Horse facing forced retirement

Ronnie, one of the Leg-Up Trust's therapy horses, undergoes testing last week at Massey University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Forced retirement is always a traumatic experience but sometimes you've just got to accept it's time to be put out to pasture.

That's the situation facing Ronnie, one of the Leg-Up Trust's original therapy horses. Now in his 20s, the gelding was diagnosed last week with fibrosis of the liver, an irreversible condition that means he will be removed from full-time work at the Hastings facility.

"Even if he's not in the programme, we'll probably bring him up to the yards to be part of the scene, so he doesn't get bored," says the head of the Trust, Roz Rowe. "Because he's got a really good brain and he likes to be kept busy."

Leg-Up Trust works with disadvantaged children who suffer social, behavioral or emotional problems, by putting them in charge of horses. The responsibility helps with anger management and communication issues, and enables participants to build empathy towards others.

Roz started the Trust 15 years ago after shutting down her trekking business. She shifted several of her trekking horses, including Ronnie, to the Trust. The veteran mounts are part of her family now, so Roz was devastated when, late last year, blood tests revealed that something was wrong with Ronnie's liver.

"Another of our old therapy horses, who was also one of my trekking horses, had to be put down just before Christmas," she says. "With Ronnie also having a question mark over him, it did cast a bit of gloom over the place for a while."

Accompanied by an equine companion, Ronnie was driven to Palmerston North last week to undergo tests at Massey University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

At the same time as a liver biopsy was performed, it was discovered that he also has a growth in the sclera (white of the eye) on each side. These were tested as well.

"He has very cloudy vision in one eye, which we didn't know about," says Roz. "That was a bit of a shock. But I have had a horse before that was blind in one eye and didn't have any problems with her."

Roz was impressed with the care Ronnie received at Massey, but waiting for the call with the results was a difficult time.

"The vet said his future is unpredictable," she says. "I'm hopeful that he will have a little more time with us."

Removing Ronnie from the full-time roster of therapy horses is a blow to the Leg-Up Trust.

"He's probably been our most successful horse for working with aggressive kids, because he doesn't take prisoners," Roz says.

A therapy horse doesn't necessarily fit a particular mould, Roz says, but they need to be good learners. Being opinionated is also a valuable asset.

"Opinionated horses are quite good as therapy horses because they teach the kids how to work around them without getting aggressive. The kids have to find a benign way of getting onside with the horse and be a senior partner with the horse."

But a wonky liver means a cherished therapy horse is undergoing therapy itself.

"He's getting the royal treatment," Roz says of the supplements Ronnie now gets, including St Mary's thistle, dandelion root, and a 'golden paste' of turmeric, coconut oil and black pepper.

"We know what we're dealing with now and we will treat him accordingly. We'll pull out all stops for him. We're going to look after him as he deserves."