Rendezvous 3, a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood mare owned by Francine Walker and competed by Courtney King-Dye, shattered her pastern bone in a turnout paddock and had to be humanely euthanized.
Courtney’s 2008 Olympic mount Harmony’s Mythilus was euthanized 10 days prior to Rendezvous’ injury, from complications during a colic surgery.
She said that the horse had been turned out in a paddock that was “postage stamp sized” specially to minimize the possibility of injury.
“She did one little buck, kicked up her heels, and the groom heard a sound like she had kicked the fence,” Courtney said.
The small pastern bone was broken in several places down to the cannon bone.
“We consulted with the veterinarians on every possible way to save her. We were told there was a long shot that the bone could be pinned so RV could eventually be saved to become a broodmare. But even that was doubtful and would require a minimum of one year of stall rest. It could have been a lot of suffering for her.”
Courtney said that in her 22 years of being involved with horses she had never lost a horse.
“To lose two horses in 10 days… it is devastating,” Courtney said.