Spanish Riddle - Thoroughbred

https://thisishorseracing.com/news/just-a-name/

HIGHLIGHTS

• Foaled April 8, 1969 - Died May 1978 (9yo）

• The Incident: August 17, 1973 (at 4yo) - US

• The Incident: During training, the right fore hoof suffered fractures of the metatarsal bone and sesamoid bone, as well as ligament tears. Additionally, an infection developed in the coronal band.

• The Leading Surgeon: Dr. Edward Keefer

• The Outcome: A Success - The horse's leg required amputation, and it was fitted with a prosthetic limb and hoof. Spanish Riddle then lived on a stallion farm for another five years. In 1978, the horse died of heart failure at the age of nine.

ABOUT THE HORSE

Spanish Riddle was a sprinter. He won three times as a 2-year-old in 1971, and won 5 times in 20 starts in 1972. On 18 August 1972, he made himself a record-setter by running the Saratoga 6 furlongs in 1:08, the fastest time in history.

THE INCIDENT - 17 August 1973 (at 4 yo)

It’s happened when he was 4yo, during a workout on the sloppy main track at Saratoga Race Course. He blew all of his ligaments, fractured his sesamoids, the injury basically shattered his right front pastern. His racing career was then over.

The owner, the horseman and the groom, they all tried to save him as the horse was tough and able to graze. They firstly stabilized his leg with a soft cast, and shipped him to Belmont. The horse was one of the lucky ones not had been euthanized when it came to break down in 1973.

THE SAVING EFFORT – led by Dr. Edward Keefer

Though his leg was injured, he could pick his feet while he was lying down. He was mobile enough to get around. Later on, the veterinarians noticed some changes around the horse’s coronet band, his leg was infected. When antibiotics failed to knock it back, they summoned Dr. Keefer, a human surgeon who was passionate in horses, had saved a clubhorse with anal gland cancer.

Dr. Keefer consulted an expert in human prosthetics, learned welding from a blacksmith and fashioned a brace for the horse. Every day, Dr. Keefer and the groom Jordan removed the brace, cleaned the wound and re-attached the brace and put it back. It took an hour and a half to get it done.

One day, Jordan took Spanish Riddle outside to go for a brief walk, his leg deteriorated despite some positive step. Dr. Keefer had to make the difficult decision to amputate the horse’s coffin bone off below the pastern bone before gangrene set in. Then fashioned a more permanent brace. This apparatus supported his foot and ankle, extended up his foreleg to just below the knee. Spanish Riddle endured the four-hour procedure.

After 3 months of after care, and a follow-up procedure to remove a bone fragment that had dislodged and moved down to the end of the stump.

With all dedication from the team, Spanish Riddle had learned to live with his artificial leg and hoof by the new year in 1974.

THE OUTCOME

For the rehabilitation, Jordan accompanied the stallion to the Station in Hillsboro, he led the horse to the breeding shed for his first test breeding. He also taught the staff there how to deal with the horse, the brace and the special care.

Spanish Riddle stood five seasons, producing multiple graded stakes winner including Love Sign who won the Test and Alabama in 1980. And the horse was living with his prosthetic for 5 years, until his death caused by heart failure in 1978 at Virginia Stallion Station.

Source: This Is Horse Racing