2 Diego horse kept stumbling, what did vet check say, this was the moment of truth, from doubt to...

What if that one little stumble of a horse changes everything?

If you’ve seen the first video of Diego, you know I tested him out. And to be honest, I had mixed feelings. He tried so hard and felt really good in many ways, but the stumbling stayed in the back of my mind.

Because of that, I decided that before taking any further steps, Diego had to be checked by a veterinarian. I didn’t want to guess or assume anything, I needed clarity.

In November, the company Diego worked for stopped the carriage rides through the medieval city of Carcassonne. His shoes were taken off, but the nails were still in, and his hooves were in pretty rough shape with a lot of chipping. It could be something simple, like overdue hoof care, but it could also be an underlying medical issue. That uncertainty made me cautious.

I gave the owner two weeks to properly maintain Diego’s hooves and scheduled a vet check for December 31st.

And during my initial test ride, I hadn’t been able to canter him due to circumstances, and I really wanted to see him canter under saddle with his previous owner.

So I received several videos. One showed Diego being trimmed using an electric grinder, and he stood incredibly calm for it. That already said a lot about his cool character. His hooves looked much better afterward.

I also received videos of Fleur cantering Diego, which was very reassuring. On top of that, I saw footage of the owner clipping Diego’s ears. Diego wasn’t afraid of the clippers at all, which was another big plus.

Then December 31st arrived. We went to see Diego together with my farrier. He tested the hooves with hoof testers and Diego was barely sensitive, which was a good sign.
However, because Diego had previously been sensitive on small stones, the farrier wondered if his soles might be thin and suggested checking this with X-rays at the end of the vet visit.
The farrier immediately worked on the hooves again, because despite the recent trim, there was still room for improvement, especially in the frog.

After that, the veterinarian arrived for the full examination. And what a relief: Diego did not stumble at all! He walked and trotted in the round pen, and in the arena the owner showed him cantering. Diego responded very well to voice commands, which was great to see. The vet was also happy with how quickly his heart rate recovered after exercise.

Then came the flexion tests. The vet held each leg bent for about a minute and then asked Diego to trot off immediately. If there are issues with tendons or arthritis, this is where lameness usually shows up. Thankfully, Diego stayed completely sound.

At the request of the farrier, and to my great relief, the vet also took X-rays of Diego’s front hooves. There was some visible calcification, but this is considered normal for a 13-year-old horse who has spent his life pulling carriages. It will not interfere with my goal of enjoying relaxed trail rides.

So in the end, Diego passed the vet check!!!

We were incredibly happy, and the next chapter was already coming. On January 5th, Diego was loaded onto the trailer, which he did very very well, and head our way. You’ll see him arriving in video number three.

So this was the story behind Diego’s vet check, all the doubts, the tension, and finally that huge feeling of relief. In the next video, you’ll see him load offthe trailer on January 5th and start his new adventure with us.

If you don’t want to miss that, make sure to subscribe to my channel, give this video a like, and let me know in the comments what you think of Diego. Thanks so much for watching, and I’ll see you in the next video!

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