He finally came over to me, put his arms on my shoulder and told me to breathe. He said that he has also had these questions and more about this puzzling disease. He had asked the best equine vets in the world about it and had received no adequate responses. He explained that the large holes now in Trav's hooves were to take out the diseased portion and let the air circulate. That WLD is really a fungus, and a bacterium and therefore air seems to be its enemy.

He had painted Trav's hooves with a pink solution as well, and gave me a bottle of what he recommends to paint the hoof daily. His own concoction if you will. He told me that companies all over make extravegant claims that their product will work. But sadly, the product usually falls short. He said owners have used Thrushbuster, Bleach, Iodine, Peroxide, you name it, and one gal even used the same chemicals you would use to clean out your septic tank in your motor home!

He also told me that one client with show horses who keeps his horses in top-rated stalls and a clean barn (clean enough to eat off the floor) and rarely takes his horses anywhere but shows was also fighting WLD and had been for years. He explained that though Trav had been ouchy before, the resection would now make him "clinically lame." But the lameness would pass and the diseased wall would grow down and he would eventually be right again. Then he helped me load up Trav and Racer in the trailer and we were on our way back home.

Over the next six months, I would battle this invader using anything that I thought might work. But as time wore on, it was evident that nothing was working. Farrier bills were piling up, my horse was in pain and getting lamer, I didn't know what to do. That's when I turned to Peter...

Peter and his wife run a small health food store in town. When Racer was two years old, he had gotten very ill. Finally, my regular vet had thrown up his hands in desperation and referred us to OSU Vet school. Racer was evaluated and admitted. He would stay in the horsepital for two weeks. Seven days in strict isolation. They would finally release him, still ill (but better). Conventional medicine had failed to make him right, so I turned to an animal communicator who tapped into my horse and told me what he needed, mostly holistic mixtures. That's when I met Peter.

I drove in to see Peter and thankfully he was not busy. We sat down and I told him everything I had learned about WLD. Peter listened carefully and then brought to me a bottle of GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract). He explained to me that GSE had amazing properties to get rid of bad bacteria and leave good behind to fight the good fight. He told me he would do several things if he were me. He would put some in the water bucket, some over the grain, and he would physically paint the mixture (it was liquid) on the hoof wall and on the bottom of the foot. No wrapping was required after application. I bought the biggest bottle he had, and that was Trav's turning point.