The following article appeared in the Modern Arabian Horse magazine in 2010.

Impaled!

by Faye Ahneman-Rudsenske

 Horses seem to have an insatiable tendency to find “trouble,” which may, perhaps, be a result of their infallible curiosity. Whoever said that cats are the most curious animal apparently never met an Arabian horse! And, that curiosity oftentimes manifests itself into various forms of injuries that defy logic.

 Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

To me, with a couple dozen horses that include Arabians and Miniature Horses as well as a Welsh pony thrown in for good measure, it was imperative that each enjoyed the company of like-minded individuals in separate paddocks. Early experience indicated that if horses got along well with each other, there were far less accidents and veterinarian bills. Good fences not only make good human neighbors, but are an essential part of the horse keeping equation. Therefore, my fences consisted of strong outer perimeter fences that restricted neighborhood dogs and coyotes while the dividing fences were heavy duty pipe panels with electric. Round wooden and square posts encased in plastic sleeves provided the structural support. Additionally, the horses were nearly always visible from our residence at all times. Other than minor surface scrapes during horse play, I had managed to avoid major problems for several years, all of which was about to change…

Trouble, Trouble, Trouble

June 20, 2009 was a typical bright sunshine, a vivid blue sky and warm temp day. A quick errand into town was curtailed within minutes by a phone call—one of the yearlings was injured. When my husband calls the vet, it means BIG trouble. My assistant and I “flew” home and walked into an unbelievable sight. My husband had managed to get the colt into a stall, and he stood on three legs as blood dripped from a huge wound from underneath his left front leg. A huge hunk of muscle hung down from an opening the size of my fist. A four by six inch piece of skin dangled below it, almost completely severed. The colt was sweating profusely and by all indications was going into shock. The vet had a 45 minute drive. Would she make it in time? As the minutes ticked by, we sponged him off with lukewarm water, massaged his muscles and spoke softly and calmly. Gradually his trembling and the glazed look in his eyes receded and although he couldn’t put any weight on his leg, he remained quiet and appeared to stabilize. The blood still dripped constantly, but at least it wasn’t streaming.

Daunting Task

Although very seasoned and competent, even the vet looked a bit apprehensive at the daunting task that she faced. After her examination, her advice was to transport him to a surgical facility where he could remain confined for at least 30 days to limit his movement. He would, perhaps, also have limited movement due to the vast amount of muscle and surrounding tissue damage which would only intensify with the scar tissue. Recovery was a year in her estimation.

Transport was out I told her. He had been loaded in the trailer once, but never hauled. He probably wouldn’t be able to withstand the trauma and standing in a trailer for an extended period of time. Euthanasia? She was reluctant. In the end, we opted for the in-field surgery, which was always risky, and, with its many variables, she wouldn’t guarantee the outcome.

With medication, we walked him to our front lawn, and once prone, she went to work. The big flap of skin was excised as lack of blood supply had already shriveled the edges. For close to hour and a half she meticulously stitched the gaping wound and inserted a drain tube. Even when finished, there was a gaping hole. We went through two IV bags of saline solution and intermittent insertions of sedation to keep him horizontal. I noticed a small pocket of air underneath the skin of his neck, and she warned me about crepitus—he could puff up like a balloon if the pleural membrane surrounding the lungs had been punctured and allowed air to seep out between his skin and muscle. Luckily, the small “air pocket” subsided within hours.

Concerned about how he would come out of the anesthesia, we kept him down and calm, and he regained his feet in textbook style. With a healthy dose of pain killers, we made our way back to his stall. Antibiotics, Phenylbutazone® (bute), water therapy and a prescription medication were prescribed. Keeping the wound cleaned, medicated, free from fly maggots and confinement were top priorities.

Unsolved Mystery

With the colt stabilized and stalled, several of us, including the vet, walked his paddock looking for the culprit. There was no blood or hair anywhere on the ground or fence and, according to the vet, there should have been a copious amount.

The bushes at the end of the paddock did not have any sharp or broken off branches. I, personally, walked the paddock six times. Needless to say, it was frustrating and, to this day, remains a mystery.

New Dilemma

Stall confinement lasted one day. Although his window opened to a paddock with two other horses, he was upset. It was hot and humid. Even the fan couldn’t keep him cool. Worried that he would injury himself even more, we constructed a 12 x 12 outdoor pen with pipe fencing right next to other horses. It had a great shade tree as a canopy. It worked. At night he came in next to his buddy and was content.

He also learned what a fly sheet was very quickly, along with a natural fly spray and daily cleansing which wasn’t easy for him (or us!). Not only was his wound painful, but it itched and, by Monday, he had completely pulled out the huge section of muscle the vet had stitched. On Tuesday, she spent another hour stitching him again. It was difficult because the stitches wouldn’t hold. She did a good job, but he seemed intent upon self mutilating it and within 12 hours the wound was gaping again; there was nothing more to do since the muscle was like hamburger.

Faced with this new dilemma, I consulted another veterinarian. With 40+ years under his belt, he had seen and done just about everything.

“A year recovery with possible restrictive movement,” he confirmed. He had treated several such injuries during his career, and they were difficult to heal due to the injury site. He suggested a neck cradle to keep him from self mutilating, but it seemed a mute point now.

Despite their dire predictions, the colt used his leg fairly well. Thankful for his incredible disposition, he tolerated treatment well. But I couldn’t see any improvement—not even a tiny bit. It remained the same raw, red, angry open wound and, in comparison to the photos taken the day of injury, there was no improvement.

I searched the internet in vain for information on this type of injury. However, one tidbit of information from a study done in UK, which essentially stated that it was better to break down the scar tissue by allowing movement. I took it to heart and doubled the size of his outdoor stall.

Then I remembered something else…I owned the Sumerel Therapy System (STS-2).

Let There Be Light!

We were eight days in when I called Dan Sumerel, horse trainer/clinician extraordinaire and the STS-2 manufacturer. He had personally used it on thousands of horses, several with the same type of injury. He told me which settings to use and advised me that within a couple of minutes of use, the wound would begin to drain. He recommended three times a day for 15 minutes at a time. For me, with my work schedule, once a day was more feasible. I immediately started light therapy and within 4-5 minutes the fluids starting draining down his leg.

The colt got one 15-minute light therapy treatment for three consecutive days, along with the water therapy and Miller’s Equine Wound Care, an organic ointment and spray comprised of the 100 percent pure and natural therapeutic grade essential oils tea tree, eucalyptus peppermint and rosemary in a beeswax base for the ointment and olive oil for the spray. The ointment was used at night and the spray during the day, which also acted as a fly repellant and kept the injury site free of maggots, a big concern on hot summer days.

The change was remarkable! When the vet re-checked him two weeks from the initial date of injury (and only six days after our home remedy was started), she was amazed and gave the go ahead to turn him back out to pasture with the other yearlings!

Four weeks from the initial date of injury, the wound was closed in and five weeks out, we did a photo shoot with him. The flap of skin that was exorcised is completely re-grown, the “hole” is gone and only a minute scar is left. There was no granulated flesh or scar tissue thanks to our treatment. By December 2009, one would have to look closely to even see he had sustained an injury. He returned to training in September and has physically exhibited absolutely NO restrictions in his movement as evidenced by his unbelievable floating trot and canter!

There were several factors that enabled this colt to recover including his amenable disposition via his pedigree; his diet, which included HS-35, a supplement containing 35 vitamins and chelated minerals (www.hs35.net), as well as OptiMSM (www.tripledfeeds.com); the amazing STS-2 Light System; and Millers Equine Wound Care (www.equinewoundsalve.com).

With the lack of information available about this type of injury, I hope that by writing about this incident, maybe it will help someone else.

Stacy Gallagher, CT.     Joints split open!

My six month old Quarter Horse colt, fondly named D.J, has been getting himself into trouble since he was born.
He is also a horse who has been huge since birth and continues to just grow and grow. On November 3, 2006, I went out to D.J.'s paddock, where I found his right knee completely split open! It was the most horrid wound I had ever seen. We figured he had been kicked in the knee by one of the other youngsters in his paddock. So, we brought him into a stall, and began doctoring him up. We cleaned and wrapped the wound; it could not be stitched. The very next morning, I went into D.J.'s stall and found his left hock completely split open. Everything was exposed. I was besides myself, and we loaded D.J. up and brought him to a very prestigious veterinary school. I was so concerned that D.J. had HERDA, which is genetically transmitted. He was genetically tested, and it was found that he has no RNA abnormalities, no HERDA, no parental genetic issues that would cause his joints to just split open like that. There were also no answers for us. So, we contacted Jocelyn and Dan and were able to acquire a hand held Power Light. I could not afford the entire system at the time, so this was going to have to do. I had already seen what the STS-2 could do for horses; my mini, Diva, was born with a lot of problems that inhibited her growth and well being. After one complete treatment by Jocelyn, Diva just starting growing and growing and is now perfectly healthy. No other changes were made, not in her diet or supplements of any kind. JUST ONE TREATMENT! My poor, sickly little Diva is a 100% healthy little horse, with a beautiful hair coat, and she is just full of spunk. So, I KNEW that the Power Light was going to help D.J. recover, although it would take less time if I had an entire system. The results are beyond anything I had ever expected! Take a look below:

    11-03-06, knee opened                12-02-06, knee closing              1-09-07, knee is closed!

     11-04-06, hock                                          12-02-06, hock                                          1-09-07, hock
           split open                                                  is healing!                                                is closed!                   

Brian and Lynn Brubaker, Cedar Coulee Pintabians, Ray, N.D.            DJD!

DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT!!! THESE WERE OUR VET'S WORDS, ABOUT OUR HORSE, DUSTY, JUST ONE MONTH AFTER DIAGNOSING DUSTY WITH SEVERE DJD IN BOTH HOCKS, STIFLES AND HIS RIGHT FRONT KNEE. Dusty also had a large cracked bone in his pelvis. He had suffered severe trauma to his joints and pelvis when his hind legs had gone straight out behind him, on icy ground, out in the pasture. Our vet was VERY guarded in his prognosis about Dusty's recovery chances. If his condition could be turned around in one month, we had a chance of bringing him back to a healthy, useful riding horse. If not, we were looking at putting him down. Along with following our vet's treatment plan for helping Dusty, we got busy with the STS-2 System, treating Dusty's joints twice a day, and scanning him every third day, too. Then we treated his entire body. WE HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE STS-2 SYSTEM played the MAJOR part in Dusty's incredible improvement. Our vet was happy to see so much more improvement than he had ever expected, and he did NOT feel that more conventional treatment was needed.

When we first brought Dusty into the vet's, his joint fluid sample was so bad that his white count was 32,000. NORMAL is 250. The other readings were off the wall, too, and our vet said that poor Dusty had the joint fluid of a very old horse, which he is not. At his one month check up, the vet COULD NOT draw any fluid from those hock joints; Dusty had improved so much!

We are treating Dusty with only the lights now, and he is walking so much better. Dusty is on a 4 day break from the light treatment, as you instructed us to do, and then we will begin again..

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Lynn

Jocelyn, in Virginia            MARE FERTILITY PROBLEM!

Everyone who knows me knows that one of the most precious gifts in my life is my beloved rescue mare, Eleanor de Padron, also known as Miss Ellie. For three years I attempted to breed Miss Ellie to the most exquisite Khemosabi son I have ever seen. He was also her half uncle, so a bit of Bask line-breeding was also an incredible motivation. However, for three years, we could not get this maiden mare to take. She was tested, and had ultrasounds performed, and nothing came back abnormal. She was cycling and showing....the only indication that something was bothering her was that whenever the stallion mounted her, she would squirm and try to get away from him. OH, stupid me! All the vets around me told me that it was because she was a maiden mare. I SHOULD have been aware enough to realize that she was in pain whenever we tried to breed her. Yet, Miss Ellie DOES have an extremely strong Alpha nature...so we all put it down to inexperience and attitude on her part. I will NEVER make that mistake with any horse again. She did take once, but absorbed. I was devastated.

The following year, we tried again. Tests were done, there was no infection. Khody (Khemo's Baskota) would tease Ellie, and she responded. Yet, everytime we tried to breed her, it was the same thing as the previous two years. HOWEVER, I NOW HAD A NEW TOOL UP MY SLEEVE! I HAD AN STS-2 SYSTEM. I had been very busy scanning and treating horses all over the state, with great success in helping horses and dogs, and myself,  to heal. So, on yet another day when Ellie was in season, and was calling to Khody, I whipped out my STS-2. I put the Poll Therapy Unit on her head, and began to scan her. I did not find a lot of points; but that does not matter. Sometimes it is only one point that is causing the horse to be miserable! Lo and behold, I found three very odd points on both sides of her lower flank, right before the crease of the hip begins. Not knowing what they were, ( after all, I am not a vet or an equine acupuncturist ) I treated them. Ellie released like crazy; yawning and sighing. She became very, very calm. We bred Ellie that very afternoon, immediately after treating her, with the Poll Therapy Unit on her head. She stood perfectly still and calm. It was the quietest and most peaceful breeding I have ever witnessed. That was August 4, 2003. I later learned that the particular points I had found on Miss Ellie's flank were acupuncture points related to reproduction....

On July 1st, 2004, at 2:30 a.m., a beautiful filly, El's Sumer Magikh, was born. My dream come true.....

Shana, in Kansas   Wounds,Joint capsule tears, puncture wounds and sprains!

My own beloved gelding suffered severe joint capsule tears to his left hock 3 ½ years ago. The hock was badly swollen and after a year of pasture rest (recommended by my vet) we did an easy ride, just walking. Next day he was lame. The vet came again, more x-rays and the prognosis was not good. My decision to buy my system was in the hope of helping this horse. The first few treatments immediately reduced the swelling and during subsequent treatments even the 3-year-old scar tissue began to subside. By scanning him all over I was able to address all of the problems in the horse, as well as the hock problem. I am now able to ride him again, truly due to the system!

I have also achieved incredible results using the light therapy on wounds. They significantly speed up healing as well as reducing proud flesh. On one horse the vet called me in on a 6-week-old wound where the vet was about to carve off a large section of proud flesh. I asked the vet not to cut until I had the chance to treat the area first. In 2 treatments the proud flesh stopped growing and with subsequent treatments (every other day) there was no further cutting needed!

Another horse had a severe puncture wound and I was able to begin treatment the day after the accident. In 14 days the wound was totally closed to everyone's amazement. That rapid healing helps prevent infection and almost eliminates scarring.

My family uses the system on all our injuries, including my hubby who severely sprained his ankle. In 2 days he was walking almost pain free. Last week my son fell off his bike and came in the house crying, “Mommy, please put the lights on me.” I can't say enough how glad I am to have my own system!

Barbara, in New Mexico   Head shy issues, infections, chest wounds!

A racehorse named Shekgo was not training well and fighting each time a bridle or halter was put on. The day of a major stakes race, I was asked to see what I could do for him. After scanning and treating, he did not resist me touching his poll at all. That afternoon he raced to a long-shot win in the race and the owner was elated!

Another racehorse had developed a severe infection producing a hard, soccer ball size lump on the throat after an emergency tracheotomy. The vet said only surgery could remove the lump. In two weeks of treatments with the light therapy, the lump was the size of a golf ball and soft to the touch. Then it burst, and in a few days had healed completely!

An outrider's horse crashed through a fence suffering a horrendous chest wound. Two days later the horse had torn all the stitches out and had an 18-inch long open wound. The vet recommended the horse be put down, as there was nothing else he could do. The horse was dragging the right front leg as if there were nerve damage. An emotional groom convinced the vet to let me work on the horse for 24 hours. I was doubtful but did treat the horse twice that afternoon. The next day a very happy groom said the vet agreed to let me continue as he saw signs of accelerated healing in the wound. In 2 weeks the wound was down to about 6 inches and the right leg was being used normally! I was later summoned to the track office where I was given a note from the outrider saying, “Thank you so much for saving my horse's life!'

I have been continually amazed with the effectiveness of this with all kinds of problems from stifle and hock problems, to more complex situations. After years of success myself, I would recommend an STS-2 to anyone!

Jocelyn, in Virginia Stiffness, liver failure, neck injuries, chest tears and Patella problems!

The very first time I used light therapy on horses was at Arabian Nationals in Louisville , KY. A young girl came to our booth and was very upset because her stallion was in terrible pain and could not perform. Now, to make it all the way to Nationals and then not be able to show would be extremely disappointing for anyone, yet for a young girl it was devastating. She had a very open minded father, who said that she could have her beloved horse scanned and treated. We worked on the horse the very next morning. He had many points all over his body. I was incredulous as each time I would put a light cluster on him and he would turn his beautiful head around and look me straight in the eye, as if to say thank you! Then, when he took his right rear leg and stretched it straight out behind him, like a ballet dancer, well, let's just say that I was in total awe! He obviously felt much relief after being treated with the lights, and went on that evening to win a Top Ten in the Stallion Halter Class.

A customer of mine came into my store holding an adorable little black fluff ball of a puppy. She was in tears. She had just picked the puppy up from the vet, and he said that the darling little Lhaso Apso puppy was going to die from a fatal liver disorder. She was so tiny she fit in my hand! The pup had not eaten or drank anything for over a week. She could not even lift up her head she was so weak. I happened to have the STS-2 at my store, and I offered to treat “Dolly”. She fell asleep in my hand while I treated her entire body, and she remained asleep until I finished. Then, she woke up, jumped out of my arms, and promptly relieved herself on my floor! She was panting like crazy, so I put out a bowl of cool water, which she drank up right away. I had a huge pet cat in the store, and Dolly, all of one pound, began chasing that cat around as if she was a huge watchdog! This was about 2 years ago. Dolly is now 12 pounds and is perfectly healthy. She is truly Living Proof that Light Therapy can cause the body to heal itself!

My dear friend's Arabian mare took a terrible fall. The vet x-rayed her, and he decided that she needed to be treated with Bute on a daily basis. The poor mare's head hung almost to the ground. She could not lift it at all. The vet sent the horse to a chiropractor, yet poor Goldie still could not lift her head. I scanned the horse, and not to my surprise, she had many, many points ALL OVER her body. So, the problem was not just her neck! I scanned and treated that 20-year-old mare three times. Within one week Goldie had her head up high, just like a normal Arabian! That was last year. Today, Goldie runs to me when she sees me, and she is usually quite an aloof girl. The vet told me that he was going to send every neck injury he came across to me, as he was astounded at her recovery. The mare they thought was going to have to be “put down” is a very happy and healthy horse that can run around with the youngest horse. Again, the lights helped a body to heal itself in an incredibly short period of time. And, the body remained healed! The STS-2 is the most wonderful tool that I have ever come across to help animals (and humans) heal themselves without using drugs, without invasive surgery and painful techniques that can mask problems, or exacerbate them. I think that every person who works with animals should own an STS-2 System.

About a year and a half ago, I received a phone call from an extremely upset woman who owned a gorgeous Arabian stallion, a Khemosabi son. She also had several of his progeny on her farm. One of them was an adorable Anglo-Arab named Nike. His chest and neck had been ripped open by several vicious dogs. She had cleansed the wound, and had the vet out, but he could not do anything to close the wound. He told her to just keep cleaning it. Attempting to sew up a neck and chest wound on a horse is futile, as they use their necks to balance their bodies, and they lift their heads up and down constantly to eat and drink. He would just tear the stitches out, the vet said. So, the next day I took my STS-2 and went to visit Nike. The wound was horrid. It was at least 10 inches high and 8 inches across. I treated around the wound several times in a two-week period. The wound drained profusely after the first treatment, and then it began to shrink! In two and a half weeks it was completely closed. Today there is no sign of injury; not even a scar or a knot to mark the event. Needless to say, the owner was thrilled and so was I. Every time I use the lights I know that I am helping an animal to feel better, and in 99% of the cases, the animal has completely healed. Using Light Therapy is totally natural and is so very effective that every person in my home uses it for any type of pain or injury you can imagine. I could go on and on telling all of the success stories I have witnessed using the STS-2. Just let it suffice to say that I really feel that this is a fantastic tool that I do recommend to anyone I talk to!

Two years ago, a woman I had met at an Expo sent me an email. Her Arabian mare, which was almost ready to foal, was dragging her hind legs behind her. Since the mare was so close to foaling, the owners did not want any drugs administered which could harm the precious baby. So, we made the decision to drive two and one half hours each way to scan and treat the mare. She would never make it through the rigors of delivery unless she was able to get up and lay down repeatedly! We scanned the entire horse, and she had points all over her body. We treated the hips, legs, hocks, stifles, neck and shoulders. As soon as we were done, it was obvious that sweet mare was feeling much, much better! We watched as her owner walked her out to her pasture. She picked up all of her feet, not dragging them at all! As we were talking, her owner and I observed her repeatedly stomping her back legs at the flies pestering her. Her owner had tears in his eyes and he told me that in the year he had owned the mare, he had NEVER seen her stomp her feet! I hugged him and emotionally told him I was so happy that we could help his horse. That night his wife called us and told us they wanted to order an STS-2 system so the wife could quit her regular job and help to heal horses on a full time basis. They were completely amazed and won over by the obvious improvement their mare was showing. And, the improvements were continuing! They want to help other horses to feel as good as their mare now feels and they want to help other owners become as relieved as they feel. What a wonderfully rewarding way to make a living!

Cheri, Illinois       EPM symptoms, bone spurs, tendon tears, navicular & colic!

I was called in on a 9 year old Warmblood who was diagnosed and treated with medication for EPM. After 7 months of treatment, the mare had lost so much coordination, she could hardly stand and was stall bound. After 7 treatments over a three-week period the mare was happily trotting normally.

A 14 year-old hunter jumper pony had been diagnosed by a vet with a bone spur/chip that had kept him chronically lame and stall bound for 2 years. After 5 complete body-scans with treatment to locate and help ALL his problems, I began to focus specific treatment on the leg at the spur. In 3 months he was back to teaching and showing.

A 9 year-old polo pony destroyed a tendon playing polo. The vet did surgery on her to attempt to repair the tendon. I treated the tendon consistently after the surgery and her recovery was greatly accelerated (by the vet's experience with similar situations) and there was almost no scar tissue. She returned to full activity.

A 33 year-old quarter horse was about to be put down due to severe navicular, severe lameness and a very serious leg injury. There was also a tendency to colic. After several treatments with STS-2 his improvement was amazing. He had no further colic, and was able to stand and move around very well. He continues to improve and is now out grazing again.

Casey, Washington          Infections!

When I first purchased my STS-2, I was not aware of its ability to treat infections. I owned a horse that received a bad cut just above the back-side of the hoof. 8 months passed with no sign of healing after treatment with various antibiotics and topical medications. I treated the cut for 3 days with my ETU and in 5 days the healing was obvious. In 3 weeks the cut was healed and I was riding again!

I accidentally scratched my eye and it started showing signs of infection. I treated it with my ETU for 2 days and the problem was gone in 3.

I have used my STS-2 on about 80 horses so far. About 80% of the time, the owner had been treating the wrong part of the horse and the wrong cause. In ALMOST EVERY situation, the horse showed dramatic improvements.

Dan Sumerel, Founder of STS-2, Virginia Blindness, trauma, lameness, more speed and power!

I was called by the owners of a weanling who came in from the pasture one morning with a lot of swelling around his eyes and very erratic behavior. Two vets evaluated the youngster and determined he must have hit something pretty hard and the swelling was putting pressure on the optic nerve. By day 2 the horse was blind and crashing around in his stall uncontrollably. When asked if I could help, I felt hesitant to offer any hope. The vets had recommended putting the horse down and I knew the vets were very good at their job. The owner insisted I try, so I drove three hours and found the horse very sweaty and in pretty sad shape. Since a horse MUST be dry to scan it, I could only treat the little guy with the lights. I treated his head, down the spine and on every other area where any heat or swelling was present. I treated him twice that afternoon and again that night. The next morning, he was standing quietly and was dry enough to scan. I scanned him all over and treated him two more times before I left. The owners ordered a system Next Day Air and I trained them how to use it. A week later the owners called to say the little guy had some vision and was eating and drinking normally. Four months later I received a photo of a very healthy, normal yearling that looked as if nothing had ever happened. And a thank you card that made me cry.

By the way, the horse I used to train the people in the above story was a 9 year-old brood mare, which was lame. The horse had been lame for almost 2 years before they bought it and they had her for 2 years when I was there. They scanned and treated the mare during their training, between me treating their weanling. The next morning the mare was beautifully sound, and they were ecstatic!

One horse I worked on at a major expo had just won a world championship the week before. We did the horse 3 days in a row, as a demonstration of the equipment, but the owner was REALLY skeptical, since we were finding so many problems in the horse who just won a world title. By the third day, the number of points showing up was dramatically less, but still over 50. Two weeks later I had a call from the owner, asking to buy a system. When I asked her why the dramatic change in her opinion, she replied, “I've ridden this horse for 4 years and I know him like the back of my hand. Usually it takes him 3 weeks, minimum, to get back on track after a championship event. The week after we returned from the expo and his 3 scannings, I took him out for an easy walk-trot trail ride. He felt like a different horse! More power, more speed and a lot better attitude. He was awesome!”

At a national barrel-racing event a few years ago, a man approached me and asked what the equipment did. After explaining it, he asked me to scan his horse. The points I found were on one side of the neck, both hips and the back. He asked what that indicated to me. Having worked on hundreds of barrel-racing horses, I told him the horse must be turning one way much better than another, due to the neck. Also the horse could not be ‘launching forward' with real power or dropping its rear end to slow for the turns, due to the rear/back problems. He said that was exactly what the horse was doing. The next morning he came by the booth and told me he won. I said, “Won what,” since I was so busy scanning I didn't get to see any of the event all week. He said, “We won the championship with the fastest run ever on this horse. And he turned both directions flawlessly and took off like a rocket! The crowd was on their feet for the whole run!”

I was traveling though the northeast and scanning a lot of horses as I traveled. While doing 3 horses at a farm in Connecticut , one of the owners called her sister and then put me on the phone with her. The lady was very distraught about having to put down her horse, a 6 year-old quarter horse. The horse had taken a bad fall two years prior and injured a knee. He was lame for months and the knee got infected. There was a reaction to something and the horse started losing weight. The lameness moved from corner to corner as time progressed, always seeming to get worse. She wanted to sue the vet who originally worked on the knee, but could not afford to. She had to sell things to pay the vet bills and now the horse was 300 pounds underweight, and not eating, drinking much or even moving around. Everyone said it had to be done to save the horse further suffering. When I arrived, the horse was standing in a stall, with the door open out to a paddock. When the owner tried to turn him so I could get to both sides, he almost fell twice. He had so many points, I was doubtful anything could help. As I finished treating the first side of the horse, he turned, slowly and began to munch on his hay. By the time I finished, he had eaten 2 flakes of hay, drank half a bucket of water, and urinated once. He was definitely more alert. As the owner, the sister and I talked, the horse turned and walked outside to continue eating the hay on the ground. He even put his ears back at the other horses eating there and took their place. All three of us broke down in tears as the owner told me that was the most he had moved or eaten in weeks. In fact it was the first time in weeks he came out of his stall. Less than a month later I got a beautiful thank you card saying the horse was trotting around and gaining weight like a champ! Four months later, horse and owner were riding the trails again. I had treated that horse only once! This was not an expensive horse, just a horse living in a small run-down barn on the wrong side of the tracks. But to his owner, he was everything. Since then I never say never when told how bad off a horse is.

The stories you have just read are only the tip of the iceberg, as they say, when it comes to STS-2. For over 10 years I used this technology with BioScan before launching STS-2. We have worked on over 5,000 horses as well as many other animals and a lot of happy people. Numerous horses that were about to be put down have been saved by our use of this technology. Many performance horses that were doing poorly, were given new levels of performance, often with only one treatment. Many older horses were given new energy and flexibility. And of the thousands and thousands of cases where this technology was used, I have not heard of so much as ONE animal being harmed by it's use! I think that point is also a significant consideration. My WORST results in using the STS-2, has been to produce no change. A slight waste of my time, but no harm done. And a rare occurrence at that.

Having had the privilege of working with a lot of top veterinarians, I have been able to learn from many of them, and that has given me greater insights into the workings of these incredible creatures we all love so much. It has not, however made me a veterinarian. Nor will having an STS-2 make you a vet, either. All too often I hear about the conflict between the Veterinary community and the Alternative Care people. I find this absurd, since both groups are supposed to be most interested in the well being of the horses! Vets have a life of long hours, and hundreds of difficult decisions every day. A few develop lucrative practices, but most vets work long and hard to earn a decent living, just like you and I. And I say that, not to patronize the vets, but to recognize their work. It is true that a few vets should be in some other line of work, but every profession has its bad eggs. I also mention this so as to encourage anyone with an STS-2 to not hesitate to refer a client to a vet for further evaluation. I have seen many vets revise a diagnosis and treatment after seeing the results of my work using this incredible tool. In the Hippocratic Oath there is a phrase that says, “Above all, do no harm.” Vets must live by that and I feel we should too. Although I can again say that I know of NOT ONE situation where a horse has been harmed by an STS-2, there ARE situations where additional care by a good vet could help the horse even more. If you truly care about the horse, then ego should not be a driving force at any time. The well being of the horse should always be paramount! If I have even the slightest thought that a horse could be helped further by a vet, I have NO HESITATION in suggesting that to the owner. There are so many places where vets and STS-2 technicians are working together, and the results are incredible. Many of the stories you read above, are where the vet referred the technician to the client. It should work both ways! You will NEVER go wrong by suggesting to the client to have his vet get involved. We haven't.

~Dan and Jocelyn