Now that I have the ability to upload to youtube, I thought it would be nice for everyone to see Jazz and how he used to move. He was a very different horse from Ace. I was scouting through old videos to see which one to use and I came across this one, which I watched with total shock. Watch the move off after the halt. At the time, we put that down to his hock, which had a huge lump on the left leg. I had his hocks injected after that test, and he was much improved in his lateral work. But that collapse sideways is identical to how he looked all the time in the 2 weeks before I had him put down.
With 20:20 hindsight, it is definitely wobblers and he has learned how to cope with it most of the time. On the Saturday that he finally "broke" completely in May this year, I think another chip must have come off his vertebrae and caused the catastrophic loss of control that happened that day. What I will never understand is how on earth he managed to learn extended trot and tempi changes after that video was taken. And what level could he have reached if he was able to do that without being able to feel his back legs properly. It brings tears to my eyes to think about it.
This is a medium test. I was competing at that level not because he was ready for it, but because we both enjoyed working at that level much more than the simpler tests. I recollect he scored about 56 or 57% for it and we were pleased that he was in shouting distance of gaining points for medium.
His mouth was a constant challenge. It didn't matter what we did, he just constantly opened it and yawed at the bit. He was like it before we bought him but in my naivety I thought I could fix it. I'd never buy another that did it when I went to view it unless I was certain it had fixable tooth problems or the rider was at fault.
I have a video of Jazz and Buttie playing on the new surface that I plan to amuse you with sometime, too. Meanwhile, here is Jazz, doing his best against all the odds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0_X1jlWgSQ&feature=youtu.be
Well, it's not easy to watch the video through my tears, but....
ReplyDeleteIt's truly amazing when you consider what was actually going on physically with Jazz. Except for that initial misstep, he looked great. Once again, I marvel at the generosity and "try" he had. He was only a difficult horse because he had physical disabilities he was trying to overcome, not because of his heart.
I have cried over it too Jean, it's too sad for words to see him do it on a video I have had for nine months.
ReplyDeleteI have to add, though, that he had a very difficult brain as well as the physical difficulties. I'll never forget him at 4 years old, leaving a dressage arena where he was with about 6 horses and taking me over 100 yards, at canter, through a 100 box livery yard, around to the original warm-up where there were also 6 or 8 horses. There was no ryhme or reason to it! The lorry was in the other direction. He did not know the horses in the warm-up area any better than he knew the ones waiting to go in to do their tests. It was madness, but typical of his kind of madness :-) !!
C
Tragic, poor chap and heartbreaking for you.. can quite see what you mean after the halt though.. and what a big heart he had to try so hard quirks and foibles and all.
ReplyDeleteRe Ace's vid below .. no idea what aspect ratio is but he does look quite different in the corrected version.
Aspect ratio is height and width. It was too high for the width and it made his stride shorter and choppier.
ReplyDeleteIt was certainly heartbreaking watching him move like that all the time on the day he went NH. Still, at least it was clear what we had to do.
C.
Well well well, it is clear to see isn't it, particularly going down the centreline away from the camera in the entry. He is moving with as straight a leg as he can to cope, and screwing his hocks. His front end looks lovely and light, but the hind end just isn't following that lead. Not that seeing this back then would have changed anything, and didn't he try his heart out despite his condition.
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing us though Caroline, I'll remember seeing this gait, and get vets involved if I see it with any clients horses.
hugs T
I burst into tears when I saw it Tracey, it's so obvious with 20:20 hindsight. But we thought it was his hocks, had him injected, and he improved. Whether that was because the steroids got into his bloodstream and reduced the inflammation in the neck I don't know. I thought it should stay in the joint, but maybe it leaks.
ReplyDeleteThe gait is very distinctive - that swinging outwards of the legs like he's got a wet nappy on, which I now know is called circumduction. The collapse sideways as he moves off as well. He was like that all the time for the last two weeks. At least I didn't have to agonise over when the time was right to let him go.
C.
C
Absolutely, it was a no brainer as to what the right decision was for him, seeing this as a precursory to what he was like when you decided.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting, its invaluable to me in my work to recognise such things and know they're not fixable :(
Big hugs xx T