Deborah Hausman and Hidalgo

Hidalgo

Sex, Age: Gelding, 1991
Breed: Dutch Warmblood
Discipline: Dressage
Stabled In: Sherwood, Oregon/Rancho Santa Fe, California
Owner: Deborah Hausman
Trainer: Christine Traurig
Veterinarian: Dr. Paul McClellen

Amateur dressage rider, Deborah Hausman, knows what it takes to compete at a high level. As a former member of the U.S. Skiing and Cycling Teams, Hausman spent years preparing herself, mentally and physically, to compete against some of the world's best athletes.

When she began riding horses six years ago, the California-native applied that same competitive spirit and determination to the equestrian sport of dressage. In 2001, Hausman purchased Hidalgo, a promising, ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood. The big, handsome gelding with excellent conformation and a good disposition appeared to have all of the qualities necessary to excel at dressage.

Hausman was confident that with Hidalgo, she could begin to accomplish some of her goals as an equestrian. And working under the direction of Christine Traurig, an Olympic medallist in dressage, Hausman was eager and optimistic.

Unfortunately, Hidalgo's training did not go as well as expected and Hausman struggled with her new mount throughout their entire first year together.

"We were having a lot of trouble," she said. "There was such a noticeable lack of freedom in the way that he moved. He just wouldn't relax and engage his back or reach forward with his hind legs. For months, we tried everything from a training standpoint to help him relax and drop his back but it just wasn't working."

In addition to being rigid and evasive during training, Hidalgo's attitude in the stall began to deteriorate. At one point, after months of frustration and nervousness at shows, Traurig began to think that Hidalgo just wasn't suited for dressage and suggested it might be time to find a buyer from a different discipline. Before calling it quits, however, Traurig thought Hidalgo would benefit from an endoscopic examination, just to see if he might be suffering from stomach ulcers.

Two days later, Paul McClellan, DVM, used an endoscope to examine Hidalgo's stomach. Hausman witnessed the procedure and knew immediately what had been causing the problems.

"I was shocked," she said. "It was unsettling to say the least. He had multiple ulcers, and some of them were obviously severe. We really thought it was a training issue. There were no real outward signs that something was wrong physically." Dr. McClellan prescribed GASTROGARD® (omeprazole) and treatment started that same day.

Hidalgo began showing signs of recovery within a matter of days and finally, after months of aggravation and disappointment, things began to change for the better.

"After two weeks, there was such a significant difference in the horse," Hausman said of the GASTROGARD treatment. "And after three weeks it was overwhelming, literally to the point where it was emotional. Just knowing and watching him you'd want to cry. His recovery was so spectacular and exciting. It was like I got a brand new horse."

Hausman and her veterinarian believe that Hidalgo refused to fully engage and work through his back because it was simply too painful. After the ulcers healed, Hidalgo learned that he could relax his back and reach forward with his hind legs without the pain and discomfort.

Following the initial 28-day treatment, Hausman has kept Hidalgo on a maintenance dose of GASTROGARD to keep the ulcers from coming back.

"The exciting thing is that it has done so much for his health and disposition," Hausman said. "It makes training more productive, which helps my scores and that helps my results. We're also able to see all the new muscle development, which is really important and necessary to improve his gait. As a past athlete, it's really exciting to have a reliable product that can improve health, enhance performance and elevate show scores all at once."

After healing the ulcers with GASTROGARD, Hausman and Hidalgo have had a very successful year of showing. With dramatically improved co-efficiency scores for Gaits and Relaxation/Submission, the duo captured the Region 6 Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire Championships and are now successfully training all of the Grand Prix movements.

"The physical changes are just remarkable," Hausman said. "He is moving so much better. He's relaxed, focused and willing to work."