbalance that caused the laminitis. Aria has a very sensitive system and we discovered she doesn’t always absorb nutrients properly. The right balance of exercise and feed is critical for her,” she explains. “We managed her pain through a variety of medications and put her in special shoes to take the pressure off her heels,” she continues. “Guided by x-rays, Dave labored painstakingly to get the right angles to offer Aria the best support and reduce pressure in the painful areas. It took many hours but was a labor of love for him.” In addition, Jill says, they kept the mare entirely on
Equimat therapeutic mats. (Equimat was a sponsor of Jill’s in England; in Canada, she sells their products.) “We kept Aria moving regularly to keep the blood flowing,” Jill recounts. “We covered the aisle way with mats and we all took turns keeping her moving. Throughout the day, everyone took a turn—me, John, my working students and anyone else who was in the barn. I truly believe that the combination of regular exercise and a correctly cushioned surface really made the difference for her.”
The mats, Jill explains, provided a base that was both
soft and also firm and even. “Great trouble was taken by the blacksmith to balance the foot and take pressure off the laminae to reduce pain and increase comfort, using so called ‘rocker shoes.’ The objective is to give consistent support. My thinking is too many shavings or deep sand undermine what the blacksmith is trying to do. By nature of the horse moving about, deep bedding shifts, and if too deep, there is no longer any control over the surface being level; and if there are no Equimats on the base, the horse risks being back on whatever surface with no cushioning at all,” she says. In addition, Jill continues, she massaged Aria’s feet
regularly and used magnetic boots. She says she isn’t sure what helped most, but was willing to try anything that seemed to offer a chance to help her beloved mare. She spent, she notes, a great deal of time reading and researching the disease, especially online. For the first month, Jill says, there was little change in her
mare’s condition. She acknowledges the stress of that time. “It’s a very difficult thing to see an animal in that degree of pain. It was just devastating to me.” At one point, she wondered if she should simply put Aria
down. “But I swear to God, she told me it wasn’t time,” she says. “I know that sounds crazy, but I really know this horse. For eleven years, she’s been the biggest part of my life.” Not long after that low point, Jill realized her mare was
turning a corner. “It was the way she was stepping. You could see it in her stride, which was suddenly a little looser and freer,” she says. It had been so painful, she recounts, to see a horse renowned for her walk, one that regularly earned her a “9” in the arena, reduced to a painful hobble. With recovery came new challenges. Managing Aria’s pain medications, for example, required even more care. “You want them to feel but not to hurt as they recover,” Jill explains. Throughout Aria’s recovery, farrier Dave
Gilmour—who traveled many hours from Vancouver Island on a weekly basis to tend to the mare—continued to carefully and constantly adjust the angle of her hooves. “He truly saw this as a personal challenge,” Jill says, forever grateful for his dedication to the mare’s recovery.
I Back in the Sadle
n mid-June, about two months after the onset of the disease, Jill started riding Aria, taking her for short walks on the farm’s trails
Left: Aria was able to go from the Equimats in her stall, directly onto the Equimats in the aisleway, and then on to the roundpen that has Equimats under the sand surface. So she never had to step anywhere without the support of the mats.
46 January/February 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116