Chronic Concerns

We adopted Cowboy King as a four year-old in May of 2000. He injured his hock while in training as a two year-old in 1998. When he arrived at our farm, his left hock was swollen, soft, and fluid filled and he had a slight limp. We took Cowboy to the University of Illinois for diagnosis and treatment, which was inconclusive and unsuccessful. He was put on lay-up for over a year. I contacted several veterinarians to evaluate Cowboy King. Each of them had a different diagnosis, and each of them had a different treatment plan. In the course of the next two years we systematically exhausted every treatment plan proposed. Cowboy King experienced temporary improvement, but any activity sent him reeling backwards. His pain became chronic and was no longer manageable with traditional medications. We tried alternative treatments and dietary supplements. Again, any improvements were short lived. Cowboy was getting progressively worse.

By the spring of 2002, Cowboy's coat had lost its luster and his eyes became dull. The muscles in his left rear had begun to atrophy. He walked with a consistent limp. Farrier work on his rear hooves was nearly impossible. He was a three-legged horse. At this point, we considered putting him down. We tried everything to help him and nothing seemed to work. Thankfully, I met Suzie Franz of the Indian Creek Equine Rehabilitation Center. After consulting with our vet, Suzie agreed to come to our farm to evaluate Cowboy. Cowboy King came into the barn from his paddock on three legs. His hock was swollen to the size of a cantaloupe. Suzie pointed out that his sacrum was tipped and that he had virtually no muscle tone in his left rear. He did not bear any weight on his left rear leg. He stood with his leg cocked, and rested on the front of his hoof, which had turned purple and bruised. After evaluation, Suzie began a 20-minute photon treatment. About 10 minutes into it, Cowboy lifted his left rear leg and put his hoof down normally. As the treatment progressed, he put more and more weight on it. Following the treatment, I led him back to his paddock without a limp. He walked on all four legs for the first time since we had owned him. I will never forget that moment because it was the first time in years that I actually allowed myself to hope.

We immediately made arrangements for Cowboy to be taken to the Indian Creek Equine Rehabilitation Center where Suzie used a combination of homeopathy, therapeutic ultrasound and photon treatment and Dr. Linda Harmon-Dodge, DVM, performed two chiropractic adjustments. The results were incredible. Cowboy has been home for over two months and I am happy to report that he is pain free and his mobility has improved tremendously. The size of his hock has been dramatically reduced. He is regaining muscle mass and tone. His appetite has returned and his coat texture has improved. He is so much happier. He actually gallops on all four legs! Suzie literally saved Cowboy King's life. I can only imagine how different things would have been for him if we had met Suzie back in 1998 when he first sustained the injury. Perhaps he could have gone on to race.

I highly recommend Suzie Franz and the Indian Creek Equine Rehabilitation Center.

Cathy Rinne
Prinrock Farms
Chester, IL