Jessie...

Jessie is my 19 year old Appendix QH gelding. I got him when I was 13, and have owned him for exactly 14 years now. Or thereabouts, we bought him right around my birthday in 1994, which is August 6th. He was 5, and I was just turning 13. We did everything together, English, Western, Jumping, and Dressage. We showed a lot and won a lot, on the local level. He hung out while I went to college and got started with the Air Force. Then he lived with me in New Jersey and hung out when I went to Korea. After that, he moved with me to Dayton.

We took lots of lessons with Kim in the fall last year. He reintroduced a couple of friends to riding. And then he got hurt. We never were able to tell for sure, but the vet says it was the cruciate ligaments. Of course, when he came up lame he was sound when we blocked just above the hock, so who knows. We blocked his leg, then injected his hock. The first vet visit he didn't flex worse on any joint than the others, we couldn't tell without blocking. The next visit he flexed really bad on his stifle, so we injected the stifle. We also ultrasounded the leg and took x-rays of every possible bone in the leg. Didn't find anything pointing to what might be the problem. So he was on stall rest for a month and getting stiffer and stiffer. I decided to move him to my parents farm where he could be on pasture rest, in their big, hilly fields.

When he first arrived he wasn't allowed out with Lou, my sister's horse. Instead he had to stay in a smaller pasture, where he couldn't build up to a full gallop. As the months passed he was allowed out with Lou and he slowly got better. I was worried that he would always have a slight hitch to his gait, and never seem "sound", though he was definitely pasture sound. Even mid-July he was still a little gimpy, though didn't seem to be in any pain at all. Just limped a little when trotting a small circle.

So, that's the background on Jessie, for those of you that don't "know" him. You can see pictures of him on my website, http://www.jesterjigger.com/ (Jessie's registered name is Jester Jigger, which is why it's my name for everything on the internet). Jessie is my soul horse, and I hope that some day Sophie and I will have the same bond. He was my confidant through the years, and my reason for making many of the life choices I made, I was always working toward pursuing dressage with him, but that meant putting riding on hold for a few years to get educated and get my career started. I was absolutely crushed when he turned up injured. All of that waiting, and it just slipped through my fingers. But, I've come to terms with it, and I also recognize that he is just as happy hanging out in a pasture as he was with me.

I'm not sure where we'll go from here, but he'll probably stay with my parents. Craig and I can afford to board two horses here, in Ohio, but if we move to an expensive place next we may not be able to board two horses. I wish I could have him with me and see him getting exercised, but that's ok, I'm just happy knowing he's sound again.