The proprietor of a horse who survived breaking his again in 5 locations to win two British Dressage lessons has paid tribute to his temperament, and the therapeutic energy of time.
Emily Westwood thought her 17hh Irish gelding Gentleman Bob must be put down when he acquired caught beneath the rear bar of a trailer, three years in the past. However on 22 Could, they gained a prelim and a prelim freestyle at Aintree Worldwide Equestrian Centre.
“He’s a real miracle horse,” Emily instructed H&H. “We’re tremendous happy with him and what he’s achieved.”
Emily, an equine vet with Pocket Nook observe in Lowton, close to Warrington, took Bob on when his earlier proprietor, Emily’s buddy Christina, died.
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster,” she stated.
“He settled in nicely, then we took him to a present with my different horse, and so they had a little bit of a to-do on the trailer. Bob thought it was a good suggestion to come back out backwards and go beneath the again bar.
“I simply keep in mind saying ‘He’s damaged his again’, as a result of it was like a V. We finally managed to get the bar off, and he acquired off, and his complete chest regarded prefer it had exploded, that’s the one means I can clarify it. We acquired him again, and I X-rayed him, and he’d carried out that.”
Emily was positive Bob must be put down however on recommendation from one other vet at Leahurst, he had a couple of months of field relaxation – and issues regarded promising.
“We began long-reining him as a result of he’s acquired [equine metabolic syndrome] EMS and had had laminitis so we couldn’t go away him doing nothing,” she stated. “We needed to offer him an opportunity, to be area sound, as a result of he’d been by way of a lot together with his laminitis. We’ve acquired bald paddocks so I knew he’d all the time be capable of exit and luxuriate in life.”
However Bob was sound, and confirmed no indicators of ache in his again, and after a yr, Emily acquired on board. When he stayed pain-free after a very long time hacking, and to assist preserve his weight down, she began some dressage work.
“He’s carried out very well; I’m so happy with him,” she stated. “We simply thought we’d give him an opportunity, and he had a very good temperament, he didn’t thoughts staying in. And time’s a terrific healer, I suppose. We didn’t medicate it or something, simply let it heal, and now he’s dwelling the lifetime of Riley.
“Some horses have kissing spines, and it by no means causes them an issue. If considered one of our shoppers is panicking as a result of they’ve acquired some [dorsal spinous processes] DSPs which are fairly shut, I all the time present them Bob’s X-rays, and say he’s managed to do that.
“I stated this morning ‘I can’t consider he’s carried out that, after what’s occurred to him’ – once I acquired again, I stated to my different horse ‘Bob’s carried out this and he broke his again; buck your concepts up!’”
Emily stated she nonetheless tags Christina in all Bob’s achievements, on social media.
“I feel she could be tremendous proud,” she stated. “Her husband stated her favorite music was Van Morrison so I requested Tom Hunt, who does our music, and he put a very good Van Morrison freestyle collectively. I’ll preserve that music for ever and hopefully we’ll do nicely on the summers with it too.”
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H&H information editor
Eleanor is an skilled journalist who spent over eight years working for native and nationwide newspapers earlier than becoming a member of H&H as information editor in March 2016. Obsessed with equine welfare and exposing the reality, Eleanor has reported on all points of the business, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage guidelines to mules. Her sport of selection is showjumping, through which she competes her personal horses, and she or he additionally enjoys reporting at native leaping exhibits by way of to worldwide championships.