06/08/2025
SPIRIT IN NAME AND NATURE
The story of a beautiful horse and his miracle medical journey.
Please forgive the lengthy post but it’s a special story, worth telling and we’d like to thank our client for so kindly allowing us to share it, thank you 🙏
Spirit is beautiful home bred gelding. Out of a much loved homebred, Catherston Dazzler mare by Utopian Opposition, so he has a truly excellent horse heritage and quality breeding.
Dear Spirit was born at home in the New Forest at 2am, 18th June 2017, Father’s Day!
Over the years he certainly lived up to his name, with a personality to match and growing to 16.3hh.
Spirit was backed at 5 years old and everything was going well, with the plan that he would have a career in eventing. However, 6 months later Spirit came in from the field slightly lame with the right hind very slightly swollen, nothing to worry about initially, or so it was thought.
After a few days of no real improvement, a call was made to us here at Seadown Equine and our own Clinical Director and equine veterinary surgeon, Laura Trigg duly went out.
A scan and an X-ray showed excessive fluid within the joint, and the veterinary recommendation was further rest for Spirit but he didn’t improve.
Laura picks up the story - “In terms of the imaging, Ultrasound scans revealed synovitis of the right hind fetlock joint initially and a small bone fragment was seen on radiography. Sometimes horses can have bone fragments in this location which don’t cause lameness so its clinical relevance was uncertain at this stage. The inflammation of the joint on Ultrasound was more concerning.
After a few weeks of conservative management Spirit remained lame on his RH especially when the joint was flexed. The swelling of the joint had not improved so it was decided that for the best athletic outcome for the horse he should undergo arthroscopy. Tragically, at the time of surgery the fetlock joint was found to be badly damaged and it was going to be touch and go as to whether Spirit would ever return to soundness”
Spirit’s owner describes receiving the news - “I received a call saying the news wasn’t good, a fragment of bone had been found which had torn up the cartilage and roughed off the fetlock joint, even they were surprised as by now he was hardly lame, but his competition career would be over and it was in doubt whether he could ever be ridden again. I was completely devastated, Spirit was certainly not a horse that could be kept as a field companion or at best a hacking horse, he was always happier doing something - a sharp horse that had to be occupied”
“Once home Laura called to discuss the findings, knowing Spirit and me very well, she suggested that we could try stem cell in the joint as he was still growing and producing his own cells. It was expensive, wasn’t guaranteed to work and had a long slow rehabilitation period, so a lot of patience and work was required. I was willing to try as the alternative was unthinkable.
The stem cells were injected and the long road to recovery began with no guarantees. Initial box rest was a 6 week nightmare, then turnout to a small paddock didn’t work so we just turned him out with his mate for a few months with all fingers crossed. The first scan showed progress so in hand work began very slowly 5 mins for first week and a couple of minutes more each week. Again a challenge, think toddler tantrum in a 500 kg teenage body! More scans followed showing good results.
A year later veterinary permission was given for ridden work to slowly begin, small periods of walking calmly. I wish someone had given Spirit that memo! He did love to test out the hindlegs by standing up on them! The final scan a few months later showed a normal joint.
18 months after that with careful schoolwork, hacking, pole work, treadmills and lots of help , support and tissues from many people, Spirit is doing amazingly well and is aiming for his first eventing competition at the end of the season. ❤️
I am so grateful to Laura at Seadown for her support encouragement, professionalism and help in making an informed choice, for both the treatment and the rehabilitation. Thank you.”🙏
