Blueshadow5
From AlexBrownRacing
Contents |
Bio
I am 42 years old and live in Norco, CA with my six thoroughbreds, three of which are OTTBs. I grew up in England, and was educated in England and Canada. I work at the University of Southern California as a professor in the Department of Economics.
Horse experience
I was born in Epsom, England. My first "horse" memory is of being in a stroller on a walk over Epsom Downs with my parents on a race day. The visual memories are not good - but I remember the sounds of the jockeys yelling and the ground under the stroller almost vibrating as the horses passed us. My paternal grandmother and great uncle's family were Irish, and fervent racing fans. The last time I saw my grandmother alive, at a time when she had mostly lost her mobility, I sat with her and handicapped the day's races in front of the TV. She bet, just a little money, every day on the "gee gees" until her death 10 years ago. I still miss her, and wish that she were alive today to enjoy the work with thoroughbreds that I've been involved with.
I started riding at about age 7 in England, and took lessons in dressage and jumping until I began college at age 18. My family, like many in England, could never afford for me to own a horse. During my ten years of undergraduate and postgraduate study, I didn't ride at all, but once I took up my position in Los Angeles I began taking lessons once more. I spent a few years working with a couple of different hunter/jumper trainers, riding exclusively OTTBs through their transitioning. Although very busy with building my academic career, I leased several thoroughbreds during those years, and in 1999 I purchased my first horse, Blue Shadow.
Blue Shadow was a beautiful (really, stunning) four year old grey colt who was being retired due to injury at Santa Anita racetrack. I bought him from his groom, as a flat eq/hunter prospect, and hoped that one day he would be sound enough for us to compete. Blue Shadow was bred, born, raised and raced in England, and imported to southern California after a private purchase by an owner here. He was unsuited to turf racing, which is the prominent form of racing in England, but had proven a successful sprinter on the all weather track. I still have his "win videos" and photographs which we purchased in England. Once in California, he was entered for his first race in the US in a $75,000 turf stakes race at Del Mar and broke down in that race, fracturing his right front pastern. Luckily for Blue Shadow, his new owner decided to operate - they pinned his pastern together and tried to "bring him back". When I bought him, Blue Shadow had been raced just one more time, at Santa Anita, and had now sustained a bowed tendon on the same leg that had been fractured less than one year earlier at Del Mar.
My vet's assessment on the basis of PPE x-rays was that Blue Shadow's pastern fracture had been surgically attended to rather well, and that eventually it would fuse, and with appopriate layup time and setting of the fresh bow, probably he would be sound for all flat work, although probably he would never jump. However, the tiny amount of blurring we saw on the xrays at that time in his lower pastern joint, indicating possible arthritic development, within six months had spread dramatically downwards and into his coffin joint. That winter, the vet told me that Blue Shadow - now acutely lame - would be "dead on his feet" within two years. I should turn him out, and keep him as comfortable as possible, until euthanizing him.
Well, the full story would take forever; the ups and downs, the supplements, the xrays, the joint injections, and no small amount of heartbreak.
However, 9 years later, Blue Shadow isn't dead on his feet. He's alive and well, and extremely confortable on his feet and legs, and although I have never been able to do more than trail ride him, he is a wonderful equine partner and companion, to ME. And the equine love of my life...
There is more, but I'm too tired to do this right now!
FOB activities
On October 6th, I and several other FOBs (Audrey, Linda, and Kathy) participated in a rescue out of my local auction, Mike's Horse and Tack sale, in Mira Loma, CA. Funds were raised through ABR for this rescue, and subsequent foster support. Two of the horses from that rescue, two older QH geldings, are currently in foster care with Kathy, and a third - an adorable Arabian mare - is in foster care with a friend of mine, Liz, in the far west Antelope Valley. I have been posting updates and photographs of these FOB sponsored rescue horses in update threads, here on ABR.
Also on October 6th, earlier in the day, I purchased out of Euclid Stockyards' horse auction two thoroughbred mares in foal, and donated them to Tranquility Farm in Tehachapi. One of them, Rosa, foaled in early March - a beautiful dark bay filly with a large, blazing white star! The other, Leah, (lol) to my surprise and that of Priscilla - well, let's just say she may simply have been bred, and fat! We are still waiting! Leah has been adopted into a wonderful home.
On November 3rd, I purchased a 2yo TB gelding from Mike's Horse and Tack Sale. At the end of July, he raced for the first and last time at Del Mar, CA. At the beginning of November, he was at a killer sale. His name is Careful Haste, and he is sound and healthy, with slightly enlarged ankles which are actually looking great, as of time of writing. "Hasty" is now in training, and already jumping small "x"s. We are very optimistic that he will find a good home, and represents a wonderful eventer prospect.
In Thanksgiving week, several FOBs and I purchased "Proud Mary" - a mare in her 20s - from someone that advertized her on craigslist. She is currently at Strawberry Mountain Mustang rescue being cared for by Darla. Next week, she should be travelling to southern california to join other rescues from the October 6th auction effort. This was truly a great joint rescue effort!
Through ABR I met Audrey Reynolds, who also lives in southern california. Audrey asked me to be on the board of directors of "savinghorses.inc" a 501c3 fundraising organization, that she founded and is working very hard for. Here's hoping that we can make a difference...
Audrey and I also in November tried to help "Gambler", a terribly lame horse that was threatened with being returned to auction. According to the vet that we had examine Gambler, his problems (chronic laminitis, ringbone, and chronic abcessing) were too severe for him to have a prospect of a healthy comfortable life, and we therefore took the decision to euthanize him. RIP Gambler, know that you were loved at the end...
In January of 2008, I attended the Euclid Stockyard horse auction and found an OTTB gelding that I fell ... in love with. He stood ever so quietly, never moving, hurt. He had an old bow tendon. His tattoo said that he had just turned 5 years old on January 1. I wanted to buy him - but had no support for him, and given my existing commitments I felt unable to help him. When I returned home, I found commitments of moral and financial support from FOBs that I had contacted about him in my email account... it was too late to return to the auction and buy him, although I tried to have someone still at the auction buy him for me. My friend at the auction never saw the TB go through the ring, but I called the auctioneer the next morning and it turned out the horse had been purchased for $200 and the auctioneer put the buuyer in touch with me. I ended up buying the horse the next day from the buyer's (a KB) lot. The horse is wonderful. His name is Piratesdragon, and I think...he may just have to stay with me for the rest of his life! He is currently in quarantine, and doing well.
FOB Network
"Caroline is a very experienced, compassionate, kind person. I was lucky enough to see Careful Haste in person, and he is stunning! Caroline always puts the horses first. I'd trust her with my own horses." -Margaret DeSarno, Colorado TB Rescue
