The horse always comes first with them, and it's nothing to do with protecting their financial investment. That's why I wound up stuck with Softy yesterday, as the first choice was so sweated up after her lesson that she wasn't fit to be ridden.

My poor horse had a litany of problems which stemmed from his early years of living in a garage in a town and being exercised in a saddle that didn't fit him. His back started to stiffen not long after I bought him, and that was back in the days when equine chiropractors were a novelty. I did my best to keep him going as long as possible, but he was crippled in the long-term by a combination of navicular and ringbone.

He is still sadly missed.