22/12/2025
This is Sheik. He has been part of our family for one year and two days.
Before bringing him home, I had him examined by a veterinarian—three separate times, in fact—before deciding to make him ours. He was meant to be my final and ultimate trail partner.
The first several months after he arrived were cold, wet, and unpleasant, so we focused on allowing him time to settle in and adjust to his new life. New routines, new faces, a new herd—those changes can be stressful, and I didn’t want to pressure him in any way.
During that time, I began to grow increasingly concerned about his soundness. When spring arrived, I took him to UT for a thorough evaluation, where they recommended a full lameness workup. The results showed lameness in both hind limbs and mild lameness in one front limb. DSLD was also discussed. Their recommendations included continued movement, pain management, special hind shoes, and a course of injections for arthritis.
Because DSLD remained a concern, I took Sheik to another veterinary clinic capable of performing ultrasound imaging of his suspensory ligaments. Unfortunately, both hind suspensory ligaments measured outside acceptable parameters. The recommendations were similar: movement, specialized shoeing, and pain management.
Sheik is currently barefoot and maintained on a six-week trim schedule with my amazing barefoot trimmer. He receives Vitamin E, Jiaogulan, MSM, free-choice hay, senior feed, and lives on a track system with shelter always available.
So here we are.
Sheik is an incredible horse—kind, level-headed, affectionate, respectful, and handsome. I will not be riding him. In fact, I have never saddled him and taken him out on the trail. Doing so would only accelerate the breakdown of his body.
If you see a horse with legs like this, please do not ride that horse. DSLD is painful, affects the entire body, and at this time, there is no cure.
If you’d like to learn more about this devastating disease, please watch the YouTube video and review the additional link I’ll share in the comments.
