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Almost Perfect - MFT with PSSM1

20K views 154 replies 14 participants last post by  MajorSealstheDeal 
#1 ·
I used to write a lot, for work, for myself, I really enjoyed it. Over the past few years I've pretty much stopped completely but my "new" horse has inspired me. Hopefully this journal will motivate me to keep writing in one form or another.

This horse in particular is quite special to me. He is a 9-year-old Missouri Fox Trotter gelding with a curly coat. My better half calls him a "mutton". I'm not sure if it's the French in him that makes it so funny, but the nickname has stuck. Our friends and family call this horse "Curly" but I call him Magnus.

I first saw him for sale online in December of 2019. The universe has a funny way of working out because I wasn't in a position to buy him even though I really, really wanted too. He is very striking, having been a stallion for 8 years of his life, he has those big jowls and very much a commanding presence. Anyways the ad was taken down after a couple weeks and I assumed he had sold.

The next time his ad popped up it was in January and I was ready, after having sold a couple mares and was looking for prospects. After meeting the woman who purchased him in December, it almost seemed like he had been put on "hold" for me until I was in a position to buy him.

Once Magnus was home, it only took a few days for another person to reach out to me over FB messenger. She had been involved with the rescue of Magnus and 8 other stallions from the breeder. They had been skin and bones with toes so long they were curling up on some. As it turns out, two other MFT mares that I had bought in the fall were from the same situation and had been just as neglected as Magnus. This whole thing had happened I believe in the spring of 2019. The mares had already put weight on when I bought them, and Magnus had been gelded for quite some time.

Unfortunately that wasn't the end of the revelations. This person told me there was a rumour that the sire of Magnus had PSSM. Now this was something new to me. Obviously as a long time lurker on this horse forum, I have come across posts about PSSM so I had a vague idea of what it was. Having dealt with Tennessee Walkers for pretty much my whole career, I have never come across even the mention of PSSM in the breed. After doing some research it does seem to have some prevalence in the MFT breed.

I'm sure it was the very next day I marched out to Magnus's paddock and took a hair sample to send to Animal Genetics. Two weeks later I had the results: n/p1. My heart sank.

Keep in mind at this point although I wanted to keep Magnus long term, the plan had always been to train him and resell him eventually. Now even this didn't seem really possible with the diagnosis, it really was bittersweet.

Despite the diagnosis Magnus always seemed very healthy. One thing he did during the start of his training was biting while being cinched up, but that has gone away overtime. My husband and I have tried to be very careful about his diet and exercise. We are very blessed to have a large amount of pasture so this has been a bit of a struggle in regards to his diet. Our other horses have so much room to roam in the summer while Magnus is cooped up in a dry lot.

I think another part of this whole story that is really important to understand is what was going on with me. Internally I was really struggling with enjoying to ride. I was really looking for a connection with my personal riding horses and wasn't getting it. The last time I truly felt connected to a horse was the very one who brought me to the horse forum to begin with ten years ago (my user name is his registered name). He was diagnosed by multiple vets with Wobblers. It was a brutal decline and it broke my heart. Boe was a horse that gave me the feels. One time, right before the end, I took him into the arena and let him loose to play. At this point he was kept in a small enclosure for his own safety. I let him loose and he stayed beside me so I started walking, and then jogging. He kept right up with me, even gave his head a playful toss and a little buck. That was all he could muster before the wobbly legs took over and we came to a stop. I'll never forget that moment. Even now it brings tears to my eyes. I rode him alone when I had no right to ride a green broke three year old out alone. He was absolutely terrified of cows. He would meet me at the gate everyday. He was gentle with my mom, who is terrified of horses.

One time I was riding him in a cutback saddle along a narrow river where a beaver was swimming. It slapped its tail right beside us and it spooked Boe so bad. I lost my seat almost landed on my feet, but ended up breaking one ankle. Boe came right back to me and stood like a statue for me to climb back on. It was a long ride back home and he was a saint. Man I loved that horse.

In August, someone came along who really, really wanted to buy Magnus who wasn't even advertised for sale. The money came at the right time, it was something we needed and couldn't say no to, even though both of us at this point were in love with Magnus. I'm sure you've already figured out that Magnus comes back. I don't really believe in coincidences, but something very similar to the events of when I originally purchased Magnus, occurred. This buyer was a placeholder.

After the sale of Magnus, I was pretty disillusioned about my other riding horse. I was looking for a connection, it had never seemed so important as it did now. If I didn't have it, then I might as well sell her to someone else who could enjoy her. I was resigned to solely riding the sales horses and not keep any for myself. This particular mare ended up selling really fast, and not long after her sale, the opportunity to buy Magnus back arrived. Blessed with the funds from the mare's sale, it was feasible to buy my boy back.

I have been riding him almost everyday since his return and it has been amazing. He is so chill, never spooks, rides alone, rides in a group, smooth as silk, I really could go on. He is like having Boe back, except Magnus isn't scared of cows.

I am hoping that we are able to manage the PSSM 1 and use Magnus as my go-to riding horse. He will be used to help train colts, move cows, competitive trail and mountain riding.

If any of you reading this have any comments or experiences or suggestions in regards to PSSM 1 horses, I would love to read them. I've done my own research so I can keep Magnus healthy but there is nothing like personal anecdotes.

Thank you for taking the time to read our intro!
 

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#2 ·
I have Fox Trotters too (well, one at the moment) and don't know a thing about PSSM1, I will need to look that up. But mainly I wanted to congratulate you on finding a wonderful horse that you can bond with and enjoy. That's just wonderful! My friend also has a curly Fox Trotter but he's a palomino and close to 30 years old now. He's a fabulous horse. Congrats on your boy! :smile:
 
#6 ·
You and that horse are just meant to be. Off and on, all my life, I've had horses and had a few with "Monday Morning Syndrome", which we now know is probably PSSM of some sort. I've had horses that were carriers of the PSSM1 gene and really, they have been easy to manage when you know what you're looking at. I feed a low NSC feed (Purina Enrich Plus & Ultium Competition formula) and the key to these horses is consistency in their work. You need to work them every single day, not necessarily to the point of dripping sweat but if you're going to lunge for 15 mins, do it every day. You can work up to a full work routine, just keep it consistent. If you see one tying up, go get the Banamine and give it to them. LOTS of water to flush their system. Keep work outs consistent and take your time when adding new things, like increasing time or difficulty of movements, always add things slowly.

I took this from the Animal Genetics site:

Management of Horses That Test Positive For PSSM1:

Horses that test positive for 1 or 2 copies of the GYS1 mutation should be carefully managed through diet and exercise to help prevent the onset of the disease. For many horses affected by PSSM1, strict control of diet and exercise can reduce, or even prevent the onset of symptoms related to PSSM1. Eliminating many high sugary foods in their diet and consistent exercise are two simple ways to help prevent the disease from developing. Although taking these simple steps may not be effective in every situation, research has shown that often they will provide positive results. It is always important to let your veterinarian know if an animal has tested positive for PSSM1.
 
#8 ·
Thank you for the wonderful advice!! So far he does not seem to present many clinical signs. If I were to pick at him, I've seen him do the "bunny hop" at the canter once in a while when he's playing around. But under saddle he canters so easily and doesn't tend to bunny hop with his back legs that I can feel. In the summer I put him in a dry lot with hay and in the winter he goes out to pasture when the grass is dry and finished growing. His personality stays the same, he doesn't tie up nor does he get muscle twitching. His muscles are always soft and loose when I check. I try not to "hover" and look for things, but just to be educated and aware so I can help him. He never tends to get fat, even when his head is buried in a bale.

I found some wonderful webinars here about PSSM1 that are very up to date: Home
 
#9 ·
So cool to see the other MFT lovers popping in! There is something very special about the breed.

I've never been one to trick train, unless you count teaching the walkers to park out and I did manage to teach one horse to say 'yes'.
Anyways I've always wanted to be able to ask my horse to lay down and Magnus is way taller than I'm used to, so I am now two days into teaching him (and myself). Does anyone follow Sam Van Fleet on youtube with her mustangs? She has a wonderful video tutorial and she made the steps super easy so even I can stick to them. I am filming our progress so I will definitely share that in the coming weeks. I have no idea how long it will take, but hopefully eventually I will be able to proudly post our achievement. LOL.

Pictures in order should be Magnus working in the arena a few days ago, you can see his winter curls are starting to come in.
The champagne MFT is the other one I have from the same breeder but entirely different bloodlines.
The picture of him dragging the sled was take at the beginning of September.
Magnus always makes funny faces. I have so many pictures of him smiling or smirking.
 

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#11 ·
I had a Paint mare I leased and she had Pssm type 1. She was thin and difficult to put weight on. Despite the proper diet (high fat, high protein, low sugar), she never felt very good under saddle and she finally tied up badly enough that I called her owner and had her picked up. The owner was not aware she was pssm and had planned to breed her (maybe even did breed her, I don't know).


She was a deadhead, non-spooky, very calm and had a lovely personality. However, I doubt she will ever be a normal healthy horse. Now she could have had a double copy of the pssm 1 gene. I don't know. But I would never want another horse with that disease. The day she tied up I had called the emergency vet because I thought she was going to drop dead- she was staggering around with her head to the ground and her abdomen tucked up. Her owner didn't want the vet up and said she would come get her.



My current paint is probably type 2 pssm, but I have not had a muscle biopsy done to confirm. :frown_color: I believe the difficulty in cantering is more common in type 2 pssm. She never could hold the canter without swapping leads. For many years I thought she was just lame behind, until she started having episodes of tying up. :shrug: It is not a fun disease- my mare has gone down on trail rides and usually takes 20-30 minutes to recover. For the most part it is manageable. I find high heat and humidity is a huge trigger for her. If it is hot outside, she gets 20 minutes of walking and is done for the day.



I also suspect she has more than one issue (pssm type 2 and arthritis) or maybe kissing spines even though her back is never sore. Or perhaps the muscle stiffness is making her look lame, I really don't know. After spending a fortune on vets trying to chase down the issue, I finally bought myself a sound and healthy foxtrotter.



There are many different muscle diseases (RER, Pssm type 2 and MFM) and they all have a large variability in presentation. Some horses do okay despite the disease, others are non-functional. Just be aware your horse may be okay for years, until he isn't. My mare with type 2 pssm, never really had an issue until we started getting insane heat waves in the summer- I also cannot discount the possibility that the disease gets worse as they age. It is possible the damage is cumulative.



While my mare isn't the definition of sound, she isn't really painful and is more than happy to go out and explore. Unless she has an episode (which is about 1-2x yearly).



A heartbreaking video on type 2 pssm. I don't believe most horses become neurological with the disease like this one did. My mare just can't hold the canter- even as a 2 year old.






And here is my mare at the canter- as you can see she switches leads behind, then I correct her and she tries to get the correct lead, but loses it again. If I could only get her sound she would be phenomenal at flying changes because she really does try to get the correct lead when I ask. Unless she ties up that is the extent of the problem, but when she does tie-up she can't walk, move, and sometimes goes down (which is very terrifying for the rider). She always warns me when she feels bad and it is a matter of recognizing the symptoms before she gets worse. I like to ride bareback because you can feel the muscles start getting tight, long before there is any issue. She loses speed and slows way down and that is another warning sign something is wrong.



A consistent exercise program really helps- but how many people can ride 2-3 hours a day? She really needs hours of exercise to feel better, every single day.



 
#12 ·
I had a MFT mare that switched leads like that at the canter. I though it was just because she was a gaited horse and had trouble because she could also be a bit pacey at times.......and people always tell you gaited horses have trouble cantering if they are laterally gaited. So........gee, I wonder how many gaited horse cantering issues are actually PSSM? Scary thought, I had no idea. My older mare in question never tied up that I ever noticed, but it does make you wonder.

I even had a name for the gait.......her canter-pace, because it was like she was swapping her back legs into a pace even though she was cantering. I thought it was her switching in and out of gaits. And maybe it was.....or maybe not. It felt a lot like Harmony's gait looks.
 
#15 ·
@4horses, that video was very hard hitting, more so than many of the videos I have seen. When Karlo starting displaying Ataxia, it really reminded me of my gelding Boe when his Wobblers progressed. PSSM is a brutal disease and I sincerely echo this young woman's plea to breeders, get your horses tested. How many did Magnus's breeder breed with this disease and how many people don't even know their horse is a carrier? I wouldn't even have known if this third party hadn't reached out to me.
@trailhorserider, yes some horses are very pacey and cannot pick up or hold the canter, BUT knowing PSSM is in the MFT breed, that is something I would test to find out. Especially when you consider the very nature of a Fox Trot gait. It is the only diagonal easy gait (a trot in the back and a walk in the front, to but it very simply), therefore it should be easier for them to canter then a horse with a very lateral gait like a pacing standardbred. Now there are always extremes to the breed, I'm sure there are pacey MFT out there who can't pick up a canter, and there are square ones who can't pace or hold an easy gait. It's the same with Walking Horses, RMH/KMH, etc but that's besides the point.

I am very aware that PSSM is progressive and I am very lucky that my horse doesn't display classic clinical symptoms. I am aware that he may eventually, but I am going to enjoy every day I have with him until I can't anymore.

It was unseasonably warm here today so I spent as much time riding as I could. A friend trailered over and all of us spent a few hours riding in the pastures. The dogs had a blast and even went for a November swim in the dugouts. My friend's mare had a bit of a melt down when my dogs were running through dry reeds. They were near invisible but made a very strange, dry, crackling sound. My husband was riding a green TWH gelding, it was only his third trail ride and here he was coaching my friend through her mare's meltdown. Magnus is so level headed he isn't phased by much. Once her mare emptied her cup as Warwick Schiller would say, the rest of the ride was pretty relaxed.

I snuck ahead a few times to enjoy Magnus's gait. He does a classic head shaking, teeth clacking flat walk and power walk. After that he likes to into a rack or saddle gait, depending on what you want to call it. It's super smooth, there is no hip action back and forth like a big moving TWH, nor is there the one-two-one-two in the hips from the fox trot (that's the best way I can think to describe it). My husband's young gelding has a real swinging gait but can't hold the flat walk for long yet before breaking into a pace. I see lots of hills in his future!

All the horses were pretty sweaty by the time we got home from the warm weather and their thicker coats. I was really hoping this would be my secret weapon to encourage Magnus to lay down on cue, but no such luck. He responded to all of my cues appropriately but we have yet to connect the dots.
 

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#16 ·
We woke up to snow today! First real load of the white stuff in our area this year. It's been so nice the past couple weeks I was really hoping it would stay that way. Still, it wasn’t really cold at all so my husband, myself and his daughter got dressed and caught our horses for a morning ride. Everything started out alright, but Magnus was really sliding with his back feet if we were in short grass. Most of the pastures are covered with thick, long grass unless we were on the lease road.

Actually as soon as I led him out of the barn his back feet slid on the wet cement near the entrance. I was looking ahead to get the next gate but I heard the sliding and then I saw Magnus bounding into the air and out of the barn. He had all four feet off the ground at one point. Husband was behind us and he said Magnus’s back feet slid and it must have scared him, hence the bounding leap out of the barn.

This happened again when we tried to venture onto the lease road and it was like he had skis on his back feet. They slid forward, he spooked, then his front slid, it was like the snowball effect! We somehow managed to get back into the thick grass and get ourselves together. I stayed in the thick grass after that and he didn’t slip anymore. However we kept getting blocked along our favourite routes because the snow was covering standing water/ice. There was a lot of stopping and backing up, or turning and disengaging in tight spots. He was getting cranky with the contact and direction; I was tense worrying about him slipping. So not fun anymore.

It has also been a struggle finding a bit that works with him. I’ve spent a lot of time doing softening exercises with a low port Myler snaffle in the summer and we were making progress, but since he’s been back I’ve been dabbling with different bits and all on the trail. Today I put him back in the Myler and he was clearly not happy. He would gape his mouth, lean on the bit, just generally the opposite of soft and supple. He had his teeth done in March. I’m going to try a hackamore next time.

I felt a little defeated when we got home because a lot of what he does can be equated to normal horse things, but then people say horses with PSSM do those things too (like not accepting contact). It is frustrating not knowing when or if he is struggling with normal horse things or his disease. I don't want to school him when in it isn't a training issue, but I don't want to say "Oh it's his pssm" every time either and end up with a monster on my hands.

I've done a lot of digging into Magnus's pedigree since I was told he went back to Curly Jim. This name doesn't actually show on his papers, but if you follow his bloodline on All Breed Pedigree, you can find Curly Jim on his lineage. On his papers there are two spots with the title "saddle horse". I was able to find on All Breed Pedigree that one of those horses is Curly Jim. He was one of two horses of unknown ancestry brought from Tennessee to Missouri. Both stallions were gaited and curly with conformation similar to a MFT. One of the horses died, but Curly Jim survived and was bred like crazy to the local MFT. Magnus's line is a bit different because it does not include Walker's Prince T., who was a grandson of Curly Jim and used extensively to breed gaited curly horses.

On another exciting note, I put a deposit down on a five month old TWH colt from Montana. He's a chestnut sabino with old time bloodlines, which is quite different from my other walkers. Very excited for this little guy!
 

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#17 ·
Not too much to update on lately. I've been really busy with work so Magnus has gotten some time off in the pasture. The best part about doing chores is him greeting me at the fence every time. He has a very deep nicker, I just love it. It sounds like it rumbles deep from his belly, especially when I'm reaching for the pitchfork.

My little colt from Montana arrived on Tuesday afternoon. I think the little guy was bone weary from travelling so much. His trip took quite a bit longer then expected and he had to lay over at a barn in Montana for four days. The shipper warned us that he was quite head shy and hard to catch, but once you had him he was good.

I led him to his new pen and then when I reached up to take his halter off, he spooked big time. I wasn't ready for it and he took off with the lead rope dragging. You think he wanted me to catch him after that? Yeah right. Probably felt pretty good to stretch his legs too. Eventually I was able to walk up to him and ask him to look at me by rubbing my coat or my mitts together. Every time he faced me I would back up a step or two. This really worked as he started to step toward me. With some patience I was able to get my hands on the dragging lead rope without any more dramatics. This time I gradually worked my way up to the halter and was able to undo it and take the halter off without him spooking.

I picked up some foal feed for him in town today. I am not above bribing him to like me. He ate the handful I gave him from the bowl in my arms. I was able to stroke his face and down his neck without holding onto him. His bloodlines are known to be very calm and easy to train. I'm pretty confident that a lot of this spooky and reactive behaviour is from the trauma of being taken away from the only home he's known.

His name is Boss and for good reason. I had him in with a very gentle five year old gelding but it seemed as if the gelding ballooned overnight from the extra feed we put in their pen for the colt. Obviously this free feeding thing in a smaller enclosure isn't a good idea for Nashville. Husband and I decided to swap out the gelding for a yearling colt who could stand to be on free feed with Boss. The yearling tried to push Boss but there was no way the little guy was going to let that happen. He stood up for himself and put knocked poor Ash down a peg or two. It will be interesting to see if Boss can keep up that dynamic. I hope to see more of that side of him in the years ahead. I want a confident, bold trail horse!

Horse Mammal Halter Snow Winter
 
#18 ·
Eventually I was able to walk up to him and ask him to look at me by rubbing my coat or my mitts together. Every time he faced me I would back up a step or two. This really worked as he started to step toward me. With some patience I was able to get my hands on the dragging lead rope without any more dramatics.

This is such a smart and terrific way to teach a reluctant horse to be caught! I wish everyone would read your journal!
 
#19 ·
Eventually I was able to walk up to him and ask him to look at me by rubbing my coat or my mitts together. Every time he faced me I would back up a step or two. This really worked as he started to step toward me. With some patience I was able to get my hands on the dragging lead rope without any more dramatics.

This is such a smart and terrific way to teach a reluctant horse to be caught! I wish everyone would read your journal!
Thank you! 😊
 
#20 ·
The weather was amazing today and I think we took full advantage of it! Husband and I used a couple of green horses to bring our main herd in from their gigantic pasture. It was actually really fun and a good experience for the horses we were on. What a tough sell to ask these youngsters to push some of our older, very established herd members. The babies in the herd thought it was really fun to see horses coming across the field to them. Everyone kept their cool when the herd doubled back on us and took off bucking and running. Husband really pushed his mount out of his shell to get ahead and turn the herd back around. By the time we got the horses through the pasture, into our yard and ultimately into the corral, everyone looked like they did this everyday.

Boss has been getting much friendlier with me. I go in a couple times during the day to visit him, one of those times I bring some foal feed with me. I hold the pan while he eats. I no longer have to get his attention to face up with me. He didn't balk at my hand once today and I was even able to stroke down his neck, to his shoulder and back. I'm not trying to halter him yet, I want him to stand still on his own while I rub and scratch him.

The best part of the day was going out on a long trail ride with Magnus. The snow is light and fluffy so the horses seem to float through it. We saw a bunch of deer and tire tracks from the Hollywood hunters. Our dogs were all sporting blazing orange vests, just in case. What else can I say, the ride was great. Magnus was hitting his smooth gaits and his teeth were clacking with his rhythm. We were on loose rein the whole time and he was super responsive to riding off my leg and seat. After we got back I once again asked him to lay down, hoping a good roll would feel great after his workout. He popped his back legs like he was going to go for it and he kept his nose to the ground all on his own so I was pretty pleased with that. There is no time limit to get this, he has all the cues, we just haven't put the whole "why" of it together yet. Maybe by the spring I can spray some water on his back to encourage him to really go all the way and lay down for me.

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#21 ·
I wish our whole winter could be this way! The wind has been non-existent with temps above 0 Celsius. We've been riding for several hours everyday. Magnus went on two big rides this week and he was his fabulous self on each ride. He doesn't care if he's in front or in the back or in the middle. I can take him away, the group can leave, it really doesn't matter to him. We even found a "new" loop to ride through which has been fun. With hunting season having just ended, there are endless tire tracks and we like to follow those. The tracks tend to take us on a scenic route through all the pastures. The tracks have good footing and are less work for the horses so we can hit the faster, smooth gaits that our horses are bred for. My friend trailered over on Friday with her big Friesian gelding. He had to work pretty hard to keep up to our horses even at a dog walk, but he was up to the challenge. Her horse sure made Magnus feel small though!

Boss is an entirely different colt then the one who arrived. Just goes to show how much time it takes for a horse to settle in to a new environment. Boss is no longer jumpy or shy. He greets me at the gate everyday to get haltered and led to the barn for his goodies. My husband is now able to catch him and so is his daughter. We practiced blanketing him now while it is warm, no one wants to train when -30 C is looming. I am very pleased with his ability to learn and retain, as well as his curious nature. Love that!

Both of us are riding like we will be able to compete in competitive trail next year. All the races this year were cancelled. If we don't get to compete next year, at least our horses will be in amazing shape for our annual 14 day pack trip deep into the mountains.
 
#22 ·
Cold weather and lock down restrictions have me feeling nostalgic. One of the things I wanted to accomplish by having a journal was to write more. This post will not be about Magnus or Boss, but about a horse who deserves some sort of eulogy.

Saga was my mare's first born, and you could say he was mine as well. It was a very exciting time, I was much younger and had no real concept that anything could go wrong during a mare's pregnancy. I sure understand that a lot better now, unfortunately. We were a group of three friends and all of us had mares bred to the same stallion with due dates staggered throughout the spring of 2013. D, one of my friends, owned the property and arena where we all kept our horses. She put up a round pen in the indoor arena and filled it full of straw. My other friend K pulled in her RV next to the round pen. Each of us would call this home during our respective mare's pregnancy.

At the time I worked twenty minutes away in an office. When D told me it was time to start my nightly vigil with Bloom, I moved into the RV for two weeks. I woke up every fifteen minutes to check on my mare. I got ready for work in a freezing cold bathroom with no running water. Bloom was very disgruntled about being kept alone in the arena. She has never been big on stalls or being inside, so she held onto her baby until one morning after I left for work. D turned her out into a grass paddock while she cleaned the round pen. By the time she came out of the arena to collect Bloom, a little red colt was already trying to get to his feet.

I named him Saga and he was perfect right from the start. He did not get as much attention as K's foal who had a big back end and looked like he would have lots of talent. Back then we were really big into showing where its all about the biggest over stride, the biggest head shake and a snappy front end. Although the three of us were friends, there was certainly tension when it came to competing against one another.

Saga grew up well, he was always healthy and sound. He was quite different from his dam who has always been more fiery and aloof. Saga was friendly, curious and quiet.

Eventually I moved away from K and D. I took Bloom with me and kept boarding Saga with K (who now had a property of her own to keep her horses at). When he was two years old, I had an opportunity to take him with me. I was working for another barn who was quite competitive. I was riding some of their green horses and showing them. They offered to board Saga there and add him to the roster of horses. I jumped on the chance to start him under their program. I showed him under saddle that fall and the only horse I couldn't beat was one that my trainer was riding, so I was very okay with that. Saga got tons of compliments and I was really happy with him. He took everything in stride and was so level headed for such a young horse.

Nowadays I don't even bother to saddle train my two year olds let alone take them to a riding class. The older I've gotten, the more I see the two year olds as babies. Anyways, my trainer really didn't like Saga despite his success. He was too trotty and he didn't have the big movement they liked to see in their flat shod horses. (We do not have bick lick/performance classes, most of our horses show barefoot). This trainer did like to grow insanely long toes though and use as heavy of shoes as they could legally get away with. Ultimately I moved Saga because of this, I was very worried about his feet. I took him to the barn where I kept Bloom and had her farrier fix his feet. He said Saga was very close to going lame at the time.

My life changed a lot during Saga's third and fourth years. I quit my nine to five and moved out into the country with the love of my life. I started training horses full time. This really affected my relationship with the trainers I used to work for and with my good friend K. We really drifted apart during this time. Our ideals and morals were obviously quite different and it was hard to see eye to eye. I only mention this because it really affected the way I looked at my horses. Clearly I was struggling with where my place was in the world of gaited horses and with my own business. I wasn't a barrel racer or a jumper, I didn't own quarter horses or stock horses, so what exactly was my niche? I was surrounded by walking horse people who wanted performance horse lines and big over strides. They trained their horses for show and did tons of arena work. My husband and I just didn't fit that mold at all. We were getting into big multi-day, multi-week pack trips and long distance events. Our rides were less about the length of over stride and more about comfort of gait and endurance.

During this time I was really struggling with where Saga fit in. He didn't have the fast gaits like his dam and he didn't hold up to what my friends had. Eventually I ended up trading him for another horse that a client brought in for training. It was a decision I regretted for years. The mare was great, but nowhere near the quality and demeanor that Saga was. It was a poor decision made while trying to keep up with the Joneses. Trying to fill a hole that couldn't be filled.

Saga was well taken care of at his new home and I got lots of pictures and updates. But a lot of my friends who were not in the show scene were very surprised that I had traded him for another horse. This did not help my feelings toward the trade, and it made me quite resentful of the mare.

During the time that I traded Saga, Bloom was due to have her second foal. This foal was eagerly anticipated. I had shown and trained the sire for his owners and we had won almost every class we entered. We installed foaling cameras, created a big box stall for Bloom, everything you are supposed to do. It all amounted to heartbreak when the foal wouldn't wake up. The negative feelings toward trading Saga and now losing his sibling was almost too much to bear. I don't have children of my own, this was a choice I made early in life and do not regret. But these animals are my children.

Life goes on though. I kept riding the mare and missing Saga. I focused on building my business and finding where I fit into the whole horse community as I drifted even further away from my roots. The next year, 2019, Bloom gave birth to a beautiful black filly.

This spring I wrote down a list of goals. One of them was to bring Saga home. A little while later, my husband got a call from Saga's owner. I thought this is it, she wants us to take him home.

It was not though, because Saga was gone. He had slipped on some ice in the pasture and broke his shoulder. There was nothing to be done for him. I won't go into the whole story, it was tragic and she told it to me herself. We cried and cried together. Saga wasn't coming home.

Saga was so much like Boe, the gelding I mentioned in my very first post. Somehow I had gotten wrapped up in having hot, fast mares and lost touch with the comfort of having a steady Eddie around. It's even more important these days because after riding greenies and youngsters all day, when I go out for a 'fun' ride, I don't want to train anymore.

Maybe a trainer shouldn't say things like this, but it's the truth. Horses have become my job and I had to find an outlet where they aren't work anymore, just pure love and joy of the animal and the sport. When Magnus came into my life, I saw so many parts of him that reminded me of the parts of Boe and Saga that I loved most.

Saga would have been seven this year. He was with me until his fifth year. During our time together he got to go on a couple mountain trips. My husbands daughter showed him in hand and under saddle. He was the youngest horse being shown by a youth. My non-horsey brother could ride him. He packed my husbands youngest kid around the trails. He loved to chase the flag, so much so I couldn't help but wonder if his dad was actually some Quarter Horse who passed by in the night. I chased a runaway long horn steer with him. We used him to pull the sled and to ski-jor with. I still miss him and I still feel very guilty about trading him. It's something I think about almost everyday.

1106171
Grass Brown Horse Plant community Working animal
Human Bridle Horse supplies Halter Mountainous landforms
 
#25 ·
This means a lot to me, thank you.

@MajorSealstheDeal, that is such a sad story. My heart goes out to you. I'll bet everyone who has had horses all their lives has a "one that got away" story.

I will tell mine. My neighbors got horses without knowing much about them or how to ride. I rode with them regularly and helped them as much as they wanted. They had a friend who supposedly led his pony walking from Florida to Maryland (I found this hard to believe, but that's what he said). When he got to Maryland, he gave the pony to my neighbors.

The pony's name was Pawnie Pony and he was waaay too hot for them or the original owner to ever ride. He was probably about 12 hands. Pawnie clicked perfectly with me. He suited me in every way, except that I am tall and he was 12 hands. He was an extremely sturdy pony, and knowing what I know now, I could have ridden him anywhere. I rode Pawnie for about 4 months, and I truly did enjoy everything about him. He was super hot and super fun, the way smart hot ponies can be--level headed, loved to go, ready to listen. The owner offered him to me several times, and I really wanted him . . . but I thought he was too small for me. I was into showing hunter jumper at the time. Also, I didn't think I could afford a second horse. Ha ha--now I have 4 horses and somehow make it work.

I let the owner sell Pawnie to a man who said he was buying him for his son. I knew that wasn't going to work, and I knew the story was fishy, as the son wasn't even along. A week later, I asked to go visit Pawnie, and he was gone, sold for dog food, I am certain. It broke my heart. I wish to this day I had accepted that amazing pony. I would never have regretted it, I am sure.
Thank you for sharing your story, it makes me realize I am not alone. I think you're right about when you've had horses long enough, there is a tragic love story somewhere along the way.
 
#24 ·
@MajorSealstheDeal, that is such a sad story. My heart goes out to you. I'll bet everyone who has had horses all their lives has a "one that got away" story.

I will tell mine. My neighbors got horses without knowing much about them or how to ride. I rode with them regularly and helped them as much as they wanted. They had a friend who supposedly led his pony walking from Florida to Maryland (I found this hard to believe, but that's what he said). When he got to Maryland, he gave the pony to my neighbors.

The pony's name was Pawnie Pony and he was waaay too hot for them or the original owner to ever ride. He was probably about 12 hands. Pawnie clicked perfectly with me. He suited me in every way, except that I am tall and he was 12 hands. He was an extremely sturdy pony, and knowing what I know now, I could have ridden him anywhere. I rode Pawnie for about 4 months, and I truly did enjoy everything about him. He was super hot and super fun, the way smart hot ponies can be--level headed, loved to go, ready to listen. The owner offered him to me several times, and I really wanted him . . . but I thought he was too small for me. I was into showing hunter jumper at the time. Also, I didn't think I could afford a second horse. Ha ha--now I have 4 horses and somehow make it work.

I let the owner sell Pawnie to a man who said he was buying him for his son. I knew that wasn't going to work, and I knew the story was fishy, as the son wasn't even along. A week later, I asked to go visit Pawnie, and he was gone, sold for dog food, I am certain. It broke my heart. I wish to this day I had accepted that amazing pony. I would never have regretted it, I am sure.
 
#26 ·
I wanted to keep my update separate from the much appreciated responses to my last post. Thank you guys.

On a much happier note, I spent the afternoon on Magnus trying out our brand new custom made tack. I had two sets of mohair cinches, breast collars and one headstall commissioned a few months ago as a Christmas gift to myself and Husband. His horse has alopecia and I'm not sure if his tendency to rub is correlated to that or not, but Husband has had a tough time finding gear that doesn't rub him. I bought him a very expensive mohair cinch from the local tack store in the spring and it seemed to do the trick. That said, even during our two week pack trip his gelding did get a bad cinch burn which sidelined him for a few weeks. I did some more reading on forums and came to the conclusion that our biggest mistake was being lazy and not washing the cinch after every ride, especially since we dealt with some very muddy conditions in the back country this year. Anyways, my point is that's how I got interested in mohair tack. I also really wanted to support a local business so I found a young lady who has very good reviews and also lives in Alberta.

I am very happy to report that there were zero rubs on either horse after a two hour long ride with some good run walking and fox trotting. The gear fits them so good, with the exception of the throat latch on Magnus's bridle. Apparently the years of being a stallion have gifted him with chubby cheeks and a thick throat latch. I tied it into his braids to keep it from flopping around, I couldn't even do it up properly without cutting off his airway. I've already got a custom extension coming later this week. Husband is very good with knots so he's going to rig up the extension nicely for me.

We did have one very interesting wildlife encounter earlier this week while we were out working some of the greenies. Coyotes are everywhere around here and it is not uncommon to see them during a ride. The odd one will yip and bark at us but generally they stay away. This one that we saw looked very different from the regular coyotes, he was bigger with a white chest and very dark markings. He followed us for a ways and his voice was so strange. He barked like a coyote but it was so deep and then he would howl after every bark. To be honest it spooked me and the horses, who even for greenies are used to busting coyotes, deer, moose and we always ride with our three dogs. When husband first saw him he thought it was a wolf, I still remember watching him bound over a little rise and I thought he looked like one too, but his behaviour was more like a coyote. There's a rumour around here about a coywolf, so maybe that's what we saw? Farmers have seen wolves before but they are very elusive and rare for sure.

Boss is doing really well, our blanket prep really paid off. When it came to the real deal he was a champ. He had his first little rasp on his feet here the other day and he was a perfect angel. Having him in the barn during farrier day was great exposure. I had him loose in a box stall with some goodies, he could see all the activity and hear all the noises.

Brown Horse Landscape Sorrel Ecoregion
Brown Organism Horse Working animal Vertebrate
Horse Working animal Winter Ecoregion Black
 
#27 ·
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! It was definitely a different one here, usually my mom, brother and husband's older kids come spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us. Without all of our regular guests, we were able to go for a wonderful Christmas ride on our personal horses.

Since his daughter moved in with us, I "sold" her my 13 year old TWH mare. Instead of paying me in money she works off the dollar amount by helping with the horses and farm chores. She keeps track of her hours in a journal and one of us has to sign off on it. She has been riding Bloom on and off for almost six years now so she already has a strong bond with her. Bloom has always liked kids more than adults and she treats husband's daughter very well. I used to show Bloom back in the day, we've dabbled in endurance together and of course she is a pack trip veteran. Bloom HATES cows, but you put that mare on a flag and she will lock onto it like nobody's business. She will also hit the brakes so hard she slides when locked onto the flag. Her son Saga also had the same love of flagging and at the same time, had no problem chasing cattle even when they were as big or bigger than him.

We wanted a picture of the three of us on our horses so Husband propped his phone on the round pen gate. The longest timer on his phone was ten seconds. He was able to maneuver his gelding into position with four seconds to spare!

We all had a lot of fun on our horses. Bloom is super competitive so we had a lot of fun getting into the faster gaits and trying to pass her. Magnus doesn't really care but husband's horse is half brother to Bloom and really got into the fun. Of course Tiberius is also the youngest of the three and had the hardest time coming down after all the excitement. I think it is really important to help these younger horses learn how to go up and down, "empty their own cup" as Warwick Schiller would say. Magnus is four years older than Tiberius, who was started at the age of three. Magnus was started at the age of nine. What Magnus lacks in finesse at this point, he definitely makes up for in maturity.

Between the three of us we spotted four coyotes and our neighbours started target shooting. This is a big reason why all of our horses are gun broke. It always seems that when they start shooting, we are riding right past their field.

Winter Bridle Working animal Horse Horse supplies
Winter Working animal Horse Snow Pack animal
 
#29 ·
I never even thought of the debris they may/will pick up! Even in the mountains though it is very rare we are actually in overgrown trails, the odd time we have to bush whack down the mountainside off of our favourite ridge.

The snow right now is great for riding, it's not too deep and it's easy to keep the trails open. Hope it stays like this for awhile (until spring would be nice).

It hovered around -11C today so all of us stayed inside With above zero temperatures coming this weekend, it's hard to tough out the colder days when we don't have too. I wrote the following this afternoon in an attempt to get the writing juices flowing again. I don't really care who reads these things, or if anyone does. Of course I am very grateful to those who do! I've always loved to write, not necessarily about horses either. Even when I was in college I was terrified of being judged or having my teachers read my writing. This continued into my career after school working for a magazine. No matter how much I loved to write, I was so scared of what people would think. The simple fact that I keep coming back and updating this journal is a huge milestone for me. In the old days I would have been to scared to come back after the first post. Somedays I hover around the forum still for half an hour before I get the guts to click on my own journal.

Here is the story about Della:

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my mare Bloom lost what would have been her second foal in 2018. After the loss I did a lot of reading and research to find out what could have possibly gone wrong. I did not get a post-mortem on the foal, we buried it before that thought even crossed my mind. It was not a red bag, I easily broke the white bag with my bare fingers. I started to suspect placentitus or maybe even fescue toxicity.

I did not have any intentions of rebreeding Bloom after the loss of the foal. I blamed myself for not being properly prepared, for freezing, for not trying harder to wake the foal up. We did have a huge box stall set up for delivery and we had a baby monitor set up so I could watch her from our bedroom. I gave her all the appropriate shots, I monitored her bag and vulva for changes. On an eery note there was an extremely high foal loss in our club alone that year. Almost every person who had one or more pregnant mares lost at least one foal, and many like me, their only foal. We were all spread across Alberta.

About two months later, I started think baby thoughts again. I casually started looking at stallions, then casually sending out feelers. Then I casually called the vet and later that afternoon I was hauling Bloom down the road. The vet told me she was ready to be bred that night, and that she didn’t see any signs of her having had any kind of infection that could have caused the loss of our foal. The stallion I had chosen wasn’t too far from the vet so off we went.

Two weeks later Bloom was confirmed in foal. The vet once again reassured me that if Bloom had any kind of infection she would not have caught as easily as she did (one live cover). This was especially reassuring since placentitus tends to be recurring. I took Bloom back at 21 days for a re-check and again at the end of the summer. To be on the safe side, the vet gave Bloom a Caslick’s.

This time I was not fooling around. I bought Blessed are the Broodmares, Blessed are the Foals, and every book I could find on Amazon, some very technical and hard to read. I put together a foaling kit including a stethoscope, thermometer, towels, navel dip, just to name a few. I attended webinars online through The Horse and through our club. This time I decided to create a foaling pen instead of a foaling stall. My husband helped me clean up the pen and dump clean straw in the shelter.

Three months prior to her due date I pulled Bloom off pasture and hay. She went into her foaling pen and transitioned to soaked cubes with her daily supplements. I was not taking any chance of fescue in our hay or pastures.

Our friends came by to see our progress and all of them pointed out that Bloom would NOT make use of the beautiful foaling bed we had made her. I diligently kept the pen and the straw clean as she came close to term. Instead of staying in the house, I was sleeping right next to her in the camper. The video monitor was installed as was a big light so that I could see her in the dark.

The best thing I added to my kit was test strips for her milk. Also, our neighbour down the road is a retired vet so we made friends with him and he gladly agreed to late night phone calls if I needed any help.

The day of June 1st, 2019, Bloom’s legs were soaked with sticky milk. Wax was dripping from her udders and the test strips said IMMINENT. I hovered around her all day. In the evening, my husband put a movie on after supper. It was really boring, and it was a beautiful evening so I decided to take a walk over to visit Bloom. I saw her standing in front of the straw bed looking at it. Her tail was cocked to the side and a white balloon was protruding from her back end. It was a foot. I used my phone to call my husband and asked/ordered him to call our neighbour right away.

I was shaking, freaking out, terrified and so excited. My husband joined me outside her corral just out of Bloom’s view. She was now laying in the straw and her contractions were visible. The foal was almost out to the shoulders now. By this time, our neighbour had pulled up and was walking quietly over to us. The bag had not broken yet and I went right in there and broke the bag myself. I cleared the nostrils, there was no way I was going to let that baby suffocate. NV (neighbour vet) was urging me to leave her alone though and my husband looked like he was going to haul me out himself so I started to back away. A couple more pushes and the foal was out completely. She was moving too!

Bloom was resting flat on the ground now. The filly was throwing her front legs and hitting Bloom as she struggled to get her feet. I was a little worried about Bloom now. It seemed like forever that she just lay there while the filly tried to get her attention. Finally Bloom lifted her head and looked behind her. I swear as soon as she realized the filly was not only alive but looking at her, my mare came to life. She started nickering at her little newborn and licking her. It was game on from there.

NV said it was a textbook delivery. The filly was up and nursing too just as if she had read what to do prior to birth. I did not rest that night until I was sure she had passed the meconium. First thing in the morning I had our local vet come out and do a snap test to make sure she had gotten all the necessary antibodies and colostrum from her mother’s milk.

The filly’s registered name is Della The Druid because of the sickle shaped stripe on her forehead. She is 1.5 years old now. For the record, Bloom did use the beautiful bed of straw for foaling and nothing else.

On Della’s first birthday this year, Bloom was rebred for a 2021 foal. She caught first try once again. I am rereading all my books, going over my foaling kit, looking at options like having her foal out at the vets versus at home. The anxiety and the excitement is just as intense as it was last time. If all goes to plan, this will likely be Bloom’s last foal, at least for a few years, so she can go on lots of adventures with my stepdaughter.

For the record, that support post in the shelter you can see in the first image, of course that's where Della was trying to get up for the first time. I was so worried she was going to hit the post so I put my back to it and pivoted around it as Della tried to get her legs, that way if she fell or wobbled near it I could be the "buffer".

Vertebrate Mammal Terrestrial animal Snout Suidae
Brown Horse Vertebrate Landscape Pasture
Human People in nature Working animal Horse Liver
Brown Horse Terrestrial animal Snout Rural area
 
#30 ·
She is gorgeous. I cannot imagine the heart break of losing a foal. Although I have had horses my entire life I have only bred twice. Both from the same mare (and Impressive bred QH) her first foal we had to sell as I was pregnant when it was born. He went to a good home but I always felt guilty and years later tried to track him down - I fear that he came to no good end because the people I sold him too eventually divorced and Ben had never been broke to ride. He would have been near or over 16H and was a gorgeous palomino - they never transferred his papers out of my name. It breaks my heart to think about what happened to him. His half brother we kept until he passed away unexpectedly in 2016 - he was 12. The vet thought stroke as he literally had fallen over in his tracks. No sign of a struggle or paddling - and I just just fed them a couple of hours before- his feed was gone as well as a lot of his hay. My daughter now has a really nice TWH mare she purchased 18 months ago. One of the things we love the most about her is her curiosity - she is not a spooky horse in the least and would rather walk up and investigate than spook. Her gaits are very smooth and conformationally she is pretty good. My daughter would like to breed her in the next 2 years with hopes of getting a foal with the same curious spirit. The mare is 16H and my daughter is 5'10" so she has been looking for a taller stallion to breed to and that does shipped semen. There are not a lot of TWH studs in NW IL. The mare will stay here as my daughter is in the application process to Vet schools now. the idea is to breed Sawyer in her second year of Vet school - leaver her here with us until my daughter is out of school and more settled. By then the foal will be ready to break and Sawyer and the foal can move to wherever my daughter ends up. We will see!
 
#31 ·
Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry you lost him like that. Horses can be so strong and yet so fragile. It sounds like he didn't suffer though.

That's so exciting! With the miracle of AI you should pretty much have your pick of stallions in nearby states. I was looking into AI this spring and was surprised that my vet has an easier time getting cooled semen from the US then from across Canada. Depending on what type of walker you guys like, the Heritage bred walkers are supposed to have that same easy going temperament like your daughter's mare, more of a "born broke" demeanor.

Magnus is doing great. With all this warm weather we've been having, all the horses on our rotation have been getting some good saddle time. I'm always looking for ways to improve Magnus' life style and be more like a normal horse. I recently bought a Green Guard grazing muzzle for him. Last year I pulled him off of the pasture in the spring and kept him in a dry lot until this fall, when he was put back out in the big pasture with his herd mates. Ideally I would like to keep him in the pasture where he can move around much more instead of having his head stuffed in a bale.

This year I will try putting the muzzle on during the day where he can be out with his herd mates and then at night putting him in a dirt corral with hay or soaked cubes. I also bought Camelina oil for him and our other horse who will be doing competitive trail and long distance packing trips. One of my clients purchased it when I advised her that her MFT needed some more weight. She recently sent me photos of her mare and I was amazed at the difference. Not only had she put on weight, but her mane had grown long enough for me to actually notice. This mare is 7 years old so, not something that you'd think would pop out at a person after only a few months.

My husband doesn't usually buy into gimmicks or supplements, but to my surprise when I showed him the pictures and then showed him the product online, he was totally into it! The Camelina oil has Omega 3's and 6's, which are really good for PSSM horses, as well as natural vitamin E. It's also supposed to be really good for dogs and we have an old shepard who might be getting a drizzle with his dinner once it arrives.

I'm really excited for this upcoming riding season and of course, our annual two week pack trip. Every year I compile all the footage and make a video. I'd say 2020 was our least successful trip, two of our best horses were rubbed raw in strange places, our friend had to leave early due to bouts of vertigo, and our other friend kept losing shoes on her horses. Despite all of that, it was still the best place to be in the world and I can't wait for our 2021 trip.

Our 2020 trip:

 
#32 ·
Magnus moved pastures, right now we have two herds. One consists of sale horses, boarders and consignment horses and the other is what we call our keepers, so that herd does not see many changes. Magnus was introduced to the keepers a few days ago when the mare I sold in order to keep him finally left for her new home. The best part about that herd is in the winter they trek right through our yard to get to the waterer. They tend to hang out in the yard when they aren't at their bale, they come investigate yard activities, as well as pushing the boundaries on our horse-proofing.

I am just loving the extra interaction with him these last few days that isn't just riding or feeding. He follows me around the yard and comes up for attention. This will never get old!!

Bloom came up lame, husband checked her for abscess but wasn't able to find one. She doesn't appear to have any swelling, heat, cuts or obvious injuries, but visually her walk is very off and becomes more of a hop in the front when asked to speed up. She is just over 7 months pregnant right now. She is out of the herd for now in her own corral. Her daughter Della is not happy, it's like second weaning all over again. I'll give her a few days and then go from there. Our local vet is very small so for lameness like this I will have to haul her an hour away. Given that she is pregnant and comfortable in her corral, I don't want to stress her out over a trailer ride on winter roads if I don't have too.

We have come up on quite a few moose on our rides lately, even a group of three relatively close to the house. One dog got caught in a coyote snare, luckily we were right next to him when he did. He gave a little yip to let us know he was in trouble. Husband was able to loosen the snare with his fingers and get it off. There aren't supposed to be any snares on our loop, turns out it was a miscommunication and the snares were cleaned up right away.

Boss experienced his first Canadian snow storm last week! It was above zero the whole time but the wind was insane. It only lasted a few hours. He has become very bold and personable, and now becoming very nippy and a little bossy. Go figure. Can't wait to get him gelded and turned out with the main herd.
Winter Atmospheric phenomenon Vertebrate Freezing Working animal
Dog breed Vertebrate Dog Carnivore German shepherd dog
 
#33 ·
I just had to post the little bit of info I dug up today in regards to Magnus's pssm1 gene. I did a search of "fox trotter" on a PSSM Forum page on FB and pulled up a two year old post about a curly MFT in the states who tested positive for pssm1. This mare has a half brother who went to Europe as a breeding stallion, where he was tested for a whole bunch of stuff and came back positive for PSSM. Upon learning this, the lady had her mare tested. Now she suspected the dam line since this is what the two horses had in common. The owner of the dam and grand dam refused to test when she asked.

This poster supplied the registration number for her horse so I looked it up on the MFT directory. I was shocked when I saw the grand dam of this mare is Magnus's dam.

The rumour was that his SIRE carried the PSSM, but now it sounds more likely that it was his dam. She has 8 registered offspring in the MFT database. It also sounds like the owner knew and bred her anyways, to carry on the curly MFT blood she so coveted.

I've reached out to the OP, I don't know if I'll hear back from her or why it means so much to me, but I was always so curious about where it came from. It's not like knowing it changes anything, but there is a sense of closure I guess. It also makes me think about future purchases, at least I know the line it came from and can avoid it.
 
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