Nadine--Partner of Barbara
I found Nadine while searching the net for Poco Bueno bloodlines. Her face just said "buy me & I'll be good to you". She was up in Kerrvill, Tx which is about 3-4 hours from me in Houston. Why was I even searching the net? My faithful companion of ten years was gravely ill. At the time we were still holding out hope upon hope he would fully recover.
I looked at Nadine in May when she was all of 2 1/2 months old. She was so beautiful and sweet! Arrangements were made within the week for me to pay her out and I would bring her home in August when she was a little over six months old. I was visiting her every other weekend as my schedule allowed to work with her up in Kerrville. The breeders, Tim & Pat Taylor, aer among the nicest people I have ever met. They worked with me and Nadine as I have never owned a baby horse before in my life! What was I thinking???
I brought Nadine home in August and have been steadily working with her using the John Lyons methods and attempting clicker training. I have to admit, we are missing something with the clicker rigth now! Lori will have to come help us in February when she visits! Nadine has grown into a beautiful filly and at 10 1/2 months, is getting taller than I am! She will "touch" when I put her in front of objects or vice versa, walk up on the wash rack with no arguments, and semi load in a trailer with no arguments. Every day is a learning experience for us both and I wouldn't trade her for the world. She is still awaiting word from APHA for her registered name. We have picked MY LIL REDD HOTT & hope no one else has anything like it! Thank you Judy for letting me share Nadine with everyone! Barbara
In Tribute
Victors Wildfire
3/28/77 to 6/15/99
Victors Wildfire was my very first horse. I purchased him when I was 28 years old. I fell in love with him on sight. He was a big half Arabian and half Quarter Horse or Morgan. We're not sure what his dam was. His father was a Show Arabian in Kentucky, AM Count Victor. Wildfire taught me everything I know about horses. First off: they are work! But enjoyable work. He threw me several times in our time together, and stepped on my feet more than once. I learned very quickly to stay out from under horses feet.
We rode many a trail ride together and he was the first horse my friends would borrow for a ride if I couldn't make it. I trusted them implicitly with him and he was always taken care of. Our last trail ride was in February of '99. It was the Las Vaqueros trail ride into Houston from Hidalgo Mexico. This ride is the longest ride for the rodeo in their history. We only went for one week. He was only ridden every other day, and by the time we left for home, he was ill.
A vet visit confirmed he had foundered again in his front feet by a rotation of 3 degrees. He'd foundered before eight years ago and pulled through with flying colors so the vet assured us with the proper shoeing again, he'd be fine. GREAT! His hind legs were arthritic now according to the vet, so he needed to stay off his feet as much as possible. He went downhill from there. After five months of nitely bute treatments, and wrapping the hooves every single nite with ichthammol (for the abscesses that were now coming out on his hind hooves), I again called the vet out for a barn call. We took x-rays of his hind feet to see just how deep the abscesses were. It was far worse than I could have imagined. His hind feet had foundered and the bones had now completely separated from the hoof and were coming through the bottom of his feet. The vet assured me they could "treat" him, but he would never be cured. I consulted with the kind doctor up at Texas A&M, Dr. Moyer, & he put it very bluntly. "His quality of life will never improve. He will be stalled the rest of his life and no guarantee that he will even walk again". I still cry thinking of how brave Wildfire was in those last months.
I lost my friend on June 15. I led him down the alleyway of the barn to say goodbye to all of his friends he had and let him bite the mule he hated one last time before loading him in the trailer for his last ride. He whinnied twice to his barnmates & that was the end. I cannot stress enough that people with horses that are prone to founder & laminitis get the proper vet care and shoeing. Our shoer convinced us he knew how to corrective shoe, & he didn't. Did that cost Wildfire his life? It may have, it may not have. As Dr. Moyer said, "founder can claim a horse's life in one day or one year. It is a mysterious disease and no one has all the answers". So, take care of them while we have them in our lives. They are one of God's most precious gifts to us!
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