The good news is, he is still with us. This horse is a fighter and for that I am grateful.

He is unable to live up to his name at this time. He tries to run, bless his heart, yet only manages a lumbering gait. His ears are almost always pinned back, and for some reason he is developing other symptoms that the vets have no clue what is going on.

He is rubbing his neck and belly to the point where he is raw. His sheath has open sores that I am constantly battling with. The flies are slowly dying off- last night, we had an almost freeze, so I am hopeful in the next few days, we will have a real one and then the flies will be dead.

I will not use any chemicals on him any longer. Fly sprays now bring adverse reactions to him. It is frustrating to understand that the products supposedly out there to "help him" might have instead hurt him.

His ninth birthday is approaching. Usually on his birthdays he and I take off into the woods. Not this year. He is just staying put, in the pasture with his buddy Trav. His shoes are coming off next week. The ground is softer now, and once the rains hit he will lose the shoes in the mud anyway. I would rather they come off now. With any luck, they will also stay off.

2-15-06

Boy I have been away from this a long time. Racer has regained his legs and is now trotting across the pasture, bucking and snorting. After careful consideration, I put him on a holistic powder blend from Silver Lining Herbs. After about 30 days of this mixture, he began to move about more freely and with less pain. I fought to have his shoes removed and they were. He is now moving freely, his nasty thick crest is gone. He is no longer rubbing himself raw on fenceposts and feeders. My farrier was out the other day and said he can't quite believe it, but with the healthy hoof growth, Racer is starting to appear as if he never foundered at all!

I have also decided no more vaccinations. No more chemicals, no more drugs. The only thing this horse will be getting from now on is his holistic blend and wormers when needed. Chemicals have already done enough damage to this noble boy. He now needs to heal.