Mozart
Mozart was rescued in October 2024 to keep him from entering the slaughter pipeline. This sweet older gelding was significantly lame; damage to his hooves and other supporting structures made movement very painful.
Veterinary exam outlined some of the issues: “all feet are severely overgrown with under-run heels on the front hooves. Mozart walks “strangely” — when placing his right front foot and bearing weight, the toe lifts off of the ground before rocking flat again and rolling thru the toe.
His gait indicates end-stage deterioration of the deep digital flexor tendon, and chronic caudal heel pain (navicular) is strongly suspected.
Also suspected is that Mozart may have had a surgical procedure at some point which removes the distal nerve bundle which is distal to the pastern on the medial and lateral aspects (as is typical in horses with broken down DDFs and those horses are severely lame).
Xray showed the right front hoof with arthritic changes and a highly unusual misshapen navicular bone. Due to the impressive irregularity of this structure, it is a confirmed caudal heel pain horse. Mozart was most likely “nerved” to stand and move more comfortably at some point.”
It is sickening to think how much this horse suffered and that any owner would have cut nerves so that the horse could likely be used up more and not (for a time) “feel” the agony of structures deteriorating and deforming further.
Mozart was humanely euthanized as clearly nothing could be done to help him and a former owner(s) had left him to go so far downhill then cast aside to end up in the hands of a kill buyer.
More About Mozart
- In Assessment
- Sorrel
- Gelding
- 2001
- QH
- Colorado