Pasture Art
Skipper W Spanish was a stallion foaled on March 17, 2000. He was 14 years old in 2014, when this story began, and it was believed his future would be brighter as a gelding rather than as a cryptorchid stallion.
With that thought in mind, on November 4, 2014, Skipper W Spanish was trailered to Ontario Veterinary College Health Sciences Centre at University of Guelph, Ontario for an elective cryptorchid castration. It seemed simple and safe.
He was anesthetized and procedure performed without major incident, until following recovery he made several unsuccessful attempts to rise. He now was in trouble; so much trouble it resulted in a comminuted fracture of the intermediate carpal bone (right front).
At first the staff were not aware Skipper had fractured his knee but it was noted that he had stiffness in the right front limb and moderate effusion in the right middle carpal joint. Skipper was discharged with instructions to monitor him at home and contact the OVC if lameness and swelling in the knee worsened. It did worsen, and Dr. Kyle Goldie was called to attend at Inukshuk Farm and Xray the knee. The radiographs were immediately emailed to the staff at OVC and the diagnosis of a fracture was made. Skipper was returned to OVC in Guelph on December 2, 2014 for further treatment; including discussions on performing a CT examination followed by either arthroscopic surgery to remove the fracture fragments from the carpal joints, or to leave the fragments alone and let them heal back together with the leg in a cast. The conservative treatment was deemed the best option and so, Skipper was firstly treated with a splint and then a cast which was placed extending from above his fetlock to just below his elbow on the right front leg. The cast was removed on January 19th followed by bandaging until 10 days prior to his discharge. He was a perfect patient and remained at OVC until February 20, 2015.
Today, almost ten years later, he continues to live his horsey life and reminds us every day that the right thing is not always the easiest, or the cheapest, or the most widely accepted. Horses that fracture legs are usually euthanized.
As for leading a productive and useful life as a riding horse, I guess we failed Skipper, but on the other hand he eats, he runs, he is majestic and he makes lovely “pasture art” for all to see.
Skipper is now 24 years young and continues his life here at Inukshuk Farm & Equestrian.
Submitted by Janice Ecclestone, Inukshuk Farm
