Horse Tales from the LOPE Ranch

Hoof Abscesses

Well, it was bound to happen. After months of drought and rock-hard ground, the rains finally came. And so did the mud -- and the hoof abscesses.

Pogo, Catalissa and Trouble Now all promptly developed abscesses shortly after our first big storms. Catalissa was especially of concern, given his previous bout with laminitis. However, Austin Equine Associates came out and xrayed him -- and there is no further sign of serious problems (whew).

Pogo was very considerate and made sure that his abscess drained quickly (and at the top of the hoof). Catalissa also is improving steadily. Trouble Now is our most challenging abscess case -- with TWO abscesses (he has classic ex-racehorse hooves with thin walls). Fortunately, he loves being in a stall and has been a wonderful patient. He reminds me of those kids who like to stay home sick from school -- so they can watch daytime TV all day.

For our hoof wraps, we use a combination of diaper, vet wrap, Magna Paste and Epsom salts. I used to create elaborate duct tape "booties" to finish off the wrap -- but now I use Soft-Ride boots instead. They keep the vet wrap and diaper dry -- and are much easier to take on and off than the duct-tape versions.

Although abscesses are a chore to deal with, I don't really mind them. After seeing so many horses with more permanent injuries (sesamoid fractures, torn suspensories, etc), I'm happy to work with temporary ailments!

Catalissa’s Fans

Catalissa is our most serious rehab case here at LOPE. Read more about his history and injuries.

Recently, I received a call from Laura, a local exercise rider at Texas tracks. She had heard about Catalissa’s injuries and wanted to see how he was doing. Her voice was emotional as she described working with him at the track -- clearly, Catalissa had been one of her favorites. Laura cleared up the mystery of Catalissa’s very feminine name – she said that his breeder named all his foals after his daughter Lissa.

Then, a few days later, an email came to my inbox from Hilary. She is the assistant to Michael Stidham, a very successful race trainer. Hilary wrote:

“[Michael and I] had no idea about Catalissa; he was claimed from us long ago. But we were shocked when one of the outriders here at Arlington told us of his fate. We would love to help and donate.”

Soon, a check for $400 arrived from Michael Stidham’s racing operation. Hilary also told us some stories about Catalissa -- he was the favorite of the racing barn when they had him. He had a big, confident personality -- and liked to make sure he bucked everyone off (but usually just once -- as a kind of “initiation”).

And last week, Bill, one of our favorite adopters (and silent auction supporters), contacted me. Catalissa had caught his eye -- he had decided to sponsor him!

To top it all off, today I received yet another email about Catalissa. Amber, a former vet tech at Austin Equine Associates, had sent LOPE a donation -- and she wanted to apply it to Catalissa too!

Many people assume that no one cares about ex-racehorses -- especially the injured ones like Catalissa. But as we’ve discovered, Catalissa has quite a fan club from both his racing and rehab days. Thank you Hilary, Laura, Michael, Bill and Amber for supporting Catalissa!