Champion Roping Horse Returns after Botulism Poisoning John, an 11-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding, and his owner/rider Doug Parker worked for years to qualify for the World Series of Team Roping in Las Vegas. Just before that became a reality in 2016, however, John was stricken with botulism, which had already killed one of his stablemates. Mr. Parker raced to the University of California Davis veterinary hospital to save John’s life. “After what happened to our other horses just two weeks earlier, we got him to Davis as fast as we could,” said Mr. Parker, recalling two other horses of his herd of 25 that were treated for botulism. One didn’t survive. Parker recalled John looked just as bad as that one, and he wasn’t optimistic. With three horses testing positive for botulism in such a short time, Mr. Parker immediately instituted strict biosecurity measures at his farm and an investigation determined a bad batch of grain was the culprit.
that he described as “an exceptional athlete…a high powered machine.” Parker worked with John for two years to get him to competition level. He was determined to save his gelding, and worked with the UC Davis equine specialists to do everything he could for a positive outcome. Mr. Parker took John home and placed him in their arena. The first day home, John couldn’t stand on his own, so Parker used a lift affixed to his tractor to get him up. John stayed up all day, but Parker found him down the next morning. When John heard Mr. Parker start the tractor, he got up on his own. “I think he thought, ‘Well if you’re going to hoist me up with the tractor again, I’ll just stand up on my own,’” Mr. Parker joked.
John remained hospitalized for 26 days. During that time, he was treated with botulism antitoxin plasma. He received other supportive care including IV fluid therapy, antiinflammatories and vitamin E. John was unable to stand without help, so faculty, staff and students John (right), ridden by owner Doug Parker, overcame botulism poisoning to qualify for the World Series of Team Roping. in the Large Animal Clinic It took John about three months (February 2017) instituted the Large Animal Lift to assist him to stand to gain his weight and strength back. Mr. Parker took whenever necessary. Once standing, he was disconhim to a roping competition in Arizona, but John just nected from the lift so he could move about freely didn’t have it in him yet. Realizing he needed a lot and lie down when he wanted. more rest, and unsure if he’d ever compete at a high Over the following weeks, John was assisted to level again, Mr. Parker took off John’s shoes and let stand as needed and became gradually stronger. On him out to pasture for four months. day 22 of his hospitalization, John stood unassisted In June 2017, Mr. Parker thought he would try for the first time. He continued to need minor assisJohn again. He took him to a competition, and he was tance via the lift until day 26, when he again stood back to his old self, winning the event. They qualified unassisted. At that time, his care team believed it was again for the 2017 World Series of Team Roping. reasonable to send John home to continue recuperat“I never realized what that horse meant to me uning in a larger space than the stalls in the hospital’s til I didn’t have him to ride and compete with anyIntensive Care Unit. more,” Mr. Parker said. “I’ve searched for many highMr. Parker said he searched for a long time to find end horses, but have never seen one as good as John. a horse with the potential to compete at the highest He’s a one-in-a-thousand horse.” MeV levels of roping. He finally found a horse in Arizona
Photo courtesy of Doug Parker
Long Ride
ModernEquineVet.com | Issue 11/2017
11