Category: Cushing's Disease

When You Want the Lowest Number Possible

6/3/2020

In January of 2019, three abscesses in quick succession suggested to Dr. Tolley that Speedy might have PPID, also known as Cushing's Disease. We ran bloodwork and got back a lowish number, 56, but not low enough. Horses normally have an ACTH level somewhere between 9 and 35. Speedy's slightly elevated level combined with recurrent infections in the form of abscesses was enough to convince my vet that Speedy should be classified as a Cushing's Horse. We started him on 1 mg a day of Prascend.

Fast forward to August. The abscesses returned, plaguing him throughout the fall and winter. When we rechecked Speedy's ACTH levels in February, the numbers came back at 133, not what you would expect from a horse on Prascend. Dr. Tolley decided to double Speedy's Prascend from 1 mg to 2. Immediately, Speedy developed the Pergolide Haze. He became lethargic and dopey, all symptoms that usually go away once a horse is accustomed to the dosage.

I worried that by jumping to such a "high" dose so quickly, we would run out of room to adjust his medication. Dr. Tolley agreed that a 1.5 mg dose would be a good compromise. We also decided to give the dosage a 90-day trial period with bloodwork to be redrawn at the end of the three months. That deadline has arrived.

Since we were never quite sure that the February bloodwork was accurate, so many things can raise the ACTH levels, Dr. Tolley and I worked out a plan to get the most accurate ACTH bloodwork on Speedy that we possibly could. Instead of hauling Speedy down to the vet hospital, we decided that Dr. Tolley would come by one morning and do a quick blood draw while Speedy was resting quietly at home.

Archie getting his vaccinations.

Conveniently for me, Dr. Tolley was scheduled to be out at the ranch yesterday morning to vaccinate seven of the horses at the ranch and examine the teeth of a few of them. Before pulling any other horses out, we walked up to Speedy and quickly drew a vial of blood. He didn't even know what hit him. Speedy had had his breakfast, all of his friends were around, he'd been sprayed for flies, plied with cookies, and was grazing in the yard. Everything was as right in his world as could be.

Well, nearly everything. Some time in the early morning Speedy either stuck his head through the fence and pulled it out roughly, or Izzy bit him. Right under his throatlatch he had a bloody scrape and a ginormous bag of fluid. Dr. Tolley eyeballed it and shrugged. What are you going to do? Horses.

So unless the scrape/bite was more traumatic than Speedy let on, his ACTH numbers should not be elevated due to the stress of traveling and being at the vet hospital. We should get the results back by early next week. Once we know what his numbers are, we'll adjust his Prascend according to my vet's recommendation.

Fingers crossed for numbers below a hundred. Below fifty would be even better, but I think that might be wishful thinking.

Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction

3/9/2020

It's a lot easier to just call it PPID, or as many people call it, Cushing's Disease. After that post I did a week or so ago, I realized that I hadn't really done my due diligence. I heard "Cushing's Disease" a year ago January and simply gave Speedy his pill assuming that was that.

That wasn't really that, and unfortunately, that doesn't have a simple diagnosis, treatment plan, or recovery phase. The reason there is so much contention over the appropriate treatment of PPID is because there's a lot the medical establishment doesn't know. And even more so for horses in the earliest stages of the disease; horses like Speedy.

I spent a lot of time last week researching the disease; the Laminitis Site and the ECIR Group were good resources. PPID is a rabbit hole that goes on for miles and miles. There is no bottom, no end, no definitive answer. After realizing that I didn't really need to know the exact hormonal processes that were happening, I scanned the more technical aspects of the disease and focused my energies on treatment.

Several things jumped out at me. First, it is not necessarily easy to interpret the ACTH levels. To simplify things, the ACTH level indicates whether things are under control or not. A "normal" range is somewhere between 9 - 35. One problem with checking the ACTH level is that it can rise from a variety of factors, none of which mean that a horse even has PPID. Stress, whether from trailering, pain, or even seeing the vet, is enough to rocket up the ACTH level.

The time of year the test is given can also raise the levels. There is a well documented seasonal rise in all horses. From late summer, around August, all the way through to the end of December, all horses will experience a rise in their ACTH levels. Scientists don't exactly know why, but the reasoning is that it helps horses prepare for winter.

Some PPID experts encourage testing in the fall to see how high the ACTH levels rise. Others recommend testing when the ACTH levels should be at their lowest, January and February, in order to get a baseline measurement. There's no limit to the amount of times that you can test, it's simply a blood draw, but it's not cheap. I didn't look too closely at my last bill, but I think the test runs around $150.

The second thing I spent a lot of time researching was the dosage. The manufacturer recommends dosing by weight. In addition, the recommended maximum dose is 2 pills per day. While there are horses being treated with 5 - 10 or even more pills per day to control their symptoms, there is currently no published research using doses higher than 5 mg for a 1,000 pound horse.

Regarding the appropriate dosage, it should be noted that there is no cure for PPID. Prascend won't cure a horse; all it can do is control the symptoms. Even then there is no guarantee that Prascend will control them. That's why PPID horses still suffer laminitic events and ultimately death.

From the Laminitis Site, "PPID is a progressive disease, and the amount of Pergolide required to control the symptoms is likely to increase as the horse ages. Some horses only need Pergolide during the seasonal rise in the early stages of the disease. Many horses need an increased dose of Pergolide during the seasonal rise."

Once I felt that I better understood the disease, I gave Dr. Tolley a call. And as I knew he would, Dr. Tolley spent quite a bit of time with me formulating a plan for Speedy. The first thing that we both agreed upon was that Speedy is nearly asymptomatic. Of all the early signs of the disease, the only one that Speedy has is frequent infections, and those are limited to his feet in the form of abscesses. And interestingly, those have all occurred during the seasonal rise of the ACTH levels (late summer through early winter).

Dr. Tolley had three possible explanation for why Speedy's ACTH levels could have risen so dramatically while being treated with Prascend and showing no other clinical signs. A horse with levels like Speedy's should have shown something else to indicate the disease. First, Dr. Tolley posited that Speedy might not be getting the dose.

We talked about how the ranch owner doses Speedy. She stands with him until she hears him crunch it. Even then she watches closely for the "spit out." It happens every once in a while, but she's quick to locate it and pop it back in his mouth. She gives it to him in a place where it can be easily found if he does spit it out.

Speedy isn't the first PPID horse she's managed. Her own mare, Lilly, had PPID for more than 6 years before succumbing to laminitis. The ranch owner is an old hand at effectively delivering the pill. Dr. Tolley agreed that Speedy is more than likely getting his dose.

The second reason that Speedy's ACTH levels might have risen could be due to a "false positive". It is very possible that when Speedy's blood was drawn, he was under a high degree of stress, which we know raises ACTH levels. He had traveled nearly 40 minutes in the trailer, he was worried about Izzy's whereabouts, he was still dealing with a draining abscess, and he was facing the man who always sticks him with needles.

The third reason Speedy's ACTH levels might have risen is that his PPID symptoms are unaffected by the 1 mg. dose. This is a worst case scenario as it would suggest that his symptoms might not be controlled by Prascend. For now, we're going to assume his ACTH levels were high due to stress.

The next thing I wanted to know was how confident Dr. Tolley is that Speedy truly has PPID. When asked point blank how confident of his diagnosis was he, Dr. Tolley responded that yes, even though Speedy's symptoms are nearly non-existent, the fact that he has elevated ACTH levels combined with fall and winter abscesses, his diagnosis stands. Was there something else it could be, was there another explanation, should we look at something else? To each question, Dr. Tolley answered no.

Dr. Tolley has never resented my questions. He's never been offended when I've asked for a second opinion or when I've consulted a different medical professional. And in this instance, his response was the same; do more research, ask more questions, consult other doctors. He welcomed my perseverance and thanked me for really thinking about how to approach this disease.

So where does that leave us? First, we decided to reduce the dosage from 2 pills to 1 and a half pills for now. Dr. Tolley wants Speedy to maintain that dose for 90 days. At the beginning of June, he will come out to the ranch and do a blood draw with the intent of lowing Speedy's stress level. Getting the sample back to the hospital quickly will be a slight issue, but he thinks he can do it without affecting the results.

Based on that blood draw, we will either maintain the current dose or return to the 1 mg dose. We also have it in mind that we may need to raise the dose in anticipation of the seasonal rise in Speedy's ACTH levels. To determine that, we may need to do another blood draw in August.

When Speedy was very first diagnosed with PPID, I asked how many pills we could give him. Dr. Tolley's response was the same then as it is now. We can give him as many as we want, but in his experience, three or more pills haven't controlled the symptoms any better than the maximum recommended dosage of two pills. Every horse responds differently. We'll just have to wait and see.

When I pressed him for next steps, I was again met with his reluctance to answer. It was only when I finally explained that I wasn't searching for a miracle that he quit evading my question. Over the phone I could hear him give a sigh of relief. Essentially, we're already doing everything we can. That was his answer. We'll do bloodwork. We'll adjust his Prascend up and down. And we'll pray. I can do that.

Many of you have recently expressed your feelings about me as a human being. While I welcome comments and never delete the ones that are harsh or critical, I would ask that if you do choose to comment on this post that you do so in a way that fosters respectful conversation. I may not be making the same choices that you would make, but I am making them in consultation with my veterinarian. His opinion matters a lot more to me than does yours.

And life goes on.

... Choose to Be Kind

3/3/2020

"In a world where you can be anything, choose to be KIND."
- Jennifer Dukes Lee

I think the thing that surprised me most about the comments from yesterday's post was how quick some of you were to think the absolute worst of me. In contrast, I was overwhelmed with gratitude at those of you who chose to think the best of me. Thank you.

I have stipulated many, many times that while I write, I am not a professional. I don't get paid to put my thoughts down on paper. I do it because it is therapeutic for me. It helps me set goals, prioritize, celebrate, scream, shout, sing, and sometimes, to cry.

Some of you understood my feelings; I have a horse that will probably die long before I am ready for him to pass, and I won't be able to do a thing about it.

Except. The one thing I can do for him is choose his ending before he suffers. I can choose to let him go before he stands in excruciating pain as his coffin bone rotates into his sole. Laminitis. It's my worst nightmare. Speedy's version of Cushing's Disease seems determined to make this about his feet. How many laminitic episodes do I let him have? What's the magic number? One, three, eight? My heart answers for me; none. One is too many.

When Dr. Tolley and I evaluated Speedy more than a week ago, I asked him to help me make the right decision when the time comes. He could barely look me in the eye. He quipped, "oh, I'll be long gone before that happens." I knew what he was trying to say. He meant that Speedy has a long life in front of him and that he'll be retired before that fateful day arrives. That's what he tried to say, but I knew better.

I pleaded with him to listen, really listen. The last thing that I want is for Speedy to suffer. Dr. Tolley looked at me and nodded. In a voice that resonated with regret, he admitted that he has let horses live too long. Suffer too long. Even for him, a doctor of veterinarian medicine for more than 30 years, letting them go is still hard to do.

I told Dr. Tolley that I will do what seems right for Speedy. I will care for him as long as there is a good chance that he can lead a comfortable and happy life. I will not go to the ends of the Earth to keep him with me though. That's selfish.

If that makes me an asshole, then it does. I won't apologize for it.

Bad News

3/2/2020

Speedy and I just can't catch a break. On Thursday, Dr. Tolley called with the results of Speedy's most recent ACTH results. For those who are new here, Speedy has Cushing's Disease. Retesting the ACTH levels can indicate whether the disease is being controlled by medication or not. I wrote a Cushing's Tutorial here. I am not a vet, so take the information with a grain of salt. In short, Speedy's ACTH levels didn't fall as we had hoped; neither did they remain where they were. Oh, no. Instead, his have risen 239%.

In January of 2019, multiple abscesses in quick succession screamed red flag to my vet, especially since Speedy had never before abscessed and he was also quickly approaching his 15th birthday. Dr. Tolley ordered Speedy's first ACTH test. The results came back at only slightly elevated with a score of 56. While low, it was still too high for mid-winter, so Speedy was started on 1 mg of pergolide daily.

Throughout the rest of the winter and spring, things went well. In early August, he developed another abscess, and in November another one. And of course, we had yet a third one in mid-February. Speedy's still recovering from that one. It would seem that the Prascend was working through the first half of the year but not so much in the second.

November's abscess.

I guess the good news is we now have an explanation for why the abscesses continued. The only thing we can do is increase Speedy's daily dose of pergolide from 1mg to 2. Prascend, the brand name for pergolide, isn't cheap though. I pay $2.13 per pill, and before you tell me I can get it slightly cheaper, I am aware of that.

I choose to order it through my veterinarian's online pharmacy because I don't have to do anything except change the AutoShip date when needed. Well, that and provide my credit card. My vet takes care of everything else. It's convenient, and for the $8.00 a box I might save by ordering through Allivet, I'll stick with my vet's pharmacy.

Let's be honest here; $4.23 per day is a lot of money. That's $29.61 a week or $131.13 a month. Even scarier, it's a whopping $1,543.95 a year. I can't afford more. Maybe it's more honest to say I WON'T afford more. It breaks my heart to say it, but at some point, the price of a treatment is more than I am willing to spend. In June, we'll test his ACTH levels again. This test will tell us if his Cushing's Disease is under control or not.

While it kills me to say this, if his numbers have risen even more, I can't justify spending $200 a month on three pills a day. I am willing to do a lot for my horses, but at some point, I'm just going to have to take a step back and let nature run its course. Will that be easy to do? Oh my gosh, no! It will break my heart.

He still likes to goof around though!

For now, we're taking it one day at a time.

Spring Vet Visit - Part 1

2/26/2020

I actually like taking my horses to the vet. Not for emergencies of course, but for regular maintenance, the bill is almost worth the price of admission. I always learn something new, but that's because Speedy usually shows up with some new thing or another. Izzy, too for that matter. Saturday's visit was no exception.

Bakersfield Large Animal Hospital - photo from a previous visit.

Both boys loaded up without issue. As a side note, this was the very first time that I hauled my trailer on the freeway with my new truck, Newt. It was also the first time I've hauled both horses with Newt. I have to say that I was pretty happy. All of that aside, Dr. Tolley and his assistant were standing at the ready as I pulled in.

As I unloaded both horses, I started with a run down of what I needed.
Speedy: dental work, check the fit and suitability of his double bridle, vaccinations, fecal exam, check his weight, blood work to check his ACTH levels (the Cushing's Disease thing), examine the abscess, and examine the weird hole in his hind foot.
Izzy: dental, vaccinations, fecal exam, check his weight, and examine the slow-to-heal wound on his lip.

Since Speedy DOES NOT LIKE for Izzy to be out of sight, we always start with Speedy because he can stand in a more relaxed frame of mind while the drugs wear off. For the bit check and abscess exam, we worked on Speedy at the trailer with Izzy tied well within Speedy's sight. In an effort to make this marathon of a post shorter, I am grouping the visit's results by body part rather than in the order they were done. Here goes ...

I tried to get a photo of Dr. Tolley examining the bits, but Speedy was less than cooperative.

Speedy's Mouth: I slipped Speedy's halter off and replaced it with the double bridle. First, it did my ego a bit of good to hear Dr. Tolley express obvious appreciation for the bits I had chosen. He thought they were really beautiful and well made. Better than that, he thought the fit was good and saw no issues. If I was happy with how Speedy was going, Dr. Tolley felt the bits were fine.

Getting everything in place.

During Speedy's dental exam, Dr. Tolley gave the bits a second endorsement. He saw nothing in Speedy's mouth to suggest that the bits were harming him in any way. As he worked, Dr. Tolley also shared a "floating" technique that he felt could be related to the evaluation of bit discomfort.

As he worked the sharp edges from one side of Speedy's mouth, he asked if I had noticed that Speedy lifted his head. I had to admit that I had not. Dr. Tolley pointed out that while he works on one side of the mouth, he has to push the tongue to the other side. This often causes the horse some added discomfort because the tongue is being pushed onto the teeth that are still sharp.

Tools of the trade.

To combat this issue, he works for a short while on one side of the mouth, smoothing out some of the rough points. He then switches sides so that he can send the tongue back over to the side that has had some work done. In this way, the horse isn't suffering the discomfort of having his tongue pressed into the sharp points of the teeth that haven't yet been smoothed off.

So how does this relate to bit fit and discomfort? Dr. Tolley explained that when a horse is resistant to the bit, it might well be due to tongue discomfort. I don't think that's a novel idea to this crowd, but it bears remembering. It's probably even more relevant for horses going in the double bridle as there is even less room in the mouth for the tongue to "escape" any sharp edges.

My boys see Dr. Tolley at least twice a year, so I don't worry about dental issues too much. Their teeth always need touching up in the spring, but if they need it in the fall, Dr. Tolley will point it out.

Speedy's Hooves: I pulled off Speedy's Betadine-soaked wrap so that Dr. Tolley could have a look at my handiwork with the hoof knife. He gave the abscess hole a look and seemed pleased with the job I had done. He asked a few follow up questions and told me to keep wrapping it for a total of seven days. Thursday should be the day the wrap can come off.

When I explained that I had received some criticism for draining the abscess myself, he gave me a quizzical look and asked why. After hearing my explanation, he reassured me that I am doing the work with his knowledge and guidance. That's all I needed to hear.

Photo from an abscess last year.

The second hoof thing I needed Dr. Tolley to examine was the weird hole that recently appeared in Speedy's left hind hoof. Right away he took out his Dremel. I hate that thing because it never bodes well for the preferred diagnosis of "nothing to worry about." The Dremel is actually synonymous for "start worrying as fast as you can." Then he dragged out his knee pads. When Dr. Tolley puts on his knee pads, I know we're in for a long assessment.

Pre-Dremel

Weird story ... As Dr. Tolley was strapping on his knee pads, he chatted about having had to wash them recently because they were blood-soaked. From what? I asked incredulously. I was almost sorry I asked. Interestingly, he had to do an emergency C-Section on a ewe who ultimately delivered three lambs. They all survived. My next question was, Three?! How many teats does a ewe have, anyway? To which Dr. Tolley replied, "Two, and yes, that can be problematic." I told you; I always learn something new.

I kept yelling at him to STOP MAKING THE HOLE DEEPER. He didn't listen.

So here is where the whole I always learn something new because Speedy is always diagnosed with something new thing happens. The hole was a possible indicator of white line disease. When I pressed Dr. Tolley, he referred to it as wanting to be white line disease. Well is it or not? Well, without drilling even further, it looked to him like it was the beginning of white line disease. To be sure, he asked that my farrier look at the bottom of Speedy's freshly trimmed hooves the next time he was out. That happened yesterday. I'll share that conversation in Friday's post. But in the meantime ...

Dr. Tolley gave me a thorough explanation of what White Line Disease is. Here's an abbreviated description thanks to a quick Google search: "White Line Disease is a fungal infection of the white line (or lamina) on the bottom of the horse's hoof. ... This separation is then invaded by bacteria and fungi, leading to infection that progresses up towards the coronary band which produces a white or gray powdery material."

Post-Dremel

Dr. Tolley likes to treat White Line Disease by first providing oxygen to the anaerobic infection. That's why he drilled the hole. The second thing he likes to do is apply a daily swipe of Tea Tree Oil which is from the Melaleuca Tree. Tea Tree oil has anti-fungal properties and is also useful because oil is better at penetrating the hoof than are water soluble products. I now have two bottles of Tea Tree Oil in my ever expanding medical kit. Dr. Tolley also pointed out that the Tea Tree Oil will be an excellent topical to use on Speedy's abscess hole once it has epithelialized.

Once both feet had been examined, I asked the obvious question: is White Line Disease related to Speedy's Cushing's Disease? The answer is that it's not caused by Cushing's, but there is a correlation. After some discussion, we decided to put Speedy back on Platinum Performance's Hoof Support. It seemed to work quite well when Speedy was growing out new hoof when he damaged his coronary band a few years ago.

He wanted everyone to know, HE IS NOT A FAN!

Blood Work: Which brings us to Speedy's Cushing's Disease. When we tested him last year for the first time, his ACTH levels were at 56, just barely outside of normal. A level of 50 is considered the outside of the normal range. Dr. Tolley drew blood and sent it to the lab yesterday. We should hear back in another day or two. In the meantime. Speedy will continue with the Prascend as usual.

Everything Else: I know it's hard to believe, but there's more! As always, Speedy's fecal count came back negative; he's worm free. Even so, he'll get a dewormer once he's feeling better. The vaccinations always make him feel puny. And his weight? I was very pleased to see him clock in at a solid 1,020. That's the most he's ever weighed at the end of winter. For a horse who is hard to keep round during the winter, this was great news.

Overall, Speedy is in good health. He obviously has a few issues, the Cushing's Disease being the main culprit. But for a dude quickly approaching 16, everything else is in fine shape. Dr. Tolley's litmus test for the hoof supplement is this: if there are no more abscesses, it's working. If he has two more abscesses in a year (after waiting a few months for the supplement to do its thing), it's not working. I guess I'd rather pay for something and not know if it's working than pay for something and know it's not working.

Izzy's vet visit tomorrow ...

A Cushing's Tutorial

1/28/2019

So what exactly is Cushing's Disease? Until a few weeks ago, I only knew that it was a disease that mostly affects older horses with symptoms that include long shaggy coats, pot bellies, and problems with hooves. Sort of like this guy.

A Cushing's horse I found on the internet.

Very simply - or not, Cushing's Disease, also called Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), is a disfunction of the pituitary gland. Over time, the pituitary gland becomes over-enlarged and produces too many hormones. Not good. Ask any woman approaching 50 (cough, cough) what it feels like to have your hormones go out of whack.

In particular, horses with PPID produce too much of the hormone called the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). High levels of ACTH cause an over-production of cortisol. And since hormones have effects on many different organ systems, increased cortisol creates a variety of symptoms like:

Hypertrichosis (long, curly hair )
Delayed haircoat shedding
Change in body conformation (muscle wasting and rounded abdomen or “potbelly”)
Decreased athletic performance
Change in attitude/lethargy
Fat deposits, especially along the crest of the neck and over the tail head
Laminitis
Increased drinking and urination
Recurrent infections
Abnormal sweating
Absent reproductive cycle/infertility
Neurologic deficit/blindness

So who gets Cushing's Disease? According to the AAEP, "the average age of horses diagnosed with PPID is 20 years, with over 85 percent of the horses being greater than 15 years of age. Although most common in aged horses, PPID has been diagnosed in horses as young as seven years of age."

I think you can see where all of this is heading. Speedy will be 15 in April. Speedy has never before had an abscess, yet in the past few weeks he's had not one, but two. My vet decided we needed to check for Cushing's Disease.

There are several ways to test for Cushing's: 1) the dexamethasone suppression test and 2) the measurement of resting plasma ACTH concentration. However, one thing to note is that the time of year the tests are done can affect the results. In the fall, horses naturally increase the production of a variety of hormones as the body prepares for winter. Fortunately for Speedy, January is a great time to check ACTH concentrations.

A normal ACTH concentration is somewhere between 10 and 50. Speedy's ACTH level came back at 56, just outside of the normal range. Some horses can have numbers above 1,000. A lot of things can affect that score - time of day, when the horse last ate, and so on. Even though Speedy's ACTH level was very close to normal, Dr. Tolley felt that it would be prudent to put him on medication.

Here's where most owners cringe and ask, "What's that going to cost?" I almost find it funny that Speedy needs a daily medication as I had just this month decided to take my boys off ALL supplements. Joke's on me I guess. The only FDA approved medication for Cushing's Disease is pergolide, brand name Prascend.

I bought Speedy's first box of 160 tablets from a friend who no longer needed it. When that box runs out, I'll need to reorder from somewhere like Allivet as Prascend is available by prescription only. It's per day cost is right around $1.75. Prascend is actually cheaper than the Platinum Performance was, so I can't complain too much.

There is a glitch of course. Pergolide is on US Equestrian's prohibited substance list. Don't even get me started on how incredibly stupid my vet found that rule. One of the worst things you can do for a Cushing's horse is to stop and restart pergolide every other week during show season.

There is good news though. As of December 1, 2018, US Equestrian will now allow pergolide if the horse has been granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). An explanation of the rule change can be read here.

I've already applied for a TUE, and my vet has submitted all necessary paperwork. When I phoned US Equestrian, the woman I spoke to had no idea how long it takes to be granted a TUE. She said that a panel must review my request. Way to go, US Equestrian. No timeline or answers make me feel great.

So that's it. Speedy now has Cushing's Disease which means daily medication, annual bloodwork, and of course getting that pesky TUE. Dr. Tolley wasn't too concerned and neither am I. There's just no cure for getting old.

About the
Writer & Rider

I am a lifetime rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
Welcome to my dressage journey.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian

Email Karen

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently showing Third Level for the 2019 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

August 2018

About Izzy

Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are schooling and showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.

March 2019

Bakersfield Dressage approved!

FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE

I love her stuff!

National Awards

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018

2nd Level Rider Performance, 2018

USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015

1st Level Rider Performance, 2015

USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

Training Level Rider Performance, 2013

State Awards

CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018
CDS Second Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

Ruby Rider Award, 2018

2020 Show Season

Show Rating
(***) CDS/USDF/USEF
(*) CDS
(s) Schooling
(c) Clinic
(r) Ride-a-Test Clinic
(Q) Must Qualify

2020 Pending …
6/13 - 14 El Sueno (***)
6/28 TMC (*)
7/11 - 12 El Sueno (***)
7/26 TMC (*)
8/8 - 9 RAAC (Q)
8/30 TMC (*)
9/20 TMC (*)
10/11 TMC (*)
10/24-25 SCEC (***)

2020 Completed …
10/26-27/19 SCEC (***)

Qualifying Scores for 2020

Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC)
3rd Level Qualifying Modified for 2020
2 Scores/2 Judges:
Score 1: 60.405% Atkins
Score 2: 62.432% Atkins

CDS Championship
3rd Level Qualifying Modifiedf or 2020
3 Scores/2 Judges:
Score 1: 60.405% Atkins
Score 2: 62.432% Atkins
Score 3:

Working Towards:

CDS 3rd Level Horse Performance Award
3 Judges/3 Shows:
Score 1: 63.514% Lindholm
Score 2: 62.105% Lindholm
Score 3: 63.243% Wadeborn
Score 4: 60.405% Atkins
Score 5: 62.432% Atkins
Score 6:

CDS Sapphire Rider Award
Third Level: 63.514%
Third Level: 62.105%
Fourth Level:
Fourth Level:

USDF Bronze Medal
First Level - 70.179%
First Level - 72.600%
Second Level - 62.879%
Second Level - 61.970%
Third Level - 62.432%
Third Level -

When You Want the Lowest Number Possible

Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction

... Choose to Be Kind

Bad News

Spring Vet Visit - Part 1

A Cushing's Tutorial

About the
Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

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When You Want the Lowest Number Possible

Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction

... Choose to Be Kind

Bad News

Spring Vet Visit - Part 1

A Cushing's Tutorial

About the Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

By Topic

Archives

About the
Writer & Rider