Merger found in the dark backyard of Florida

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Fair Play
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Postby Fair Play » Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:12 pm

He is lovely. I hope you will continue to post pics of him as he comes along.
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witherbee
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Postby witherbee » Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:19 am

Handsome fellow! Looks like he was lucky and landed in a great home. Best of luck to the two of you!
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Bedouwia
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Postby Bedouwia » Sat Dec 20, 2008 7:49 am

This is one of the best threads that I have read in awhile. Your horse is beautiful, and very lucky. I suspect in the end that you will be the lucky one to have him. I am also impressed with the ability of posters here to give you great information about his background. Thanks to all. The story of Merger has put me into a much better mood for the holidays.

Bedouwia
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Crystal
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Postby Crystal » Sat Dec 20, 2008 2:35 pm

I'm a sucker for dapple greys!!! I cant wait for the day you post his first event photos of merger. He is going to be breath-taking in dressage. You are going to get offers for him left and right.
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spex4me
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Postby spex4me » Sat Dec 20, 2008 4:44 pm

Congrats and great find!! Of course I find all handsome greys drool worthy!! :oops:
trying to come up with something brillant..... this may take a while. :)
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Happy
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Postby Happy » Sun Dec 21, 2008 3:45 am

He is awesome! Yes, he does have a kind eye and love the picture of him stepping over the poles, he is showing his body language by having his ears go out to the side as if to say: Oh, this is something new! Thanks for saving him! You got and gave the greatest Christmas gift anyone could ask for!
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Fair Play
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Postby Fair Play » Sun Dec 21, 2008 5:54 am

I just happened to look him up on the American Produce Records. He was a $210,000 yearling--must have been a looker from a $15,000 stud fee. :) It will be fun to see how he does. Courageous Comet was a decent racehorse before becoming an Olympic eventer. Greys rules! ;)
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Travis
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Merger Update

Postby Travis » Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:05 pm

Hi all, Thanks so much for all the kind words regarding Merger. I've some new photos I've posted on his website here:
http://styx.smugmug.com/gallery/6669378 ... 7922_6PPLb

He has been doing well, gained weight, he is sweet to people but he will bite my other horses if they crowd him - I guess he's never had much horse interaction aside from racetrack... Good for him - actually...

One thing I am trying to figure out - his hip clicks loudly when he free walks but it doesn't do it when trotting or while under saddle. He probably has "arthritis" from heavy racing but is it something that can improve with more muscling and excersise?
Or any other ideas from anybody? Some days he looks very stiff and on other days he is very perky...
He is on good endless hay, oats and joint supplement...

Thanks for any input from anybody who knows more about young and retired racehorses.
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Bedouwia
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Postby Bedouwia » Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:49 pm

Wonderful pictures. Thanks for the update on Merger. You might try some message therapy on his back and back end. It won't hurt him, and sometimes helps with those guys who are still a bit sore from racing. It is also the case that mother nature seems to work her majic on them given some time. Good luck with him. It looks like you both are having fun.

Bedouwia
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majxmom
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Postby majxmom » Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:48 pm

Travis, I have a 19yo mare that clicks tremendously in the hips. There's obviously some serious arthritis starting there, as she occasionally has other problems, even though she's not at all lame. I can hear a click just by pushing on her hip a little. She had a sarcoid and I had to take her to a vet hospital for surgery to remove it, so I asked them about the clicking and if I could do anything. They had a lot to say but it was all fairly unhelpful if you've heard it before; you know, the usual, glucosamine might work, supplements, but not much works forever, blah, blah, blah. In other words, there's nothing definitive to do.

My mare has bouts of what might seem like narcolepsy where she stands snoozing and then drops down unexpectedly on her forelegs. I think this is because she finds it hard to get up or down sometimes, and after not getting some good REM sleep for a while, she has a sleep episode where she collapses. I give her a little Bute in some grain and two hours later she's usually snoring on the ground, because she felt good enough to get down and know she can get up easily. So you might think about observing him for uncomfortable behavior, or look at the front of his ankles and see if he's worn the hair off from pushing hard on the ground to get up. He might need a little help with pain.
"When I am on my deathbed, I imagine I will say, 'Thank God I did that'" - Arthur Hancock, on buying back Gato del Sol from Europe after Exceller was killed in a slaughterhouse in Sweden.
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Primordial
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Postby Primordial » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:31 am

Wow! What a great guy! I was given a grey TB mare a few weeks ago. Sadly, she looks much, much worse than your fellow. But, she has a twinkle in her eye, a spring in her step, and a voracious appetite! She shows great improvement for just two weeks of eating...

I just don't understand how these horses can do so much for us and then they are treated in such a manner.

Congrats on your guy!
Robin
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A Great Trainer does not make a horse. A Great Horse makes a trainer. Bob Roberts
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going4stamina
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Postby going4stamina » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:09 am

He is just beautiful and has such a loving look in his eye. Congrats and thanks for taking care of this wonderful guy.
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Travis
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Postby Travis » Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:32 pm

I hope your mare does well, take the "fattening" process slowly.

I've had Merger for only 6 weeks, when he first came the vet said he is 500 lbs underweight, measured with the tape he was 1000 lbs, and he is 16.2 hands - so maybe he wasn't really 500 lbs under...
But I am taking it very gradually, my polo friends who are used to dealing with tired skinny horses at the end of their polo season recommended I feed him compressed alfalfa. So he had 24/7 access to that, and now to T/A hay. He was on some alfalfa at his previous owners so I didn't have to switch him to that but he was also on sweet feed and I slowly switched him to oats 2xday.
Good Luck!




Primordial wrote:Wow! What a great guy! I was given a grey TB mare a few weeks ago. Sadly, she looks much, much worse than your fellow. But, she has a twinkle in her eye, a spring in her step, and a voracious appetite! She shows great improvement for just two weeks of eating...

I just don't understand how these horses can do so much for us and then they are treated in such a manner.

Congrats on your guy!
Robin
Majestic Lineage
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