The Fuel Stop aka "Nick"

Nick is our "gentle giant", 16.3 hands, 1400 pounds! He is the horse anyone can ride. The perfect beginner's horse. Lesson horse, trail horse, show horse, he does it all. Placed 1st after dressage at Pine Hill Horse trial and double clear in stadium.

Nick is by Dash for Cash, out of a TB granddaughter of Secretariat. He is a registered Appendix Quarter Horse.

Nick was started as an eventer! He was so talented at an early age that he was very actively shown! During the show season he coliced and  was then donated to Auburn University where students performed colic surgery.

The surgery itself was simple and short. However, he reacted to the anesthesia and did not wake up. For hours....... At the last moment before he was to be humanely euthanized he decided to STAND UP!

Nick then went through complication after complication. He developed laminitis (founder) (click for Nick's foot story and information about keeping horses barefoot!)  The incision dehisced (opened up). After the incision was healed and right before I was to take him home, he herniated through the body wall and had to have a second surgery. 

This surgery was a disaster and he came out with severe peritonitis (infection in the abdominal cavity) and another case of laminitis!! He had to have his abdomen flushed and drained for weeks. 

Colic is often fatal (especially surgical colic which Nick had). Laminitis can be fatal or permanently disabling. Peritonitis in horses is almost always fatal. Nick survived all these complications and is sound and ridden daily!

We believe Nick has 9 lives and we hope he quits using them up! He has been healthy since 1998. It was a long slow recovery, but now he runs & jumps, events, and goes on trail rides.

Shown above at Pine Hill March 1, 2009

Send mail to lauras@hiwaay.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: December 27, 2009