Whiskey

18-23+ Year Old, 17 hh Clydesdale and/or Shire

Whiskey is the one that I know the least about. Whiskey came to me after he was abandoned at the barn he was being boarded at by his owner. The same people I got Chip and Ranger from also had horses at the barn Whiskey was at and offered to take him. He was in rough shape and had a lot of skin issues, hoof issues, weight issues and some mental baggage as well. Although they did their best to start getting him healthy, they were unable to afford to keep him and they lacked the experience to retrain him. They gave me a call knowing I have a soft spot for draft horses and asked if I could take 1 more. I agreed to go and look at him and would decide from there. He was anxious and pushy and definitely knew he was big and he could scare people. As soon as I saw how much work he was going to need I decided that he was coming home with me, I love a challenge.

Whiskey had a very rough start with me. He had scratches (a fungal infection commonly on their coronary band) on all of his legs, he had a massive amount of dander and was incredibly itchy. I was told that he did have an abscess in the past but that it had healed up. Within the first week of having him not only did he get another abscess, he also was diagnosed with lyme and got very sick. He had a few days of IV antibiotics and then a course of antibiotics and bute and he was feeling much better.

After a whole lot of trial and error, I have found that keeping his mane shaved down to a small mohawk and keeping his feathers (fur on his feet) shaved helped with his scratches and skin issues. He was getting lots of attention with grooming and getting his skin feeling better. We had one problem fixed, but another arose shortly after. Whiskey has very flat front feet and appeared as though he has not had proper hoof care for quite a while. Due to this he was prone to chronic abscesses in his front right hoof. We have spent the past 2 years trying to get his feet in better shape and the abscesses to stop. We are hopeful that with some front shoes, regular trimming and good nutrition he will continue to improve. We had one very very bad abscess pop this year (same abscess actually popped multiple time!) Attached is some of the pictures of his abscess. We have spent lots of time and money trying to get this boy healthy and I believe that it really has paid off.

Past all of the medical problems, we also had a very big boy who was very stubborn and did not trust people. Short of the little time he was at the barn I got him from, I knew nothing about him. He is not registered (I'm not even sure what his true breed is) and I have no real paperwork on him except the vet paperwork from his last owner. So on top of dealing with all his physical wounds, his mental wounds ran just as deep. Constantly having to poke and prod him for treatment was not helping me begin to heal his mental wounds. After a while and him finally starting to actually feel better, he is slowly opening up. Although he can still be aloof, even with Sean and myself, he is opening up so so much. He actually comes over and looks for attention know and will even get upset sometimes if we take someone else out instead of him. He is much more reserved than the rest of my herd but he will find his way over to say hello on occasion.

If you really want to try and be his friend, I always found that a good scratch and a carrot never hurt!

Also you will have to ask Sean about his special training venture with Whiskey. He has been working on a trick with him that he is very proud of!

A close-up of a bay Clydesdale horse with white markings on its face, leaning towards a pink net filled with hay tied to a tree.
A bay Clydesdale horse with white markings on its legs is nibbling on a hay net hanging from a tree in a forest.
A bay Clydesdale horse working at liberty during an equine assisted learning session held outdoors in a dirt enclosure with fall-colored trees in the background.
Close-up of a brown and white horse eating hay from a pink net wrapped around a tree trunk, with a background of blurred yellow and green foliage.
Bay Clydesdale horse standing outdoors on dirt ground with trees and a building in the background.
A large bay Clydesdale horse standing inside a wooden barn, facing the camera with ears upright. The horse is wearing a green halter and is attached to a rope. The barn has wooden walls and ceiling beams, with a fan mounted on the right wall and some
Close-up of a brown and white horse's face with a blurred green background.
A farrier shoes a large brown and white Clydesdale horse outdoors in a backyard with autumn trees and houses in the background.
A man in a gray hoodie and jeans kneels on the ground, with a large brown and white Clydesdale horse that is lying on the dirt during an equine assisted learning session. The horse is resting with its head down, near a pile of hay. There are trees, a
A person standing outside with a large brown Clydesdale horse, holding a pink manure rake during an equine assisted learning session. The person is wearing black pants, tan boots, a black jacket, and a black watch. The horse's head is in the foregrou
Close-up of a Clydesdale horse's hoof showing an abscess wound and dried mucus, with mud and straw around it on the ground.
Close-up of a horses hoof being trimmed by a farrier with an abscess present

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