The Story...

The story behind Wah Cha Cha is very interesting. He was owned by a local show horse trainer, Dawn P., here in Kingman. Was sold at about 2 and began competing in APHA events as a 3 year old. He became recognized as meritorious by the APHA in 1991 as a 3 year old in Western Pleasure class. His records indicated that he also competed well into his 6th year and received meritorious commendations in 1994 in Showmanship at Halter, Hunt Seat Equitation, and Hunter Under Saddle Classes. At one point in his career he was up for sale for 15,000.00.
At some point in his career he began to develop Osteoarthritis in his knees. This is not a rare condition in a large horse with his history of competitive jumping in Hunt Seat Under Saddle where competitors vault over six foot high hurdles in pursuit of those elusive foxes with a pack of hounds at bay. Unfortunately his arthritis became a competitive career ender. Sad but true, Wah Cha Cha was finished professionally. He wasn't going to be able to make any more money for his handlers and in the cut throat competitive professional horse business a lame horse is a total liability. He still needed to eat and he couldn't be exploited any longer for income!
At some point a decision was make by his last handlers that he would be worth more dead than alive. So in their infinite wisdom they decided to abandon him along with a dozen other looser horses in the desert without any food or water. The other 12 died of dehydration and starvation. He was the sole survivor and was rescued and returned to his original owner, Dawn.
The perpetrator of this crime was caught and prosecuted and is serving a 5 year sentence in Prison for cruelty to animals. A sentence that he did indeed deserve and one that gives me a little faith in the criminal justice system.
When Dawn got him back he was over 300 lbs. lighter then he should have been. His ribs were protruding through his skin and he was lethargic and sickly. She got him back in December of 2001 and nursed him back to health.
 
Once I got him I had been able to assess his Osteoarthritis condition and do some treatment and get Veterinary assistance. Initially it was very painful for him to walk let alone carry any weight. I have been using a combination of physical therapy, diet, and low grade exercise to rehabilitate him. I don't expect him to ever compete or jump again. All I wanted was for him to be able to walk around on the trail and the arena in comfort with a rider on his back. My Vet and myself thought that this was a very realistic expectation for him.
Since I got him I  had him the combination of the dietary supplements of Glucoseamine and Chondrotin along with vitamins high in vitamin A and D and Cu and heated Epsom salt compresses have lead to remarkable gains in willingness to ambulate and reduction of pain. I was giving him the drug Adequan IM q/month and Phenylbutazone PRN, PO.
Adequan is a polysulfated glycosaminoglycan similar to the glycosaminoglycans that make up the articular cartilage matrix lining joints. Unlike drugs that only deal with the symptoms of arthritis by reducing pain and swelling, Adequan is in a class of arthritis treatments that are considered to alter the progression of degenerative joint disease. This type of drug is also called "disease modifying." 

I have enjoyed the opportunity of making a positive difference in Wah Cha Chas' life. It was a project that I enjoyed doing and was a significant learning experience for me.