Horses like Brite are why we need your help. Most of the horses we accept come with medical baggage, and it is very expensive and time consuming to rehab them. Most donors either cannot or will not help with the expense. That is the main reason they come to us - financial circumstances with regard to immediate treatment and ongoing care. Six of every ten horses we accept require a professional diagnosis and ongoing care. Please help us continue to provide the kind of care that is needed to make these horses comfortable and vital once again.   We are committed to providing the best quality of life available for these horses and  we need your help to continue.

Brite is the kindest horse I know.  He never complains and will do whatever is asked of him.  He's the best babysitter of new horses I have, and he'll go out with any new horse and never bat an eye.  He's like a doting mother...it seems like he knows it's his job to help the ones that come here transition. 

Beginning in September of 2005, very good friends of ours, Donn and Christine Egidio (Donn and Christine adopted Gold Deputy), told us about the Mustang Trim.  This trimming technique is NOT to be confused with "barefoot trim", "natural trim" or "natural balance trim".  The Mustang Trim is the technique used to simulate, as closely as possible, the way the hoof of our American Mustangs is shaped for optimum mechanics and optimum soundness.  Brite's LF ankle had arthritic changes and was beginning to fuse, and it was painful for him to have shoes nailed into his hoof because of the force of vibration from the hammer. 

Donn and Christine made the commitment to come from New Jersey to Western Pennsylvania once a month for almost eight months and work with Brite and our farrier, Amos to get Brite sound barefoot.  As of September 2006, one year later, Brite is sound other than the gait issue associated with the chronic arthritis in his LF ankle (due to his trainers continuing to race a sore and injured horse).

Thank you isn't nearly enough to Donn and Christine for what they've done for Brite.  And, thank you to Amos as well for being open to a new technique and using that technique on many other foundered horses you've encountered since meeting Donn.

Donn's web site is www.naturaltrimhoofcare.com  You can also find out more about the Mustang Trim from Pete Ramey's web site: www.hoofrehab.com   Both are full of  a wealth of information and photos.  All of our horses are barefoot here, and we start each new arrival on the Mustang Trim with the first trim they get here.