Gideon
Gideon was saved from the slaughter pipeline in July 2025; this sad gelding had been run through an auction after being cast off from a life of “use” that left him neurological.
Veterinary exam revealed Gideon had proprioceptive deficits in all four limbs with a remaining poor quality of life and clear evidence of future suffering due to imbalance and risk of falling.
It had been said that Gideon had a history of being recently ridden, but that riders were hesitant to continue training due to Gideon’s unsteadiness on his feet. It appears he doesn’t know where his feet are and his hind end drifts laterally when under saddle as indicated by someone’s comments.
During his lameness exam, he was able to “walk sound” on firm gravel; however, his forelimbs and hind limbs “float” above the ground before placement. All four limbs are equally placed irregularly. There is no truncal sway, but a decent level of paresis, which worsens to severe when a lateral tail pull is tested both to the left and right. The pelvis can be deviated laterally to almost the level of the thoracic limbs, with Gideon unable to push/pull against the pull, and also is unaware that his hind end deviates until he visualizes his rump next to his shoulder when moving forward.
The vet also noted that Gideon is mildly, but evenly ataxic as well as paretic in all four limbs, which is an unusual finding. Most horses with paresis and CP deficits display worsened signs in pelvic vs thoracic limbs, as a result of stenosis and compression of the vertebral column, where longer peripheral nerve tracts in the hind end display a more pronounced ataxia.
This sweet gelding also had lung damage, crackles were heard throughout the lung fields, with poor auscultable breath sounds in the cranioventral portions of the left and right lung fields. He presented with copious mucopurulent discharge from both nostrils and a wet, hacking cough after walking. Whether this is due to COPD plus a new infection or a result of an acute respiratory illness was not determined.
Gideon was humanely euthanized due to his neurological status of unknown origin and incurable neurologic disorder.
More About Gideon
- In Assessment
- Sorel
- Gelding
- 2010
- Appendix
- Colorado