The Tenacious Thoroughbred! Throughout the month of May, we are featuring Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred crosses.
Did you know… Dressage riders who compete with a member of this speedy breed are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as The Jockey Club is a participating organization!
A rider from Region 8 rehabs her off-track Thoroughbred after an intense kissing spine surgery, helping him be rid of his pain and find joy in the sandbox!
By Marissa Sequerth
My name is Marissa Sequerth, and I live in western New York. I’m a lifelong rider, horse lover, USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist, and proud owner of an Off-Track Thoroughbred (OTTB), U Kan’t Whip It, or “Whip,” as I call him!
I wasn’t looking for another horse when his photo appeared on a friend’s Facebook post. I have adopted several OTTBs from the non-profit organization Second Chance Thoroughbreds, Inc. in Spencer, NY. I took one look at his bright eyes and pointy ears, and had to adopt him. I had never met him, knew nothing about him, and hadn’t even seen him move… But, something inside me said, “This is your horse.”
Collette Duddy, Executive Director of Second Chance Thoroughbreds, finds horses who are in desperate need of a second career, provides any necessary medical treatment, feeds them up (they often arrive underweight), and places them in a safe home.
When I inquired to learn more about Whip, Collette shared that he had kissing spine, and that was why he was at the auction where she had found him. Whip was thin and covered in rain rot when I loaded him on my trailer. He followed me like the trusting little redhead he is. I thanked Collette for entrusting him to me, as he was one of her favorites. People like Collette, who run these organizations, are earth angels.
We pulled out of her driveway, and drove two hours home. Once I got Whip home, I realized that he still had shoes that needed to be removed. Wow, were his feet bad. Not only could he not walk without shoes, but we quickly realized how bad his kissing spine really was. This kid was in pain, so off to Cornell Equine Hospital we went. Part of the adoption agreement for Whip was that Second Chance would help pay for his kissing spine surgery. Amazing, right?!
Once we arrived at Cornell, Whip was given a workup, and we decided to do surgery. They operated on several vertebrae, doing both a Cranial Wedge Ostectomy and an Interspinous Ligament Desmotomy.
Whip came home after five days in the hospital. We had antibiotics, clean gauze, and huge sticky pads to keep the incision clean, and I had to change his bandages. He was on stall rest for six weeks, and we bonded a lot during this time. We did our walk-and-talks, getting him out of his stall and allowing him to calmly walk about and graze.
Months went by, and his rain rot had cleared up, and his feet were growing out; he was even sound now, and completely barefoot! We managed to get his ulcers under control, and he had packed on some much-needed weight. I learned so much about wound care through this journey.
Finally, we were permitted to hand walk over ground poles, before graduating to lungeing with resistance bands to rebuild his strength. Within a year of surgery, I was on his back. He knew nothing, except how to run.
Whip is the first “blank canvas” horse that I have trained. Together, and with the help of my lifetime coach, Becky Backer, we have gone from a wiggly, drunk sailor of a horse without a steady rhythm or tempo to one with regularity, and even straightness to boot! We are learning connection and lateral movements, now.
We have done some USDF-recognized shows, riding Introductory Tests A and B, and learning to be calm and quiet in an electric atmosphere. Whip and I love to ride in the field, and occasionally hop over a jump. I have big goals to go up the levels with this little superstar; there truly is nothing I’ve found that he can’t do.
What I love most about the Thoroughbred is their willingness and puppy dog personality. Whip is so silly, even child-like. He is super playful, and loves his time out in the field with his buddies. I encourage more people to adopt these lovely animals. Give them a second career and a chance, because with proper guidance, this breed will give you their all. You do not need a $100,000 horse to win medals or accomplish your goals. You need a Steady-Eddy with a great brain and the willingness to try.
Nothing is better than having an equine dance partner with you each step of the way. Cookies now and then don’t hurt either.
