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Lucifer aka "Luc"
Foaled approx. 1979
15
hand Pure White
Quarter/Arab Gelding
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February 25
This is a pure white QH/Arab cross gelding, approximately 25 years of
age, skin and bones but full of cussedness. His former name was "Sage" but he doesn’t answer to
that name, either ignoring it or walking away. I’d already named him Lucifer - for the beautiful
angel who was really a devil at heart, so Luc it is. Between his debilitated condition and his age,
I may not be able to help this guy a lot but I will try. Could be his grumpiness has to
do
with pain - so I’ll try a few things to get him willing to lift his
back feet, and be groomed and worked with from behind, and if I can get him less reactive, I’ll ask
Laurie Henkel to see him.
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He’s sweet to handle at the front end, with funny lip-flapping while
thinking, and bright eyes and inquisitive ears. He fought being loaded despite the food he could
see inside the trailer - standing outside the trailer, neck stretched out about 8 feet trying to
reach it; then standing with his front legs in the trailer, but his hind legs still on the ground,
while he ate. That turned out to be too uncomfortable, and I really think the only reason he got in
the trailer was to get to that food. He cow-kicked me in the thigh when I stumbled and tried to
brace myself on his hip, and bucked madly when the butt-strap was applied to encourage him in. This
one might turn out to never be useful - but still, take a look at his picture. Could YOU walk away
from him? (Note: after writing the above, I went out to check on him and Jack, and bring them an
additional feed of grass. While there, I took a moment to brush them out - and this guy LOVED being
brushed, and showed no interest in kicking me while I worked on his back end. Go figure)
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 This picture is out of order on this page - but I think it shows he's better in some
ways, and worse in others. It's a couple of years later - and he has great flesh in general,
but look at that dang left leg. It amazes me that he gets around as well as he does - but
nothing my massage (which he DEMANDS every day), or Laurie's adjustments can do seems to help. I
guess the supporting outside ligament is just gone.... But look at that bright look - he is
entirely here still despite his disabilities and age (approx 30 in this pic). A tough
guy.... |
April 27
Luc (Lucifer) has been quite a rollercoaster ride for me. He has more
flesh and slowly is losing his winter coat (older horses and poor horses, both of which he is, lose
a winter coat slowly). I was able to have his front feet trimmed and he stood quietly, practically
falling asleep. Because my farrier had recently been injured on another job, I held off having his
rear (kicking!) feet trimmed, but was hopeful.
Each day, each meal, Luc would raise his head and call to me as soon as I came in
sight and if he was on the far end of his paddock
he would trot with
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with his tail flagged high to where I would feed him. As I cleaned his pen out, he
would stand next to me, watching my every move, and each day I would groom a little more of him.
About 2 weeks ago, he actually turned his butt to me and demanded that I do that end - and for 10
days after that, I groomed him head to toe with no threats from him. I also put a blanket on him,
for three days without a problem.
Then one night when I went to feed I found that Luc was limping hard on his left
foreleg. Nothing in his hoof, but a little swelling and heat in his knee. This next morning, when I
came down to feed and clean, I started by removing Jack’s blanket, and then headed for Luc. His
blanket was a little twisted up. Suddenly, Luc began bucking and squealing, and charging around the
pen, despite pain in his knee sufficient to make him run three legged. I got him stopped long
enough to unfasten the front of his blanket so he could run out of it, but he wouldn’t let me touch
him, without whirling to try to kick me. I tried to calm him for about five minutes, but when he
again attempted to kick me, and almost succeeded, I gave up and fed the boys, leaving them alone to
calm down.
A couple of years later, (September 2006) I'm sorry to report that his knee is not only no
better, but in fact, appears to be deformed, bent to the outside of his body. Whether this
was a reinjury (for which he was first sent to a rescue), or somehow he injured his knee badly
enough in the struggle with his blanket, I don't know. I've had Dr. Zadick and Laurie Henkel
both look at his knee, and the prognosis is - there's nothing to be done, and he'll get
worse. He scrambles around very well, and begs me each day to stretch his leg and massage it
from hoof to shoulder, but it looks very bad and of course, there is no way I would put any weight
on his back at all. Lucifer is the most obviously "disabled" horse at the Golden Carrot - but
otherwise healthy and bright.
Recently, he lost his lady Belle, and has been mourning her for a couple of weeks. He
tries to hang with and protect Charra, who doesn't discourage or encourage his efforts. I'm
hoping he chooses a new friend soon who will appreciate his protective friendly nature.
For several days after that Luc didn’t call for me, he wouldn’t let me touch him,
and wouldn’t approach his food until I left the area. Mike helped me to catch and hold him so I
could give him some medication, but the battle wasn’t worth the benefit. He then came up to me and
asked for forgiveness. He allowed me to pet him, and followed me all around the pens to supervise
my cleaning efforts. He was fine, and almost normal again, until my hand went down his left side
too low on his leg toward the knee. Then, he squealed, stamped his foot and moved away. It was a
threat, but not an attack. As of April 30, he now calls for me, demands petting and grooming head
to toe again, and seems almost as good as he was before the "incident". But he showed me that he
equates pain with attack - and his defensive behavior is dangerous. I will continue to work with
him on this - his knee would have been much better much faster with medication and massage - and he
needs to learn that sometimes, we need to hurt him to help him.
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 In this
picture and the one to th eleft, you can see his interest - mentally, Lucifer is all here in 2008.
But he's getting thinner, and his shoulders are deforming trying to compensate for that knee
- his time is coming to a close. I'm hoping for one more good summer for the boy.... |
A big Thank You to Cheryl Cuttineau for providing full sponsorship support
for Luc despite career reversals. Cheryl has been a faithful supporter for years
now.
Please contact Casey if you would be interested in sponsoring any of the un-sponsored horses
at The Golden Carrot.
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