Transformation Tuesday!

Many thanks to US Chia customer Catherine W. for sharing her horse's astonishing transformation and their shared story. Here is Blue's story, as told by his human:

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"Blue" was given to me about 7 years ago. All I knew about him at the time was that he was an off-track Thoroughbred with a horrendous scar on his forehead and that he had allergies. He was grumpy – he practically snarled at me – and he let it be known that he really hated being touched. But one day after he cow-kicked me out of nowhere, I realized he must have more serious underlying issues.

I had my vet do a whole work-up. We consulted with the equine dentist, farrier, even brought in an equine masseuse (which didn't go well at all). I also started digging into his past a bit. I found out Blue's allergies were to grass, trees and weeds. He was scarred from surgery to remove an ethmoid hematoma. Whether from the allergies or nerve damage from the surgery, he also had seasonal photosensitivity, head shaking, and a Lymes titre through the roof. Although we didn't scope him, my vet thought he probably had ulcers, too. I realized I had my hands full.

So one-by-one I started attacking his problems. I tried allergy shots, but they didn't give relief, so Blue eats 24 Zyrtec a day now. He is never turned out without a UV blocking mask to help combat his photosensitivity. He receives medication for ulcers, and is tested for Lymes regularly. It took years before he started to put on some weight, although never really enough, and his coat always looked a little lack-luster.

That's when a friend told me about chia seeds. Blue has been on chia for a full year now, and not only does he look like a different horse, but he's lost that "bad boy" attitude and become a cuddle bunny.

The only problem that we have now is that my 20 year old horse acts like he's a kid again!