Jumanah

When we purchased Jumanah in 2000, she had shoes on all 4 feet. Our facility employed a farrier, and he was trimming and shoeing her every 6 weeks. To be honest, I never paid much attention.

In 2001 Jumanah sustained a back injury which rendered her lame for nearly a year. The vets tried everything, but she just would not come sound. After about 3 months of trying with no results, one of the vets suggested I call an equine masseuse.

Enter Deb Gibson, who worked and worked on Jumanah for many months, and except for a nagging periodic shoulder problem – which she’d had most of her life, Jumanah finally came sound.

Little did Deb and I know at the time, but we were only curing the "symptom", not the "disease".

Jumanah had always been a nice-moving horse, and a willing jumper, but it seemed that she just couldn't get that extra stretch that would allow her more fluid lateral and collected movements; especially in canter. Meanwhile, the shoeing continued.

In November of 2003 Jumanah developed an eye infection in her left eye, which, after a long arduous ordeal, required the removal of her left eye in February 2004. The following summer, the most wonderful thing happened. . .Horses in our barn started going lame.

The summers here in Saudi Arabia - as you can imagine - are quite brutal, and many people leave for the US or Europe in the summer time. The barn is very quiet during the summers and it was during that time that a lucky few of us were introduced to Natural Hoof Care via Kevin Gibson.

I was hesitant at first. Every summer I tried removing Jumanah's shoes she always went lame, and I ended up putting the shoes back on. But, seeing the writing on the wall, I decided to give it a shot.

Sure enough after about a week, she went lame.

Week one-week two-week three; Jumanah was still lame. To be honest, I began to have my doubts. My daughter, Allison, would be leaving Saudi Arabia next year to go to school in the United States. This would be her last show season in Saudi on her beloved horse. What had I done?

Week four-week five; still lame; Kevin reassured me. She's was feeling nerve endings she hadn't felt in a while. She would be fine. One of the instructors told me on more than one occasion that I would need to put her shoes back on if I wanted her to be sound. I began reading Jamie and Pete's books. It all made so much sense, and seemed not just the right, but the ONLY way to keep a horse's feet. I decided that I would stick it out.

Week six; still lame. Then, as if over night, Jumanah was sound. Over the next few weeks and months she began to move more freely and willingly. Her gait had a spring in it that she'd long since lost. Her lateral movements were more rhythmic and fluid. A nice hand gallop on the cross country course did not stiffen her shoulder the next day. Ally began new movements on her she'd never tried before; successfully. A dressage judge and friend who hadn't seen Jumanah in several months called her nagging shoulder - or lack thereof - "unbelievable".

It seemed that all the worry, questioning and self-doubt of just a few months prior had melted away and what was left was a strong, powerful, happy horse.

Finally, in her last show in Saudi Arabia, Ally and Jumanah captured dual championships in Novice Eventing and Open Showjumping.

Not bad for a half-blind, barefoot horse.

Jumanah’s story (as told by Linda Hemler, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia)

From the very beginning it seemed that Jumanah had led somewhat of a colorful life. Born during the Persian Gulf War she was separated or orphaned from her mother during the chaos that ensued. She wandered the desert and was kept alive by the generosity of some Bedouin tribesmen who fed her dates, and water.

She somehow ended up in the island country of Bahrain where it was discovered she was a talented jumper. She returned to Saudi Arabia a few years later; put on the back of a truck with several other horses - almost as an afterthought. Severely neglected, she looked like a rescue horse.