Thanks to everyone who entered the Recovery Story contest announced in the February issue of Horse Illustrated. All of the entries were inspirational! Congratulations to our winner and runners-up, who will receive Recovery EQ products.

First Place
The sound of galloping hooves reached me in the barn, as I went to look out at the giant sand turnout where the “babies” were I thought I knew what I would see. Two year old Lana and my yearling warmblood cross gelding Gabe were racing in the paddock, as gracefully as could be expected for a couple of gawky, still growing youngsters. As they made a turn for another lap Gabe unexpectedly fell down in a flurry of limbs causing my stomach to drop. He laid there for a moment as my concern grew, then he got to his feet and took off again after his buddy. This strange occurrence of my young horse wiping out for no apparent reason would be one I would see again and again. When he was two and his growth spurts and ‘clumsy’ antics could no longer be blamed for his apparent lack of coordination my vet and I attempted to diagnose the cause behind his hind end weakness. Multiple lameness exams, x-rays, ultrasounds, nerve blocks, a trip to Tufts for a full body bone scan, Lyme Disease testing, neurological testing…my hope and my bank account were draining quickly. Gabe’s future was becoming uncertain, supporting a pasture ornament was not feasible and we were coming up empty. The only thing confirmed from our efforts was that Gabe’s Sacra Iliac area was inflamed according to the bone scan. The decision was made to inject the area in the hopes that it would help.

By this time I had started Gabe under saddle very lightly, aside from his physical discomfort which had good and bad days, I had a fear of his back end giving out while I was on him. For several months all we did was walk and do light trotting. One day I was discussing his medical mystery with a friend of mine and she started raving about Recovery EQ, it had made a huge difference in her horse, it had joint support and connective tissue support-one of the only supplements of its kind! That weekend I ordered Gabe some Recovery EQ, I was out of options, and it was something I had not tried yet. Within weeks of starting him on Recovery EQ his good days started to out number the bad. His racing around in the paddock did not result in as many falls. Our rides began to feel like I was on a real horse. Within months of being on Recovery EQ he was a different horse, he was behaving like a three and a half year old should and we were able to increase his work to mostly trotting and incorporating poles to strengthen his hind end. At the end of five months on Recovery EQ Gabe and I were starting canter work with confidence, his falling down having lessened substantially.

Gabe will be 5 in June and I believe that Recovery EQ made it possible for us to reach our goals.

Thank you Recovery EQ!

— Desiree Cormier

Runner Up
My 27-year-old Morgan mare, Dixie, is the horse of a lifetime. She has been my trustworthy, beautiful and talented partner for the past 17 years. After many show seasons she retired to a life of leisure that she deserved.

I was devastated to get her diagnosis of Equine Cushing’s Disease in 2006. Among many of the ensuing health problems were her feet. Even with medication and careful management of her diet, very painful hoof abscesses, episodes of laminitis and overall “ouchiness” were a common occurrence. While she wasn’t showing signs of arthritis and didn’t necessarily need a joint supplement, I was encouraged by other Cushing’s owners to start her on Recovery EQ.

I admit I was a skeptic at first -it was touted as a “miracle” supplement and had a high price tag compared to other supplements out there. However, I felt she deserved at least for me to give it a try and so I bought my first container in March of 2008.

By the end of 5 weeks on Recovery EQ I started to notice subtle differences in her personality–she seemed happier and had lost the slight hitch in her hind leg. She no longer shifted her weight uneasily while standing in the pasture and she seemed brighter overall. I continued on with the supplement into the fall months which are difficult for Cushing’s horses as they very susceptible to fall laminitis. That was two years ago and she has not had an abscess or laminitis episode since. My farrier even commented that she had some of the greatest feet he had seen in a long time!

I truly believe that the magic of Recovery EQ is responsible for great improvements and am so grateful that I found this “miracle drug!”

— Natalie Worth

Runner Up
My story, like many other animal lovers, included a lifelong dream of having my own horse. My wish became a reality when during August of 2009 I rescued an older gentleman, a registered Arab/Saddlebred gelding 19 years young!

Andrew, an emaciated, but proud 15.3 hands, most likely had his day in the show ring. Through unknown circumstances, he was put out to pasture and forgotten.

The first few months were focused on getting immediate needs met. Andrew would gain several hundred pounds, fight insect and allergy related skin infections, have frequent hoof trimmings and become accustomed to a lot of TLC. My goal was to bring my special horse back to his equine best.

Early in his recovery, Andrew exhibited signs of joint stiffness and weakness. His front legs shook while loading in the trailer. The transition from walk to trot was difficult and there was evidence of stifle issues in his back right leg. I was always reminded by others that he is getting old, but knew I had to give him the best care. His future was in my hands.

I was bombarded with “expert” advice from well-meaning horse people and discovered there are as many different opinions and experiences as there are horses in the world!
I read sections of books, equine magazine articles and medical journals, all focused on optimum horse health .Initially I tried several different joint supplements. Maybe I was impatient, but after several months, I saw little improvement.

One afternoon I read an article in Horse Journal about Recovery EQ. It sparked my interest, but I was not convinced until I read many testimonials and talked with a friend who recommended I try it for my horse.

Andrew has been taking Recovery EQ for a few months now. The first time I saw him up on his hind legs playing with his pasture mate, I cried. Thanks to Recovery EQ I have a healthier, happier horse. We are trail riding in the dead of winter and both enjoying it! Recovery EQ is an awesome product. Andrew is proof of that. Thanks to this product my horse and I can enjoy growing old together and feeling good with each new day.

— Catherine Welbon

Recently I spent a weekend judging a couple of hunter and hunt seat equitation shows. I had a great time. I even got a few breaks, like during adjustments to the jumping course, where I could jot down a few thoughts and memorable moments so I could share them with you.

The Judge’s Chambers
Sometimes when I’m judging I feel like a game show participant locked in a soundproof booth. For long periods of time I sit quietly in a chair, isolated in a judging booth, with my only lifeline to the outside world a handheld short-range radio that connects me to the announcer. Of course, maybe that’s a good thing, because invariably I end up muttering comments to myself if a jumping round is particularly “remarkable” (i.e. scary). During such episodes it’s probably best if I’m in solitary confinement. But otherwise I’m happiest if I can interact with the competitors on some level, even if it’s for a brief moment here and there. For example, I try to speak to the line-up of kids in the walk-trot equitation class or give a few words of encouragement to a rider who’s obviously having a rough day with a difficult horse. Horse show rules prevent me from doing too much of that sort of thing—after all, I’m there to judge, not to conduct a training clinic—but I think some feedback from the judge at this level of showing is important.

Read Before Eating
If you’ve followed my blog or read some of my previous columns published in Horse Illustrated, then you know I have an aversion to horse show food. Or at least my digestive tract does. I can’t tell you how many times during my show career that I regretted eating from the concession stand right before my class. Sheer terror would grip me as I tried to outlast a wave of stomach cramps while fumbling with belt buckle, side-zip breeches, tucked-in shirt and an exhibitor number tied around the waist of my hunt coat, all while teetering inside the narrow confines of a ringside port-o-potty. Since I don’t want to relive such memories when I’m judging, I usually I bring a little sandwich (ham and Swiss cheese with honey mustard) from home.

On Saturday, however, I was in such a rush that I forgot my lunch sack. By noon I was famished. Yet the catering truck parked outside the show ring looked ominous. The only thing I felt comfortable snacking on was a bag of potato chips. So I asked the ribbon-hander-outer to please bring me a cold soda and a bag of “plain potato chips.” She dutifully returned with foodstuffs while I was scoring a jumping round. Without looking up from my scorecard, I ripped open the bag of chips and stuffed a handful into my mouth. Immediately I was overwhelmed with the taste of…. Salad dressing? Pickle juice? I scrunched the bag closed, crushing the contents, and glared at the label: “Sea Salt and Vinegar flavored.” Who on earth thought that was an appealing taste combo? Gag! In an effort to wash the taste out of my mouth I guzzled the soda, so hastily that I ended up splattering my scorecard with cola stains. It looked like some earth-toned tie-dye experiment. So there I was, once again vexed by horse show food. Am I ever going to learn?

Bonus Class
Because I showed for so many years, I occasionally I end up judging some of the people I used to compete against. Some of them are friendly acquaintances, and that’s okay because I’m confident that I’m able to judge them objectively. On Sunday one of these pals from the past, a woman named Peggy, came to the show. She’s an accomplished rider and her big bay warmblood, Star, is a champion hunter. He’s just getting back to competition after a lengthy lay-up following an injury, and Peggy thought she’d ride him in a couple of classes late in the day, just for practice. Unfortunately Star was a little full of himself.

While I was judging the baby green hunter class, watching a nervous little mare scoot around the course, I heard a loud, “Boom!” from inside one of the parked horse trailers. Then I heard Peggy’s unmistakable voice yell out, “Staaaaar!” Next thing I knew, Star—decked out in leg wraps and leather halter—bounded into the arena and began tearing around. I tossed my clipboard to the ground and called out to the rider on course. “Lose horse!” I said, and then added, “In the arena!” The poor woman on the baby green hunter pulled up and leapt to the ground. She held the reins tightly and laid a hand on the neck of her little mare, who was understandably fascinated by the huge bay horse zipping around the arena and cavorting between the jumps. Fortunately, Star’s dramatic performance ended safely once he became bored with the escapade. Peggy, who appeared embarrassed and more than a little perturbed with Star, led her horse back to the trailer. Soon the woman holding the little greenie mare began to laugh. “This is my horse’s first show,” she said, “and I’m sure she’s thinking, ‘Wow! This is so amazing! You come into the arena, go over some jumps, and then a horse comes in and runs around. It’s so exciting, I can’t wait to do it again!’”

As you can see, it’s never a dull day judging. I never know what’s going to happen once I pick up my clipboard and head to the judge’s booth. Much like that little mare, I can’t wait to do it all again.

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