Steve Karshner and Chance
by Steve Karshner
Update: The amazing story of Chance’s recovery, thanks to Steve Karshner and Boa Horse Boots, was recently picked up by local a ABC TV news station. Follow the link for the story and video: Chance’s Recovery Story
I hear stories every day from my clients about horses they think I could help, if only the owners were open to natural hoof care. I try not to ponder these cases too much because it usually doesn’t help the horse, and it only makes me feel bad that I couldn’t do something to intervene. But last spring I started hearing about a horse in our local area. He had been purchased by one of my client’s friends and had been diagnosed with Navicular Syndrome. The horse was apparently, or should I say appeared to be, sound at the purchase. But when they got him home he was lame within a matter of days, and an eight month nightmare began for the owner and his horse.
After eight months of conventional veterinarian treatment, a trip to Alamo Pintado for an MRI, and the best therapeutic shoeings that money could buy, this horse was scheduled to be put down to relieve his pain and suffering. Just then, I got a call out of the blue from the owner asking me if I would like to take the horse. I set up a time to go look at him, but I was really hoping I could convince them to let me rehab him for them.
When I met this horse, I tried to convince the owners that I could help them and to give me a little time to see what I could do, but they were understandably at the end of their rope and had no more patience for any new therapy ideas, especially one that went completely against the conventional thinking on the subject of Navicular Syndrome. This horse was in pain, dangerously unstable, and unable to trust anyone within a few feet of him. I spent 30 minutes with the horse and the owner, going over his x-rays and the MRI report, and just trying to calm him down a bit so I could pick up his feet without feeling in danger. I asked the owner how long it takes him to settle down and come off the muscle, and she said, “He never comes off the muscle.” Very quickly the conversation went to the bottom line: “If you want the horse you can have him, otherwise he will be put down on Wednesday.” Just as I was thinking of walking away from this horse, he looked at me and for the first time I saw what looked to be a kind eye. I thought about it for a minute and I knew I could rehab this horse’s feet. I had done it many times with other horses, the question was could I rehab his mind?
Navicular Syndrome is not an overnight crippler, it comes on over time and usually takes years to get to the point that we were at here. That meant that this horse, who I soon started calling Buckwheat, had been in pain for a long, long time. And most of his training had probably been done while he was in pain, which meant he would have to be completely retrained after his feet were rehabilitated. I asked the owner to give me the rest of the day to think about it and I drove off with a very heavy heart.
I knew that if I took this horse, I didn’t have the time to do the rehab all by myself. I would need help and it would take a couple of months of every day intense work to get him back. I no sooner left the ranch than I received a call from Suzanne, one of my clients. She was a very close friend as well and when I told her the story, much to my surprise she said “I might be able to take him and do the daily work if you’d do the rehab of his feet.” I called the owner of the horse and told her I would be back to see the horse with some friends and that if that meeting went well we would take the horse. She agreed and on the Wednesday that he was scheduled to be put down, I brought Suzanne and another client and friend, Helene, to meet the Butt and help me make the final decision on his future.
The meeting started off much like the first one he and I had had, but walking across the corral towards him, his halter in hand, his butt pointing at me and him snorting as if to say, one more step and you’re done, I made contact with his left eye, and he seemed to calm a little. The girls were on the outside of the pen looking in. They would be the ones handling this horse every day, so they were looking for signs that he would not be a danger to them. Then, as if he felt the hope in us all, he lowered his head, and let me put the halter on his nose. I tied the rope gently and led him out of his stall and into the breezeway. When the girls approached him they knew they must be careful and quiet, but he took to them instantly and calmed further. We all looked at each other at the same time, thinking the same thought: such a young horse and in so much pain. The girls began rubbing him and talking to him, and so began his journey with us, his journey back to soundness – soundness in his feet and soundness in his mind. I called him Buckwheat for most of his rehab, but Suzanne had named him Chance as he was being given his second chance, so Chance it was.
Chance’s complete rehabilitation in Boa Boots can be found on my website, with photos and videos to show his progress.
Chance went with us to the Jan 2009 Equine Affaire in California, where I told his story and spoke on Navicular Syndrome and natural hoof care. Julie Goodnight had heard his story and agreed to ride him in her first demonstration clinic of the show Thursday morning. The ride had its moments and Chance proved to be a little fresher than Julie really needed for her clinic, but all went well and Julie showed us the class of a true professional. She had some very good advice for us as well, and her insight has been a real help in finishing Chance’s rehab.
You can see what Julie had to say about Chance on her February 5, 2009 blog entry. Chance is now back in full training and will be with us at the First Annual Tehachapi Equine Affair at the Golden Hill Equestrian Center May 16th and 17th. He will also be competing throughout the summer in local Reining competitions. I’ll be speaking on reversing Navicular Syndrome with natural hoof care and will be doing boot fittings and demos both days of the Tehachapi Equine Affair, so come out and see us.
If you would like to see Chance’s week by week rehab, along with the progress of some of our other horses in rehab, visit my website www.navicular-founder-rehab.com.
Steve Karshner
