In February 2008 I bought a registered dun Quarter Horse mare at auction in San Antonio Texas. I was in the market for a horse I could show at buckskin and AQHA shows. This is the story of that mare - Babes Little Twister; her challenges and successes.

The document encompasses the period between buying her and the start of Babe's blog on Nov. 19, 2009. To follow the blog click here.

Eleanor Blazer and Babes Little Twister

All images and videos are copyright Eleanor Blazer and cannot be utilized without explicit written permission. elblazer@gvtc.com

________________________________________________________________________

Feb. 8, 2008 - San Antonio Select Horse Sale:

This evening is a pre-view of horses offered at auction. The sale catalog lists a registered 2000 dun Quarter Horse mare. According to the information she has AQHA points in showmanship and halter. Her name is Babes Little Twister.

My husband, Don Blazer, and I located her stall. There she was, standing quietly, her head in the corner and rump to the door. Her body language sent the message: "Leave me alone."

We went in to look at her. She laid back her ears, but did not offer to kick or bite. We started our evaluation of her.

The mare was extremely overweight. Her hocks and fetlocks were swollen. Her feet were poorly shod and out of balance. She had founder rings on all four hooves. There was a dip in each front hoof, possibly caused from rotation of the coffin bone. She was stiff as we moved her around the stall.

But she has good conformation and is smoothly put together. She has a pretty head.

Don looked at me and said: "I think we can fix her."

I, of course, felt sorry for her and wanted to take her home right away.

The next step was to see her ridden. We asked around the barn and found a girl who worked for the sales agent. He had consigned the mare and several other horses. She was going to ride Babe in the demonstration arena soon.

We walked around looking at other horses and watching the demonstrations in the arena. In about an hour the agent's rider arrived on the dun mare.

In about 15 minutes I couldn't watch anymore.

The rider jerked the reins to get the mare to drop her head. This caused the mare to raise her head and open her mouth. Almost two years later, the picture of Babe with her head in the air and mouth open in pain still lingers.

There were a lot of ranch bred horses at the sale. Many horses were doing sliding stops, spins and working fairly fast. Babe's rider tried to do the same. The poor mare got jerked for not being able to perform. Anyone watching could tell she could not spin and was in pain.

Don and I left.

That evening I searched the AQHA web site and found Babe's previous owners.

I couldn't locate a phone number for her most current owner, but I did locate a number for the prior owner, located in South Dakota.

The lady who answered the phone was surprised to learn Babe was at an auction in southern Texas. She was helpful and wanted to help in any way she could.

They had bought Babe as a yearling in 2001, had her trained and did some limited showing in amateur and youth AQHA shows. Their goal was to have a western pleasure horse that could compete at the large AQHA shows. Babe could not maintain the slow constant cadence needed to win. She was starting to four-beat at the lope and was getting sour.

They sold her in February 2005.

Babe's next owner was a young lady who needed a horse to show on the American and International Buckskin circuit. I was unable to locate her before the sale.

Feb. 9, 2008 – San Antonio Select Horse Sale:

We arrived at the sale site early in the morning – with horse trailer in tow.

After getting our bidder's number, we went to Babe's stall. She was standing knee deep in alfalfa hay with her head in the corner. If there could be a picture of dejection and unhappiness, she was it.

We were hoping to talk to the sales agent. We never found him. The girl who rode his horses was there.

We asked her some questions about Babe. We were told the agent was selling Babe for a dealer from "up north". She didn't know much about the mare and had only been riding her for about a week to get her ready for the auction.

Babe was lot number 12. Don and I headed to the sales arena.

It didn't take long to get through the first 11 horses.

Babe came into the ring.

The auctioneer started reading Babe's information, "This is a 2000 triple registered dun mare. She has papers, which are in order, with the American Quarter Horse Association, the American Buckskin Registry Association and the International Buckskin Horse Association. She is by Wilys Rudywood who is by the great Wilywood and out of a mare by Mousy Hank. Mousy Hank goes back to Winken Wayne. The mare would make a good amateur or youth horse. She has AQHA points and is gentle. We'll start the bidding at $10,000."

My heart dropped into my stomach. There was no way we would spend $10,000 (or more) for her. But I guess no one else would either, because the real starting bid was $5000.00.

Don was in on the bidding and at first it was fast.

While the bidding was going on the girl was trying to get Babe to spin in the small sale ring. Babe looked confused and was resisting.

The bids quickly rose to $7000, then they slowed down and the auctioneer began to work. Slowly the bids climbed. Don had the bid at $8,000.00. The auctioneer was trying to get another $500.00 - then $200.00.

I could feel my heart pounding and it seemed like time stood still. The gavel dropped, the auctioneer said, "Sold."

Don turned to me and with a smile said, "Go rescue your mare."

While Don went to complete the transaction and get the trailer, I headed to the stall. The agent's girl was already getting the next horse ready for the auction.

I went in Babe's stall and put on her halter. I gave her a pat and told her she was starting a new life.

In a movie or book she would have nickered, taken a big sigh, relaxed and instantly "bonded" with me. But she pretty much ignored me.

I lead her out to the loading area and watched for Don to arrive with the trailer. After getting the papers inspected we loaded her and headed home.

At the ranch we put her in a stall, then provided fresh water and hay. She was interested in the other horses, but settled in quickly.

Later in the afternoon I took her to the arena and lunged her lightly. She knew voice commands. Babe did move stiffly and looked sore.

Feb. 6, 2009:

The first thing Don wanted to do was pull her shoes and get her some heel support.

Babe is 15.2 hands and a large mare. She was wearing double ought shoes (00) - shoes meant for a smaller horse. Her heels were contracted and the shoes provided no heel support.

Because of a long history of wearing shoes too small Babe's hooves were twisting…rolling under. Using a shoe too small for a horse does not allow the hoof to expand so it begins to twist - looking for the path of least resistance. Soon the hoof becomes unbalanced.

When looking at the bottom of Babe's hoof there was more growth to the outside. The frog was twisted - pointing to the inside.

The small shoes did not provide heel support either.

Because of the unbalanced hoof her weight was not centered over the hoof. Instead she was rocked back on her heels. She was compressing her heels and accelerating the contracted heel problem. Previous horse shoers had been removing needed heel and allowing the toe to push forward.

It would take a year or more to correct the problem and we hoped it was not too late.

A size two shoe was used. The shoe's heels extend under the bulbs of her feet, in order to support her weight. Only three nails were used. The heel nail is skipped to allow expansion.

When Don started to work on her feet she threw a fit – reared back and tried to get away. For an older mare with show experience this was surprising. We put a lip chain on her and she tested it once. She stood like a lady for the rest of the procedure. Babe has never since needed to be corrected while being shod.

Babe – Feb. 10, 2008

Previous History:

Several days after the auction I was able to locate the owner listed on her papers by going through the International Buckskin Horse Association. Maddie Garman was located in Iowa.

Maddie was surprised Babe had ended up at an auction in southern Texas.

Maddie had bought her in February of 2005.

Babe was well cared for while owned by Maddie. Maddie worked on getting her feet balanced and started training her for events other than pleasure. Her four-beating at the lope was a problem and Babe had learned how to get out of work.

Maddie and Babe at the 2005 IBHA World Show

Maddie won the 2006 International Buckskin Horse Association Queen title at the IBHA World horse show. Her mount was Babe.

At that time Maddie was going to college, so finding time to ride was a challenge. Maddie said she and Babe never got the chance to "click".

In April 2007 Maddie decided to sell Babe at auction.

Babe was the high selling horse at $7000.00, but Maddie decided to "no sale" her. After the sale the high bidder approached Maddie about completing the sale.

The bidder had a client who was looking for a horse suitable for a youth. He told Maddie that Babe would get a good home. Maddie thought about it and decided it might be the best thing for Babe.

Babe's future owner was located in Wisconsin.

Maddie lost track of Babe until I called requesting information.

Babe's papers were never transferred out of Maddie's name. From the time she was sold in April 2007 until the time I bought her in February 2008 we don't know what was done with her.

Because none of her three sets of registration papers were transferred, we knew she had not been shown on the Quarter Horse or Buckskin circuits.

How she got from Wisconsin (if that is where she ended up) to San Antonio we will never know. I tried to call the dealer who had her at the auction, but he never returned my calls.

Over the last 21 months I have kept Maddie informed of Babe's progress and Maddie's been helpful in helping me understand some of Babe's behaviorisms.

Maddie was relieved Babe ended up with a person who would care for her.

But we both are appalled at the condition she was in when I got her at the sale.

What's Happened Since February 2008 until the Present - Nov. 19 2009

Physical Issues:

When we got Babe she was showing tremendous body pain. Just brushing her made her lay back her ears and move away. She was especially sore in the hock, stifle, hip and hamstring areas. The unbalanced hooves had been taking a toll on her body.

During exercise she had trouble with her stifles. She would buckle during the lope and lateral movement was restricted.

I contacted Betty Lindquist, who teaches the online course Equine Massage for www.horsecoursesonline.com. I enrolled in the course and with Betty's advice I started massaging Babe. The course also gave me exercises to improve suppleness and muscle strength.

I also use a product which contains arnica, called Sore No More, during massage. Arnica is a perennial plant that is used in homeopathic muscle ointments.

In the beginning Babe could barely tolerate being touched. Each session showed improvement and her range of motion improved during light daily exercise.

Over the past 21 months we've had some set backs and I've learned what triggers the episodes.

In the beginning Babe was not fit or supple. She could not do lateral work or pivots on the hindquarters. Working her too long on exercises with these maneuvers would cause lameness.

I need to keep her on manicured ground.

After a rain, when the pasture is muddy and slippery, she can't be turned out. Taking a misstep that allows her hind foot to slide in the mud tends to aggravate her stifles, hocks and hamstrings – triggering lameness.

In the Texas Hill Country we have a lot of rocks. She had a period of lameness, which lasted several weeks, after she had slid off a large flat rock with her right hind leg.

The rocks also mean she must be shod to protect her soft sole.

I have to avoid working her in arenas with deep footing and no base. The strain on her stifles, hocks and hamstrings will trigger soreness.

In July 2006 Maddie had Babe's left hock x-rayed. Bone spurs were visible in the hock. It was decided to inject both her hocks with hyaluronic acid. She was also given glucosamine injections every other week. Maddie said the treatment made a big difference in the way she moved.

On Nov. 6, 2009 I had her hocks x-rayed.

The distal metatarsal in the right hock has significant loss of joint space. The left hock is not as bad.

It looks like what were bone spurs in the right hock have comingled to form a bridge. The joint looks like it is starting to fuse in this area. It could take years for the entire joint to fuse. Luckily the lower hock does not have much movement. Fusing in this area is actually a blessing. In the meantime I have to control the pain and keep her as comfortable as possible, while trying to show her.

After talking it over with my vet, Dr. Jana Robbins, we decided we'll inject her hocks with hyaluronic acid in January. This should get her through the show season. In the meantime I'll keep managing her by using the oral HA (Hyaluronex®), not over stressing the hocks, rubbing Sore No More on the area, keeping her feet balanced and her weight down.

Nutrition:

When Babe arrived at her new home, she was put on a diet - much to her dismay.

The hay in her stall at the auction was pure alfalfa. Babe is not a dairy cow producing large quantities of milk, so alfalfa was the worse thing for her. The high calcium and high energy content of alfalfa was not needed.

But I believe in keeping forage in front of horses at all times. Her forage was changed from alfalfa hay to coastal Bermuda grass hay.

Babe was put on a low calorie, balanced vitamin/mineral supplement. The product I use is Purina's Enrich 12. She gets a pound and a half a day (three quarters of a pound twice a day).

Training:

Babe's early training was to prepare her for western pleasure. Anyone familiar with how western pleasure horses are expected to move will recognize what a torque it puts on the joints. Plus Babe's breeding and conformation were not that of a pleasure horse.

Maddie had started to train her for other events. But college limited the amount of time she could spend.

In addition to her physical problems, I also had the challenge that Babe had become sour and very spoiled.

Because Babe was out of shape and in pain her exercise program was very light at first. I also needed to learn her cues. Maddie was very helpful with giving me insight to those.

The first show I wanted to take her to was a Quarter Horse show at the Rose Palace in San Antonio. The dates were April 11-13 2008.

During the first three months her daily exercise program was lunging to warm up and then I rode her for about 45 minutes. We did a lot of jogging, transitions and started to work on lateral movements.

I was in no hurry. I knew it might be years before we became a team. I wanted to get her back in shape slowly, without stressing her too much.

The show dates arrived.

I entered her in amateur western pleasure and horsemanship. I'm not interested in showing her in western pleasure, but I wanted to get her in the ring.

Babe and I entered at the walk and I maintained a good spot on the rail -away from the other entries. She walked and jogged faster than the pleasure horses, but I expected it.

Then the announcer asked for the lope.

I gave Babe the cue and she flung her head in a big wild arc. She took a jump forward and flung her head again. Luckily I was by myself on the rail and did not disrupt the class. I went to two hands and got her under control.

Keeping an eye out for the other exhibitors I stayed in the lower end of the arena and started making small circles with her. Every time I asked her for a lope she would fling her head and leap forward. Once she did it so violently she flipped a rein over the end of my spur.

I worked my way to the gate and asked to be let out. Don met me and we looked at each other in surprise. We never expected this.

We decided to enter her in open western pleasure so Don could ride her. He rides with more leg than I. He would school her if she tried it with him – she did.

Don had to drive her hard with his legs and set a barrier with his hands to get her under control. She fought him every step – trying to fling her head and leap forward.

After the class Don rode her in the warm-arena. She would not give up. Finally he was able to get her to lope without swinging her head in a big arc. He gave her back to me and I walked her to cool her out.

It was the beginning of a very long summer.

After that first show she started swinging her head and trying to get out of work at home. Prior to the show she had not.

I would ride her through it…driving her forward with my legs and not quitting. Occasionally Don would ride her. I have two bulging discs in my back and she was putting a strain on them.

We tried to make at least two shows a month. I wanted to show her at the American Buckskin Registry Association's World Horse Show the end of July 2008. The way she was performing was not acceptable.

Each outing showed improvement. She would still challenge me and there were times Don had to ride her, but she was learning she was not going to intimidate us.

We have a theory that after Maddie sold Babe and we bought her, she learned how to get out of work by flinging her head and taking off. Her violent head swinging could be unnerving and a timid rider would have felt in danger.

The end of July arrived and we made the trip to the ABRA World Show in Tulsa Oklahoma.

Eleanor and Babe at the 2008 ABRA World Show

I entered her in Amateur Select Trail and Amateur Select Western Horsemanship. We got through the classes without her flinging her head and bolting off. She placed sixth in both classes. For us it was like winning a World Championship.

Since that show she has only regressed once or twice. But the "weak moments" were short lived.

Now we are concentrating on becoming a team.

I've identified the two main things on which we need to work. They are: learning not to four-beat at the lope and neck reining better.

Babe is learning how to overcome the four-beating by loping over poles set in a circle. It's hard to four beat when loping over poles set six and 12 feet apart on a circle.

The neck reining is being improved by learning how to listen to my leg. We jog around a lot of cones and do serpentines. She has reached the point I can drop the reins on her neck and guide her with my legs – at the walk and jog. We're still working on the lope.

Her days of going in mindless circles on the rail are over.

2009 Show Season

At the ABRA World Show this year Babe placed fourth in Amateur Select Trail (she was third under one judge). I didn't show her in Western Horsemanship because I'm not showing her on the rail.

At several open shows she won the trail class. She's been placing in trail at the AQHA shows that we've attended in southern Texas.

Don Blazer on Commander Pine Bar – 2009 ABRA Junior Trail Reserve World Champion

Eleanor on Babe – Top Five in Amateur Select Trail at the 2009 ABRA World Show

Babe was year end high point in 2009 on the Guadalupe Valley Quarter Horse Breeder's show circuit in Open Trail and Amateur Select Trail.

A Baby for Babe

I really like this mare. Babe's proving she can compete at shows. Her disposition is getting better every day and she has good conformation.

So I would like to get a foal out of her.

This is not a decision we made overnight. Don and I do not believe in breeding mares just because we like them.

The first thing we required of Babe was for her to prove she can win at shows. She's been doing that this summer and is getting better.

The second thing we addressed is why do we want a foal? What are the goals for the foal? Just to raise a foal out of Babe is not a good reason.

Babe will be 10 years old in 2010. If I get her bred she'll be 12 when she foals. I'll be able to show her for several more years. Her foal will be my next show horse.

I had a uterine culture done on October 29, 2009 to make sure she did not have an infection. Babe showed no signs of pathogens and everything looked good.

On November 6 Dr. Robbins performed a Caslisk to reduce the risk of future infection.

The criteria for the stallion are (not in any order):

1. Have AQHA points and be a winner.

2. Have the conformation to produce a winner in trail, western horsemanship and western riding.

3. Have a great disposition.

4. Be the off-spring of winners. This means the dam must be a winner also.

5. Be eye appealing.

Over the next several months I'll study stallions.

To follow the adventures of Babe's Little Twister, please go to her blog. Click Here.

Earn a Bachelor of Science degree in equine studies or certification as a Professional Horse Trainer or Riding Instructor. Start your new career as a riding instructor, horse trainer, or stable manager. All courses are online. Start anytime and work at your own pace.

Visit www.horsecoursesonline.com for information.