Caña came to us in February 2016 along with Sierra. Both had been used by previous owners in their trail riding business. Caña was 23 when we got her and by the look of her passport was used at a polo yard for some of her life, strange to think as she is very tall!
When Caña arrived…
She had shoes on all 4 feet which had to be removed of course, in order to integrate her into our herd. When we took the shoes off we were horrified to discover that she had canker – a terrible foot infection, similar to thrush but much worse and near to impossible to get rid of. Her feet were infected with white puss and bleeding, it was so sad to see. It has been a very long and complicated journey to nurse her back to health, but after 18 months we are almost there, though the infection does come back from time to time up in her heals so we can never stop checking and treating her. The vet has recommended that being ridden is helpful as it encourages healthy growth in her feet. She has made the transition to bare foot really well, and is now being used as a lead horse, a job she is very good at.
Transition to bitless
Having been ridden with a bit all her life, it is incredible that she has accepted being ridden bitless literally over night – it was as if it was a huge relief for her. When she arrived she was incredibly head shy and would quiver all over if you even lightly touched her and move away from anyone who approached her. With the help of a clicker she is now happy to be touched and starting to develop a character instead of the shut down robot she was when she arrived. She really is the sweetest horse and has settled in happily with our two other oldies, away from the main herd so that she can have all the time she needs to eat and rest.
