Monthly Archives: September 2008

Dr. Cook’s Bitless Bridle – Will a Cross Under Design Work for Your Horse?

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Bitless bridle, bridles, Commentary, English Riding, horse back riding and tagged with , ,
Dr. Cooks Bitless Bridle (www.bitlessbridle.com).

Dr. Cook's Bitless Bridle (www.bitlessbridle.com).

Of all the bitless solutions out there, this bridle is probably the best known. The Dr. Cook’s bridle is a cross under solutions: in addition to the normal cavesson, there are two straps that cross under the horse’s jaw and are then run through two rings on the noseband. The reins attach to these straps. Other bridles that use this configuration are the Nurtural bridle (which I haven’t tried) and the Micklem Multibridle (see my review).

How the Dr. Cooks bridle works.

How the Dr. Cook's bridle works.

The Dr. Cook’s bridle controls the horse primarily through poll pressure. When you put pressure on one – or both – reins, there is also a squeeze (or hug, as they define it) to the entire head, but the most pressure is applied to the poll. When the pressure on the reins is lessoned, the pressure on the horse’s head is reduced/released.

Diagram of the Dr. Cooks Bitless Bridle.

Diagram of the Dr. Cook's Bitless Bridle.

Herein lies the rub: if your horse does not respond to poll pressure. This is not the bridle for you. Lots of horses don’t seem to be bothered by the pressure. I’ve met many people who love this bridle and whose horses worked well in it from day one. My horse does not like poll pressure one bit. His reaction to the bridle was to get very light in front at the slightest pressure and to half-rear when any more pressure was applied.

I did give this bridle a chance. I rode in it repeatedly and he was fine provided I never took any contact. I had bought a nylon version of the bridle to try and at first, I suspected that this might be the problem, that the nylon didn’t release quickly enough so that the pressure was prolonged beyond my initial contact. This particular horse does not like to feel trapped. However, I borrowed a leather version of the bridle and had the same response. I really like to ride my horse with contact –  in my other bitless bridles I am able to get him to reach into the bridle, maintain a steady contact and swing through the back. It’s not that I don’t know how to ride him in this way, I simply could never get him to take contact in the Dr. Cook’s bridle.

Since trying the bridle, I’ve read about horses that are very sensitive to poll pressure and suspect I just have one of them. In fact, there are a growing number of bridle manufacturers that are selling “comfort” bridles with extra padding over the poll specifically marketed to horses like mine.

I think the signal from the Dr. Cook’s bridle is just very direct. If you read my review of the Micklem Multibridle, you’ll see that one of the configurations that it offers is a cross-under. The difference there is that the strap over the poll is placed on top of the cavesson, thereby mitigating the pressure.  If you want a bridle that uses this method of control but your horse shows a lot of poll sensitivity, that bridle might be a good solution for you.

One thing I don’t necessarily buy into is the hype that goes with this bridle. I have been riding bitless now for several years and it has been a much better solution for my horse. But I don’t necessarily think that putting a bit in your horse’s mouth is inherently wrong or that it’s necessarily harsh or inhumane. Some horses just prefer a bitted bridle. I’ve tried several different bitless solutions, as well as a hackamore on my TB. He goes much, much better in a simple loose ring snaffle. He’s happier, he’s more relaxed and he’s easily controlled. In the end, it is the hands of the rider that makes the solution soft or harsh, not necessarily the bit.

Additional Resources:

Fitting a Dr. Cook’s Bitless Bridle

Gallery of Bitless Bridle Users

Micklem Multibridle – Medium and Strong Bitless Configurations

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Bitless bridle, bridles, Commentary, English Riding, horse training, horses and tagged with , ,

The Micklem Multibridle offers three bitless configurations that offer increasing levels of control. To accomplish this, the bridle uses different pressure points on the horse’s head, rather than simply increasing the pressure on a single area (for example, a hackamore is more or less harsh depending on the length of the shanks).

As I wrote previously, the side pull configuration controls the horse using pressure on the bridge of the nose.

The greatest difficulty with the Micklem Multibridle is that for any configuration more complex than the side pull, you need an engineering degree! My bridle came with no directions and the photos on the Web site were not clear enough to make it immediately obvious. Luckily, my husband IS an engineer and he figured out the two other configurations. To me, this is a real flaw: if it’s not intuitive how to use a product, it really should come with clear instructions.

Close up of strap positioned in the chin groove.

Close up of strap positioned in the chin groove.

The “medium” setting is achieved by inserting a leather strap under the cavesson so that it adds pressure to the chin groove. The pressure here is not much; the leather strap is attached to the outside of the cavesson by sliding it through an elastic slot. This is a good way to make sure that it stays in place but it also means that any pressure it applies is distributed over a larger area and is not as direct as it would be had the strap been placed under the noseband. The rings on the leather strap are then passed through the rings on the cavesson. You attach the reins to the rings on the strap.

Here’s where I ran into an unexpected problem. When you attach your reins to the rings on the strap you essentially lengthen the overall length of your reins by about four inches on each side. I ride with rubber reins, but the rubber portion ends and the rein on the other side of the connection is smooth. With the reins attached to the rings, it made my reins so long that I was forced to hold either the area where they transitioned from rubber to smooth, or hold the smooth part of the rein. In either case, it was not comfortable. If I used the bridle in this configuration regularly, I would have to buy a shorter pair of reins.

Miklem Multibridle in Medium Setting

Miklem Multibridle in Medium Setting

In terms of control, I did not find that this configuration offered any difference in control as compared to the side pull. In fact, I think my horse respects the pressure on his nose better than the pressure from the chin groove. By attaching the reins in this way, you effectively remove the direct pressure on the nose. Turning aids are still direct in that when you pull on the left rein, it applies pressure directly to the left side of the horse’s head. Of my two horses, my Trakehner responded better to this configuration than my TB; Freedom simply leaned on my hands and ignored the bridle. I believe that his response could have been fine tuned with a lot of transitions, but I didn’t have a compelling reason to keep using it in this set up.

Micklem Multibridle in "Strongest" Setting.

Micklem Multibridle in

Next, I tried the bridle in the “strongest” setting, which is a cross under configuration along the lines of the Dr. Cook’s Bitless bridle or the Nurtural bridle. Using the bridle in this way, the main pressure point is over the poll. To set up the bridle, you take the second, longer strap and thread it through an elasticized holder over the poll. As with the chin strap, the attachment point is on the outside of the bridle, so it effectively reduces the amount of poll pressure that the bridle applies. The strap crosses under the horse’s jaw and is then threaded through the rings on the bridle. The reins attach to rings just like in the medium setting. When riding with any cross under bridle, the aids to the horse are transmitted differently than with a side pull because the pressure is not direct; when you pull on a rein there is pressure both to the poll and to the jaw. The Dr. Cook’s web site describes this feeling as a “hug”.

I’ve written in my review of the Dr. Cook’s bridle that my Trakehner responds dramatically to poll pressure, and not in a good way! I was concerned about using this configuration of the bridle with him because of that, but I found that the placement of the strap on the outside of the cavesson mitigated the pressure enough so that it did not cause him to rear. I wouldn’t use the bridle in this configuration for hacking or schooling on the flat as I found it had too much bite, but I did foxhunt him in this set up and it worked very well. When foxhunting I tend to need a bit more control once the adrenalin kicks in and this worked well.

I had the same problem with the straps increasing the length of the reins. It’s a strange problem to have with this horse because his neck is so long that I’ve always had to buy extra long reins!

The other problem I had with the bridle is that when I used it frequently, it did rub my horse’s face. I have similar problems with the LG bridle and it may be that this horse just has particularly sensitive skin.

In conclusion: when used bitless, this bridle gives riders the chance to experiment with different pressure points as a method of control. I think that because of this the bridle does offer a lot of flexibility. I don’t necessarily agree with their mild/medium/strong definitions because I really think that it depends on how your horse reacts to pressure.

After 436 Years, Women are Admitted to the Spanish Riding School

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, dressage, equestrian, Horse breeds and tagged with , ,
Lipizzaner stallions at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

Lipizzaner stallions perform the Quadrille at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

When I was a child, I read Marguerite Henry’s fabulous book, White Stallion of Lipizza, which tells the tale of a baker’s son who wants to become a rider at Vienna’s famous Spanish Riding School, training the famous white Lipizzan stallions. Against many odds, he succeeds.

That was a time when the dream didn’t include girls. Breaking with 436 years of history, the world’s oldest riding school –founded in 1572 — has admitted two female riders: a 21-year old woman from Austria and an 18-year old from Great Britain. The two young women must now pass a month long probation period to train at the school. If they pass, they will enter into a training program that lasts approximately 10 years, with 5 years before they can ride in public.

I can still remember, from reading the book, how rigorously the riders must train. Most of us groan about taking the odd lessons on the lunge line; students at the Spanish Riding School, called Élèves, spend their first six months riding exclusively on the lunge line as a way to develop their seats. Riding on the lunge continues to be an active part of their training for at least three years!

Cannaletto Vienna Spanish Riding School 1773.

Cannaletto Vienna Spanish Riding School 1773.

A spokesperson for the School stated that there was never a ban on female riders, rather that none so far had met their requirements. The Spanish Riding School continues a tradition that began with the cavalry tactics that originated with Xenophon in ancient Greece. In the 16th century, classical riding enjoyed a rennaissance. Horses of Spanish origin were preferred because their characteristics made them suitable for classical training.

In fact, very few applicants are accepted each year (this year there are four who were selected to participate in the one-month trial) and even fewer complete the training; 80% of those accepted either quit or are dismissed before they complete their training as an Élève.

A Lipizzan performs the levade.

A Lipizzan performs the levade.

Élèves start at the Riding School working as grooms in the stable for a specific rider. After to 6-8 months riding on the lunge, they begin to get lessons on an experienced schoolmaster that was trained by their teacher and study riding theory and the management of horses in a classroom. If the Élève does not make adequate progress during the first year, they may be dismissed.

After three years of training, the Élèves each get a young stallion to start under saddle (under the supervision of his teacher) to the point where the stallion can be ridden in the Young Stallions section of the performance. This generally takes about two years.

On a trained horse, the Élèves learn to ride the Quadrille movements and ride them in performance. The Quadrille is a 20-minute performance that includes practically every movement that  is found in a Grand Prix dressage test, with the additional complication of riding with seven other horse and rider combinations! Considering that when someone applies to the riding school they generally have little riding experience, in just four to six years they are expected to have achieved what most of us only aspire to! If they achieve these skills, they are promoted to Assistant Rider. To achieve the highest rank, that of Chief Rider, typically takes 25-30 years.

So why did the Riding School choose to accept two female candidates in 2008? Perhaps the management felt that it was time to include female riders in the execution of the classical ideal of riding. After all, the majority of dressage riders today are women and including them might boost attendance at the shows.

Could is also be a last ditch effort to save the School? In early January of this year, the School announced that it was on the verge of bankruptcy. According to Elisabeth Guertler, business advisor, the Spanish Riding School lost nearly $2.9 million in 2007. To help get the Riding School out of the red, several cost cutting measures have been put in place. They canceled their U.S. tour, added more performances in Vienna, and have considered growing their own grain to cut feed costs. Perhaps including women in their performances is just what they need to bring in larger audiences and to get some positive press.

After, all, as Guertler said earlier this year, “”Tradition is important, but tradition alone is no prescription for success.”

Additional Resources:

Training the Riders at the Spanish Riding School

Spanish Riding School – home of famed Vienna Lipizzaners – nearly bankrupt

More Great Photos

Treating an Eye Infection or Injury: Promptness is Essential

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equine, Horse care, horse health, horses and tagged with , ,
Kroni's eye was swollen and red on Sunday.

Kroni's eye was swollen and red on Sunday!

My horses seem determined to stay on the front page of my blog! In the past three weeks they’ve caused three calls to the vet: first when Freedom hurt his leg out hunting, second when Kroni coliced, and most recently last Sunday, when I arrived to find Kroni’s eye swollen and full of puss. If it was one of my kids, it would have been no problem: a simple case of conjunctivitis that could be resolved in a few days of optical antibiotic ointment.

However, eye injuries in horses are potentially quite serious and can be volatile: delaying treatment can make the outcome much worse. So, although a Sunday visit would mean an emergency vet call, it was not something to leave until Monday. Thank goodness my cell phone has a speaker phone feature. I was very soon talking to my vet while holding a flashlight up to my horse’s eye. My instructions were to see if there was any sign of a white film, which would have indicated a scratch or other damage to the cornea. Luckily, although his eye was red and puffy, it was still clear.

My vet explained that the only true way to determine whether the eye was scratched would be to put fluorescent dye in the horse’s eye. However, since the treatment for a scratch and the treatment for conjunctivitis differs only in the frequency of inserting the triple antibiotic ophthalmic ointment, he said it would be fine for me to start treating the eye today (putting ointment in every 2 – 3 hours) and call for an appointment on Monday. He offered to phone in a prescription to my pharmacy for the ointment but since I had a full tube of erythromycin, I was able to use that. My vet emphasized that you should never use an ophthalmic ointment that contains steroids on a horse.

I was less than optimistic about my chances of actually getting the ointment into the affected eye. I clearly remember how difficult it was to wrestle a 3 year old human onto the sofa, pry their eyelids open and insert the ointment without causing further damage. However, my 1400 pound horse stood quietly while I cleaned his eye with a saline solution and then put in the ointment. He obviously has more faith in my medical skills than my children did. By the third application that day, his eye looked 80 percent better; by Monday, he looked back to normal. Phew! I just hope that since bad luck generally comes in threes, I’ve gotten my full allotment for the time being.

Additional Resources:

Trail Terrors: Eye Injuries

Eye Infections and Injuries in Horses

Eye Emergencies

The Horse: The Eyes Have It

Is your Horse a Rock Star?

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, equine, Horse care, horse training and tagged with , ,

Is your horse a rock star?  Author Dessa Hockley has the answer in her new book by the same name. By applying the concept of the Myers-Brigg personality test used on humans, she has developed an insightful questionnaire that categorizes horses into 16 different personality types based on answers to a series of 24 questions that explore whether your horse is:

  • dominant or submissive
  • energetic or lazy
  • curious or afraid
  • friendly or aloof

Based on the answers, you might find your horse is an Accountant, a Steady Eddy, a People Pleaser, or a Wallflower. From there, Hockley provides insights into the types of training that works best with different personality types.

You have to take the horse personality quiz for your horse — it’s a lot of fun!

What did I learn?

My TB, Freedom, is a Rock Star. I knew that. He just oozes charisma. The description states, “The Rock Stars are confident and charismatic. They are expressive and strong minded. They love to show you what they know but are hard to get to focus on the small details of the task. They are found in many competitive arenas, usually at the top of their field.” Her list of “Dos” and “Don’ts” include:

DO
Pamper their ego
Allow them to shine
Allow them to teach you
Allow them to think
Work them regularly
Treat them with dignity
Pet them/Love them
Respect them

DON’T
Coddle them
Pick at them
Be a perfectionist
Bore them
Be a taskmaster

My Trakehner, Kroni, is a Steady Eddie. “If you are a novice or amateur, this is the horse for you. They are quiet and predictable, loving and engaging, willing to learn new things, willing to hang out with you and do nothing. This is not your big ego, career-oriented horse. They are happy to just be. Consistent and loyal, all you need to do is enjoy!” And he certainly has evolved to be one. He’s utterly dependable and a joy to ride.

One of my former horse, Dezzi, was a People Pleaser: “Soft, sensitive, and very sweet describes this horse that will try and try to please you. They like to be told exactly what you want and then have you help them perform it. This is not your go-it-alone type of horse. They need you for support and can get very rattled if expectations are too high. This horse is in your life for the relationship.”

And my first horse, Bogie, was a Reluctant Rock Star: “This horse has a big ego, loves attention, loves to be in the limelight, but doesn’t really like all the work it takes to be there. That is where you come in. You will need to push, persuade and motivate every inch of the way.”

My question is, when will Hockley develop a quiz for riders? Hockley’s book is available at www.amazon.com,

Time to Service my Easyboots – Gaitor and Bungee Replacement

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, Endurance Racing, equine, hoof boots, hoof care and tagged with , , ,

One of the reasons I bought Easyboot Bares is that they are assembled from discrete components that can be replaced by the user. Well, now I need to make good on that theory. Over the summer, when my Trakehner gelding was growing out his hooves, I used boots front and back to keep him comfortable when riding. I now have two Easyboots with shredded gaitors and one with a broken bungee clip.

The parts are on order and I was glad to find that there are actually videos on YouTube that detail the replacement procedures. Who needs a product manual anymore?

Replacing an Easyboot Gaitor

Easyboot Bare Bungee and Cover Replacement

It’s Colic Season: What can you Do?

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equine nutrition, Horse care, horse health and tagged with , , ,
Equine digestive system

Equine Digestive Tract (ADM Alliance Nutrition)

I jinxed myself last week. A friend and I were discussing a horse that has suffered from a series of gas colics. In a rash moment I said that in the 20 years that I’ve had horses, only twice had one of them shown colic symptoms. Two days later when I went to feed my horses, my Trakehner gelding was obviously in distress. He refused his breakfast (not like him), was stretching his neck in strange ways, and kept raising his upper lip. It was colic.

My horse and I were lucky. I had Banamine in the barn and his symptoms subsided within 10 minutes after he took it. I checked on him every hour or so during the day and he was fine. By late afternoon he was able to eat a gruel of hay stretcher, water and plenty of salt (to make sure he continued to drink). My vet was on alert for the night, but luckily did not need to make a trip out. However, with colic, there’s often no way to tell whether a “mild” case will turn more serious down the road.

So, what is colic?

Colic isn’t a specific disease, but rather a term to describe abdominal pain that can be caused by several sources. Colic can present itself as a mild discomfort, or it can be extremely serious: Major intestinal disruptions, including blockages, twists and ruptures, are usually fatal unless surgery to remove or repair the diseased area of gut succeeds.

Colic symptoms afflict between 4 – 11% of horses annually. Of those afflicted, surgery is performed on about 1% and mortality rates are approximately 11%. Owners in the US spend a whopping $115,000,000 on colic treatments every year. (Sources: www.horseadvice.com and Wikipedia.)

These are both factors that increase the incidence of colic. The chart below was published on www.horseadvice.com, An Overview of Colic. The data is derived from Dietary and Other Management Factors Associated with Equine Colic given by Noah Cohen, VMD, PhD; Pete Gibbs, PhD; and April Woods, BS to the 1999 AAEP meeting. Note: Horse Advice is a subscription site that is well worth the annual fee. It has a wealth of information!

Factors Effecting Incidence of Colic
Risk Factors Increase Risk
Recent diet change 500%
Recent change of hay 980%
History of previous colic 390%
History of previous abdominal surgery for colic 460%
Weather change during 3-day period before examination 320%
Recent change in stabling 230%
Regular deworming program (or not on regular deworming) 40%
Not on a regular deworming program 220%
Anthelmintic received during 7-day period before examination 210%
Arabian breed 210%
Exercised at least once per week (versus pastured only) 160%
Age less than 10 years old 150%

Other factors, not mentioned above, include overeating concentrate (say, a horse gets into your grain room), eating moldy hay or grain, dehydration, parasite overload, ingestion of sand (from eating off of the ground), or ingestion of non-food items that could perforate the intestine.

Weather is often mentioned as a potential trigger for colic, but most studies find that it isn’t the weather per se, but rather the change in management that occurs because of weather changes, or the change in drinking habits which might cause dehydration. Certain seasonal changes, such as the availability of new grass in the spring, or sudden drops in temperature in the fall, certainly contribute to a pattern of weather-related colics.

Thinking about my situation, I identified two things could have caused my horse to colic: first, I’d started integrating some a new hay into their diet (although I hadn’t mixed in that much); and second, it had been unusually cold the night before, which might have caused him to drink less and become dehydrated.

Reading the research, I was surprised that changing hay can have such a profound impact. I’ve always been careful about introducing feed changes slowly, but erroneously thought that the greatest danger lay in concentrate.

How do you know if your horse is colicing?

The indicators of colic are varied and can be subtle. My horse did not show all the “classic” signs: he didn’t paw the ground, try to roll, lie down or look at his flanks. The most obvious sign was curling his lip, which at the time I didn’t associate with colic. I also saw him pass manure without problem.

Still, it was apparent that something was wrong. The first thing I did was take his temperature. When I found he didn’t have a fever, and that he wouldn’t eat, I assumed colic and called my vet. She suggested that I give him some Banamine. His almost instant relief confirmed that he had been in the early stages of colic. As for the rest of his day? No breakfast, no more new hay, hourly check ups and, if all went well, a small amount of hay stretcher mixed with water and salt to encourage him to drink.

Signs of Colic
Rolling 44%
Pawing 43%
Lying down 29%
Getting up and down 21%
Flank watching 14%
Lip curling 13%
Backing into corner 10%
Kicking at belly 7%
source: http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/colic.html

What Should You Do?

If you think your horse is showing signs of colic, the first thing to do is call your vet. If your horse is not agitated, you can take your horse’s temperature and check his pulse and respiration. Check his gums to make sure they are a normal color. I know my vet will ask, and it’s a good benchmark on your horse’s health. If you have any questions on how to check your horse’s vital signs, here’s a great article that explain how to do it and what the range of normal readings should be. However, sometimes the pain of a colic episode can make your horse dangerous to be around. If this is the case, stay safe and wait for the professional!

Make a checklist about factors that might have caused an episode of colic, such as changes in diet, weather, how much he’s drunk, etc. Take all food away from your horse, and if he’s able, keep him walking. Often, your vet will recommend giving your horse Banamine, so it’s useful to keep a tube in your first aid box. Tubing with mineral oil can sometimes help a horse that’s got an impaction.

Walking your horse while waiting for the vet can help, but you shouldn’t exhaust him.

There is some debate over whether rolling can cause a horse to twist a gut — current thinking is that it is not possible.

Preventing Colic

Unfortunately, there is no sure way to prevent colic. But you can control some of the variables to help make it less likely.

  • Provide as much turnout as possible.
    Keep your horse hydrated by providing constant access to clean water. Horses who spent as little as one to two hours exercising in a paddock without access to water showed a greatly increased risk of developing colic. At times when you are concerned that your horse might not drink enough, you can add some salt to his feed. I do this on a regular basis.
  • Feed a forage-based diet, that minimizes grains and concentrates. A study conducted by the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine found that horses that consumed less than 5.5 pounds of grain concentrate daily were less likely to develop colic, while those who received most of their caloric intake from grain, rather than fiber, were at higher risk.
  • Provide access to forage as much of the day as possible.
  • Do not feed moldy hay or grain.
  • Feed processed grains such as extruded feeds, rolled/crimped oats, pelleted feeds, etc.
  • If you live in a sandy area, try to keep food off the ground to limit intake of sand.
  • Make all changes in diet slowly, dietary changes likely affect the horse’s intestinal bacteria.
  • Worm your horse regularly.
  • Consider feeding a probiotic to help maintain a healthy gut.

Other Resources:

The Colic Fact Sheet

Horse Colic

Sand Colic Signs and Remedies

Colic? What You can Do While Waiting for the Vet to Arrive

“Top Bunk” List Helps Past Champions Find Happy Endings

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, equine, Horse care, horse health, horse racing, racing, Thoroughbred Racing and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

We’ve all seen the listings or read the stories about horses that gave their heart and soul to the racing industry, won hundreds of thousands of dollars, and are now racing in the the lowest level claiming races with uncertain futures.

Top Bunk and his Rescue Team.

Top Bunk and his Rescue Team.

Well, thanks to some crusaders in the racing industry some of these horses are getting the happy endings they deserve. The “Top Bunk” list is a list of horses that are still racing which have won more than $500,000 but which are currently running for purses of $5,000 or less. At any given time, there are between 6-10 horses on the list.

The program has been spearheaded by the Fans of Barbaro and journalist and anti-slaughter activist Alex Brown, who identifies and tracks horses at risk through his Daily Racing Form. It was inspired by the horse Top Bunk. In his 89th start (a $6,000 claiming race), Top Bunk suffered a suspensory injury severe enough to require him to be removed by ambulance from the track. He had been claimed in the race and the new trainer planned to race him again after rehab.

At this point, Top Bunk had won more than $500,000 for his various owners, and had only finished out of the money 7 times in 89 starts! A group of concerned racing fans, lead by the Fans of Barbaro, raised the $5,000 needed to claim him in his 90th race, thus assuring his safe retirement.

Since then, the Top Bunk project has enabled the safe retirement of several other old campaigners:

Ask The Lord, an 11 year old gelding, who won over $769,000 in his racing career, was retired on July 4th, 2008. Ask the Lord came in first, second, or third in 54 of his 83 starts but was no running in the lowest level claiming races. He had been claimed three times in five months and his future did not look promising.

Lights on Broadway, an 11 year old gelding that had been named Texas 2001 Horse of the Year, was purchased off a truck headed for a Canadian slaughter house and retired. He had won $572,000 and was finally purchased for $200 after last running in a $2500 claiming race.

RudiRudy, a 13-year old gelding who won more than $700,000 from more than 100 starts. At the time when he was retired, he had run last in his final race. Rudirudy was retired on September 14, 2008.

Witt Ante, was retired by his breeder after winning $618,000 in 55 starts.

Judge’s Case, was retired off the list after winning $704,000 in 104 starts.

Unfortunately, one horse on the list, was not able to be retired. Sky Diamond, an 8 year old gelding, who won $539,000 in 47 starts, broke his sesamoid bone while racing and was euthanized at the track. Despite the break, he finished the race.