The
mare or the foal: which would you choose to save if it came down to that heart
wrenching decision? In January of 2012, that decision was staring my family and
I right in the face as we watched my 8x world champion mare, Zips Sacred Slipper,
become more and more lame as the days of her first pregnancy wore on. She was
only about 2 months from her due date and could barely walk. The medicine she
needed to be sound again could permanently harm her unborn foal or cause her to
abort. This was a decision we never thought we would have to make. This mare
had been hauled thousands of miles up and down the road going to hundreds of
horse shows and had never taken a lame step in her life to this point. How does
this happen upon retirement to the broodmare shed??
 |
| Slippers first show ever in 2006 |
I began showing Slipper in the all-around
her three year old year. While usually the youngest horse in the youth classes,
Slipper excelled and was nearly unbeatable in the western pleasure and trail
that year. The more I rode and showed
her, the stronger our bond grew. She never stopped improving and would do absolutely
anything you asked of her. Her lack of fancy movement and flashy color were
made up for by her consistency, preciseness and level of difficulty. We worked
together to perfect pattern classes such as showmanship, horsemanship and trail.
Those classes we could complete seamlessly as if we were reading each other’s
minds. Slipper was an extremely intelligent mare and she knew exactly what her
job was and she did it well. She would even run a 17 second barrel pattern and turn around to lay down the winning horsemanship pattern the next day. In 2007 we were 3rd in the nation for
PtHA 13 and under having only attended a few shows. We ended that show season
with 8 Congress Championships and High Point 13 and Under at the Pinto Congress.
I set my goals high for 2008, my last year of 13 and under. I wanted to win a
world championship and be number one in the nation. I left my first ever world
show with unanimous world championships in western riding and horsemanship and
ended 2008 atop the standings for Youth 13 and under and more points than the
number one 14-18 team. Slipper wasn't even five years old yet and had
accomplished more than most twenty year old horses.
 |
| Slipper's first Congress in 2007 |
This was all accomplished on a
plain little white mare we had never imagined would even earn points let alone
win world championships. This was the kind of horse she was: she just shattered
expectations at every turn. No matter what goal I set, she would carry me right
to it and beyond. In 2009 we won the overall youth trailer for PtHA with over
5,000 points earned just that season. In 2010 we added 5 more World
Championships and an All Around Saddle at the Pinto World Show. Every Pinto
Congress I attended while showing Slipper for 4 years we left with the High
Point title. The last summer I showed her she was pregnant with her first foal
and still managed to win her APHA Versatility, Championship and lead the Zone
for 14-18. I retired her at the end of the 2011 show season because frankly, I
could think of nothing else we could accomplish together; she had made every
single dream I had ever had for my show career come true and so much more. I
was ready for a new challenge with my young gelding, Charlie and was eager to
start his show career and Slipper’s momma career.
This brings us back to January
2012. My world champion, the mare who had been unstoppable, unbeatable and unforgettable
was struggling to stand. We had no idea what was wrong. We treated her for a
variety of problems but nothing helped. She was finally diagnosed with severe
laminitis in all four hooves. Her coffin bones were rotating significantly.
This happens extremely rarely in pregnant mares. Slipper was defying yet
another odd but this time it was life threatening. The suggested medicine was
not good for her unborn foal but if we wanted to save her we didn’t have many
other options. If we wanted Slipper, we risked the foal’s life. If we wanted to
save the foal we risked Slipper’s life as well as the babies if she didn’t make
it to full term and deliver. While the agonizing decision hung over our heads
my mother and I were spending every spare minute on the internet searching for
possible solutions. I remembered something about travel gel boots a friend had
bought for her older gelding to wear on the trailer to horse shows. I had been
contemplating buying a pair for my show gelding for hauling and while looking
at them read that they were good for the treatment of laminitic horses as well.
We ordered the Soft-Ride Boots with
the special laminitis inserts as the last ditch effort to save Slippers life as
well as her babies. These funny little “Slipper’s” arrived and were strapped on
her feet iimmediately Now we waited and prayed to see a difference and
improvement. Within days she was more comfortable and within in weeks she was
nearly sound. We were astounded and overjoyed. The vets could not believe it.
The rest of her pregnancy was thankfully uneventful as she wore her boots 24/7.
On March 12th, 2012 at 12:05am, Slipper delivered a gorgeous,
healthy filly. She was a 50/50 black and white tobiano and absolutely everything
I could have ever asked for. Thanks to Soft-Ride boots Slipper made it and so
did Ella. With the excess weight gone from her pregnancy, Slipper steadily
improved, wearing her boots the whole time. Though she would be questionably
sound for the rest of her life, I was just happy to still have her around.
 |
| Slipper and Ella |
It is January 2015. Slipper is
pregnant with her 4th baby currently. Knock on wood, we have had no
other big scares like her first pregnancy and she has given us two other
beautiful fillies. Her first baby Ella, my little miracle baby, is three now
and starting her show career. She is every bit her mother’s daughter with all
the willingness, talent and intelligence to make a fantastic show horse. I
thank god every day that I got to keep not only Slipper around but also this
amazing filly who is working on filling her mother’s shoes as my new show
horse. Despite everything, Slipper is still as amazing as ever. She requires
grass hay, special grain, supplements and of course her boots but it is all
worth it to have my Slipper healthy. She is not show sound and never will be
but she is happy and healthy to hang out in the pasture and have babies; a well-deserved
retirement for my warrior world champion. She still wears her Soft-Ride boots
every day and without them I truly do not know if Slipper would still be here.
They saved her life.
 |
| Slipper wearing her Soft Ride Boots with her 2nd filly Kelly at her side |
 |
| Ella as a 2yo (Impulse Photography) |
Some days when the ground is soft
and she is feeling especially good I hop on for a bareback ride around the
pasture for nostalgia's sake. Though it has been almost 4 years since her retirement
from training and show life, she still has it; every button is still there,
albeit a little rusty. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to show such an
amazing mare. I know she is truly once in a lifetime. The plain little white
foal we had no hope in turned out to be one of the winningest youth horses in
PtHA history and is well on her way to being a legendary broodmare. Never ever
underestimate the power of a good mind, willing attitude and big heart in a
show horse; it is truly all it takes to have a champion or maybe even a legend.
 |
| Riding Slipper in January 2015 |
ZIPS SACRED SLIPPER (2003-)
Sire: Zipped in the City (Zippos Sensation) Dam: Sacred
Scarab (Sacred Indian)
8x World Champion
Reserve World Champion
2010 Pinto World Show High Point 14-18
30x Congress Champion
4x Congress High Point Champion
2008/2009 PtHA Number One Youth in the Nation
20x PtHA Horse of the Year
Earner of over 10,000 PtHA points
Earner of over 550 APHA Points
APHA Youth Versatility
APHA Youth Champion
2011 APHA Zone 8 14-18 Champion
A HUGE shout out
to the amazing Soft-Ride Boots that saved Slipper’s life. You can check out
their website at the below link. Though they are wonderful for horses with hoof
or leg problems, they are also widely used for hauling show horses and for long
shows with a lot of concrete. I have them for my show gelding as well to wear
on the trailer and at shows.
No comments