Serviceably Sound?

"(Serviceably sound) describes a horse who is capable of performing the work for which he is intended without becoming lame." - Dictionary of Farrier Terms

One would think that this definition is fairly straightforward. However, in my personal experience, there is actually a very wide opinion of what is and what is not a lame horse. Oftentimes owners are not exposed to truly sound horses so they do not realize that their own horses look or feel a bit "off". To compound the problem, there are many vets that have not had the training or experience to develop an educated eye to see the subtle lamenesses that their clients do not see or feel. While ignorance or lack of veterinary resources is not an excuse for a horse to go without treatment, at least it is unintentional.

But there is another group of owners and trainers who realize that their horse is "not quite right" but believe that all horses should be tolerant of some level of pain and discomfort. These owners and trainers only treat severe lamenesses on principle. Even worse are the owners and trainers that keep their horses a bit lame because it makes the horses more docile and/or more rideable for the owners. In many of these cases, I think that the term "serviceably sound" is often used as an excuse to avoid treating the horse which really bothers me.

I believe that owners have an obligation to make their horse as sound as possible given their veterinary and financial resources. The term "serviceably sound" should only come into play when discussing how much work the horse can tolerate and stay sound. If the rider intends to do lower level dressage, then the horse does not need to be sound enough to hold up to canter pirouettes. "Serviceably sound" should never be a reason to decide against treating a horse, especially when the owner can afford to do it.

Now or Never...

So, after many months of going forward with long reins, my horse is sounder than he has ever been and you would not know that he had a neck injury by watching him go. That is the great news and it brings the rehab process to an end. Now the time has come to really see what we have achieved - now he has to re-learn how to accept the contact and move forward into it. It is going to be a slow process because my horse, understandably, is worried that making a connection in the bridle is going to be uncomfortable. I expected to be paranoid about exacerbating the neck injury - however, I have come to the conclusion that I have to gently push through this issue with him at some point if he is going to be a dressage horse. And I have done everything possible from a veterinary and rehab standpoint and he looks better than ever. So, if not now, when?

Rehab Sucks!

Rehabbing a horse is miserable regardless of the injury. You are always questioning every moment of every ride - Am I doing too much? Am I doing too little? Was that a funny step or is it the footing? Will today be the day he reinjures himself? Is he spooky because it's Spring or because he is in pain? Is it behavioural or physical? Every decision you make about their training and care is done in an effort to avoid any regrets and second-guessing later.

My horse has a neck injury which occured before I bought him. The injury was discovered on a bone scan and he has been treated aggressively with ultra-sound guided injections and shockwave as well as Tildren. Because of this injury and the arthritis that has developed as a result, being "on the bit" for any length of time is difficult for him at this point. We have spent many months on the lunge line (without side reins) and walking, trotting and cantering with loose reins on large circles and straight lines. In the last two weeks, we have finally progressed to the point that he can be on the bit for short amounts of time and we are beginning to work on a few strides of leg yield and shoulder-fore in an effort to loosen up the rest of his body. I am hopeful that his progress will continue.

In the meantime, I often feel torn between what conventional training methods would dictate and a fear of making a mistake, pushing my horse too far, and regretting my actions later. However, there is a silver lining: I have gotten to know my horse incredibly well and have a better appreciation for him as an individual beyond his abilities in the show ring. And at the end of the day, going through this process will have been worth it for that alone.