Hendrix
Hendrix was rescued with several other high risk horses during October 2025. He had been dumped at a low-end auction, obviously lamed up, and unlikely to have anything but a one way ticket to slaughter if not further abuse by an ignorant human.
Per the veterinary exam and evaluation it was noted that Hendrix is a big, strong, tall, young Quarter Horse gelding with bilateral stiffness (symmetrical lameness) in both the front and rear limbs. At a trot, he is severely lame on the left front.
Both of his stifles are heavily effusive and his left fore hoof wall growth pattern suggests navicular pain, caudal heel pain and a resulting pattern of growth that is worsening contracting heels (left greater than right).
Hendrix also has an acute puncture wound to the medial aspect of his left manus, complicating the degree of his chronic left front heel pain, and how much of this pain is from acute tissue swelling and possible infection from the puncture.
Stifle effusion in a young Quarter Horse typically is of veterinary concern in that the most likely lesions are a short, difficult list of maladies including OCD lesions, juvenile arthritis or soft tissue damage to the supporting ligaments and tendons.
It is most likely that Hendrix was used as a roping head horse, which means he worked in a “job” with high effort and sudden stops with a very heavy load. His shoe wear and lameness locations reflect a typical pattern for horses used in this way.
X-ray results of the left forelimb (navicular view) revealed that the ventral flexor surface of the navicular bone on the lateral view displayed significant remodeling, roughening and proliferative changes associated with calcium absorption from the bone and compensatory, painful growth of bony spicules on a structure that should be a frictionless fulcrum for the deep digital flexor tendon to slice over under tremendous tension.
This remodeling is characteristic of career-ending caudal heel pain lameness and it’s typically bilateral. Due to Hendrix’s lameness in all four limbs with the amount of damage already done and no way to improve the condition and relieve pain, he was humanely euthanized.
How many Quarter horses have come before Hendrix in similar conditions and who are out there now being ruined — Quarter horses are the #1 breed shipped to slaughter!
More About Hendrix
- In Assessment
- Dun
- Gelding
- 2017
- QH
- Colorado