The retraining process with Dom has definitely been a learning experience! From the moment he stepped off the trailer, I swear I learn something new every day! One of the biggest lessons I have learned has been about lameness and hoof care.

I have owned horses my entire life, but our horses were relatively low maintenance when it came to their feet. All they needed were regular trims and getting their feet picked.

When I moved to Kentucky and worked with Thoroughbreds, I saw that I had entered a whole new ball game! Back home, I had never had a horse with an abscess, but in Kentucky I definitely became familiar with how to put on a hoof pack. Also, not only did we pick their feet, but we painted them too! Before that, I had only ever seen my barrel racing friends decorate their horses feet with bright glitter paint. The daily use of conditioners or polishes was completely foreign to me!

So, I knew before I bought Dom that there was a chance we would encounter some hoof-related struggles or lameness down the road, but I figured I had time to prepare.

Dom and Jessica. (Jessica Hanneman photo)

After Dom moved to Wisconsin, most of our time together was spent grooming, hand walking, and generally getting to know each other.

I learned that he likes to play with his tongue and loves peppermint treats and salty licorice! Then, I noticed while he was standing that he would sometimes suddenly move his hind legs. It looked like he was feeling the sensation you get when you are about to fall asleep, but jolt awake because you felt like you were free falling!

He also seemed to have a hard time backing and it was as though he was unsure of how far his feet were from the ground. It looked similar to a horse backing out of a trailer and being ready to step down… but Dom did this on flat ground.

So, when the vet came out to give Dom a vaccination, I had him take a look and he thought he might have a condition called shivers. I researched shivers and Dom didn’t present as severely as some of the horses online, but there definitely were some similarities. Shivers is a neurological condition and the cause is unknown. However, it is more common in horses that are over 16 hands, and typically starts to present around the age of 5 (aka Dom).

Luckily, shivers isn’t a death sentence. There is no cure, but with vitamin E supplements and regular exercise some horses have shown improvement. Some horses have even gone on to compete in higher levels. I was not ready to lose my new teammate, so it was the biggest relief to know we could still have many years together!

Then after a month of getting to know each other, we had some warm rainy fall days. With winter coming and Dom wearing shoes, I was nervous about him slipping on the snow and ice that would soon be here. He had been sound barefoot in Kentucky, so I decided to have his shoes taken off and see how he acclimated.

Then BAM! Our winter began early! We were hit with a cold snap and the muddy ground froze into stiff hard peaks. Neither Dom nor I were prepared for such a quick change!

Soon he became hesitant coming into the barn. It started with only a little fuss, but it quickly turned into a flat-out refusal.

I wondered, “What had I done wrong? Was he mad at me? Was I wrong thinking that I could retrain him? Or did he have something else going?”

The lameness vet came out and took a look at him. He was a mess! He was stiff, barely would walk forward, and was even worse at backing! Everything I had done to try to help prevent him from getting hurt completely backfired and he was even worse. I felt absolutely horrible and like a complete failure!

The vet looked at his feet and said they were really soft. With the ground suddenly hardening, that was likely the culprit behind his pain, so she recommended putting him on stall rest until he could get shoes back on again. She also suggested testing him for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a neurological condition caused by a protozoal parasite present in opossum feces, so we ran that test as well.

Jessica Hanneman photo

Within a couple of days Dom had a new set of shoes with pads to cover his soles. He was back out on pasture and back to his old self! It was a huge relief! But, we still had the question about EPM. Only a few days later, our question was answered. Dom was positive.

But what did it mean for Dom and his future? Does he not have shivers and only EPM? Or could he have both?

Unfortunately, only time will tell. With EPM the clinical signs can be varied and horses won’t always present symptoms immediately. The great news is that Dom is not showing severe symptoms and there are treatment options. Since his condition does not appear to be worsening (actually his ability to back has been improving tremendously with our training), the plan is to keep him on his vitamin E supplement, monitor his symptoms, periodically test him, and start him on a treatment for EPM if he worsens or his levels increase.

Nobody wants their horse to have an illness, but I am so happy that Dom has made it through the winter better than when it started. We had a rocky start and I have definitely learned from my mistakes. Shoes with pads are a must for him in the winter! But his hooves have gotten stronger, he has gained muscle, and can back much more confidently! Now with the last of the winter snow melting, it’s time for us to kick our training into gear as we prepare for the Thoroughbred Makeover this fall!

The Jockey Club supports many aftercare initiatives including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the only accrediting body in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers. View all of the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club.