Wren

The topography of a horse tells a story, albeit usually one in a language we only partially understand. Each scar, bump, and blemish they arrive with has a history attached. We can draw assumptions, make educated assessments based on professional opinions and our own previous knowledge, but there exists a degree of mystery in even the most straightforward seeming marks. This says nothing of what exists beneath the surface, the ways in which their physiology has been altered by the care — or lack thereof — shown to them in their time before SAFE. Each horse is a puzzle we hope, and try, to decode to the best of our abilities.

We feel it’s important to learn a little more about the soundness of the horses we are riding or planning on riding than those who will live out their days as a companion. A soundness evaluation is a diagnostic tool that helps grant us a baseline of a horse’s movement, and allows us to be more transparent about what their future might look like for an adopter.

We also want to take a moment and share what our vets told us about such evaluations, specifically as they relate to flexion tests. While these flexions do impart a degree of information regarding how a horse might perform when under a significant degree of work, or when under a high workload for extended periods, they are designed to put the joints in a high degree of strain which is not common in what is typically asked of a horse. Also, the results may vary by day, month, year. Flexion tests can be a helpful diagnostic tool, but the likelihood that even the most sound horse will flex positive at least once in their life is very high.

Wren recently underwent a soundness evaluation, more out of a new routine than for any billowing red flags. If anything she is in possession of a few pink flags, and as she will be soon be coming up for adoption, we wanted to have her checked out to be able to best represent her.

Since her start here at SAFE, she has had a slight headbob when moving out. We put her in scoot boots during work, which has helped her soundness, and we were curious if the evaluation would show anything. Under saddle, she has a difficult time picking up her right lead canter, which was another point we hoped to receive some enlightenment on.

On the inside of her left hind, down on the long pastern, Wren has a bony protrusion, about half the size of a golf ball. Here is a perfect example of one of those topographic mysteries — this was something that Wren arrived with, a literal piece of her with an attached story we will never be privy to. As part of the soundness evaluation, we would have our vet check this out as well.

Soundness evaluations follow a mostly straightforward path. Our vets palpate the horse’s neck, back, and limbs to check for abnormalities. Wren palpated primarily normal, with a little bit of mild sensitivity to her SI region.

They ran her lameness evaluation with a lameness locator, which uses sensors to record movement and detect lameness that may be challenging to see with the naked eye. It also helps to confirm what the vet is seeing. Both lameness locator and vet noted evidence of a slight RF lameness on hard ground. On soft ground, she lunged sound.

Flexion tests showed mild positive results centered around her right hind.

Flexion test or a good stretch?

Because of this, we chose to proceed with radiographs of the right hind hock, as well as to check out the bump on her left hind to see if it was causing any issues. Her hocks showed up ‘clean,’ with no abnormalities noted. The bony prominence, thankfully, was revealed to not involve the joint — radiographs showed the joint looking healthy. Our vet’s opinion was that it was caused by some sort of traumatic injury in the past.

Sleepy for her hock x‑rays

The overall report from the day was that her baseline lameness was primarily right front, with the recommendation being to put her in front shoes with the hopes that the issues clear from there. The hind end lameness was a little less easy to diagnose — our vet had us trial Wren on Equioxx to test for an inflammatory component. With that trial under way, we will reevaluate in a week to determine what change, if any, it has had, and to discuss potential next steps from there.

You can see Wren’s baseline movement in the video below. It is difficult to accurately judge movement from a video, but you can get an idea of how she lunges generally.

For many of the horses who come to SAFE who are in need of a start or a restart, we spent a great deal of time preparing them for their first saddling and their first rides. But due to the variation in personalities and past histories, the speed at which we are able to hit these milestones varies.

Wren came to SAFE in May, and little was known about what had been done with her. From our initial assessment, it seemed like the answer was “not much.” This is the most ideal of scenarios, for it just means we have less muddy water to wade through on the way to clarifying our meanings.

In general, very little seemed to bother Wren. She was a very reasonable mind from the very beginning, and was the first of her group to do things like walk into the barn, spend some time in a stall, and leave the comfort of her paddock. Following that logic, it would only make sense that she would also be the first to wear a saddle. And while that’s not always how it works, in Wren’s case, it was.

Lexee N, who worked alongside Wren from the beginning, found her to be quickly progressing through their groundwork checklist, and quickly graduated her to throwing the pad and light synthetic saddle on her back. There was very little upset on Wren’s end — a sidelong glance initially, but perhaps not what you might expect for a horse with very little prior handling. Or at least, not the types who typically come through our program.

After a good bit of preparation involving groundwork, groundwork, and more groundwork, as well as plenty of tosses of the ‘real’ saddle to get her used to the heft and clank, we decided it was time to cinch her up. This was, like everything else, low-drama. She had no bucks, and really no trouble that made itself readily apparent. She was a little sticky moving forward, with a tendency to want to change direction without being asked, but when considering all the things that could (and often do!) happen when a horse is cinched up for the first time, Wren was about as easy as it gets.

We will not take this for granted, and while we appreciate when we get a horse like Wren who makes these steps so easy for us, we put her through the same paces as we do all the rest. It just happens that it is a bit faster with a mare like her. With the rate at which she is progressing, it seemingly wont be long until she is ready for an adopter! But no expectations — we will give Wren all the time she needs.

Wren came to SAFE back in May as part of a 7 horse rescue from the Gig Harbor area. She was living in a 4‑horse herd, and while initially curious, she was somewhat cautious around people at first, preferring to keep her distance.

But after her arrival here and those those initial days working with her, catching her with a rope in the round pen and beginning the halter starting process, Wren proved to be a very adept student. She was not, like some of her cohorts, unwilling to be pet, and was quickly able to be haltered after those first sessions.

Perhaps it was because she had not been “messed with” very much, but once in regular work, Wren had very little trouble with the introduction of new stimulus like the flag, and the rope. She was quick to learn how to pick up her feet, and stood very well for her first trim. She was the first of her herd to leave the nest, so to speak, and was able to participate in the groundwork portion of Joel’s July clinic outside of a round pen just a few weeks after her arrival.
We are so accustomed to horses coming through our program who have a lot to work through, that when we get a horse like Wren who has a better understanding than most, it almost feels like something is wrong. It should be more difficult, we think to ourselves, as she walks into the barn for the first time with hardly a squeak, or lets us start preparation for saddling only after a handful of sessions. But perhaps this is just what it’s like when starting colts who don’t come with a truckload of baggage. Regardless, when we get a horse like Wren, we do not take her willingness for granted.

And all this isn’t to say that Wren was going through the motions without any kind of challenge. There were still spots in there and things that she found difficult. It’s just that it took her a lot less time to come to an understanding of what was being asked of her, and we were more easily able to help her out of what trouble she did come across. She is a lovely mare, and we expect her to keep progressing through our training program at a good clip. Now that she has been removed from her previous situation, it will be quite exciting to see just what the future has in store for such a bright young lady!