[gull.]

Rescued from the event.
For jumpinghigher

"This stallion was nearly unrecognizable as a horse when we first got him. He had mange, was severely emaciated, and his hooves were so overgrown that he could hardly walk from one corner of his stall to the other. As expected, he wasn't a highly sought after Walker at the auction, and we got to him as soon as we could after buying him. His rehabilitation here at the center obviously took longer than others, and he still has a long way to go, but we're confident that with the right owner he'll do fine. He will need his teeth floated regularly, and he takes a few medicated supplements due to vitamin deficiencies, and for arthritis due to losing so much weight. All of these things will be discussed with your vet. He's not temperamental at all, and he loves children. He acts almost like a dog. A true friend for life. "

Owner: X
Show Name: On The Brink Of Death
Barn Name: Vitus
Gender: Stallion
Post: X

[jumpinghigher]

Show name: On the Brink of Death
Barn name: Vitus (means life)
Halter color: surprise me

Task 1: Finding Trust (271 words)
When I parked at the rescue, I instantly became so excited to meet my new equine. I walked inside the stables and found a volunteer who soon brought me to my new stallion. He peeked his head out of his stall and instantly wanted some pets and attention. I stroked his neck and cheek. He started to fall into a trance. I had brought him several treats from my ranch since I had heard from his report that he was underweight. He instantly gobbled them up and licked my hands. I signed the last of the paperwork and loaded him into my trailer. He is my first Sveldala Walking Equine so I am hoping I can pamper him and get him nursed back to healthy. When we arrived at my ranch, I unloaded him and took him to the corral so I could inspect him and get him some exercise. I checked his joints and gave him a brushing. Then, I jogged him around the corral. I gave him a few treats and let him run around in the pasture while I called the vet. I was hoping to get the vet to visit Vitus as soon as she could so I could start helping him back to his normal weight and health. After he burned off his energy, I washed him down good and trimmed up his mane. Then, I brushed his coat and placed a blanket on him and took him to his stall. He didn't seem to mind that he was my only equine. I think he kinda liked it because he would get all of my attention.

Task 2: Medical Care (163 words)
When the vet finally arrived at my ranch, she instantly began to treat Vitus for his vitamin deficiency. He swallowed his medications down with out a fight. That was the first time that an equine had ever been so easy. After that, I helped the vet float his teeth. He was so loopy after the procedure so I stayed by his side and laid him down. While he was loopy, I took the opportunity to clean his hooves and put new shoes on him. He desperately needed new shoes and some tender love and care. When he was no longer loopy, he ate and I fed him extra feed in hopes of getting him back on track with his normal weight. Then, I inspected his coat thoroughly to make sure I didn't find any spots of mange. Luckily, I think the rescue center had successfully removed all the mites and he was cured from mange. But, I still had my eyes on him.

Task 3: General Rehabilitation (243 words)
Since Vitus is my only equine, I spend all of my time with him. He never leaves my side. I have plumped him up back to his normal weight and I have now weaned him off of his vitamins since he gets his correct dosages in his feed. He has become a great trail ride equine and I love riding him. I am planning on training him for jumping and western style of riding. Vitus enjoys jumping and is no longer in pain from arthritis. His joints are back to normal after a lot of physical therapy and visits from the vet. He is always happy and is never mean or grumpy. Vitus is the easiest equine I have ever trained. He takes commands really well and will make a great show horse. After a year of training, I finally entered him into a show. He placed second overall and I was so proud of my boy! He beat out all of the pedigree and perfect Walkers who had been trained their whole lives. This boy fought for his life and won. He beat the odds and now is winning in shows. I have entered him into several shows and he always ranks very high. He always gets in the top three and always makes me so proud of my boy. I love having a constant companion. He is like my son and I get so proud of him when he does well.

[jumpinghigher]

All three tasks have been completed as of January 4th, 2016 8:36 PM Pacific Standard Time