The Red Mare Project

What happens when the medical hits just keep coming, and the puzzle pieces still don’t quite fit together?

In this week’s episode, we sit down for an incredibly candid conversation with fellow equine professional, Bailey Elliot, to discuss the saga of her handsome boy, Red. Bailey walks us through a grueling timeline of setbacks, surgeries, and rehabilitation, unpacking what it actually takes to navigate multiple major diagnoses back-to-back:

🦴 The Orthopedic Hurdles: We discuss the frustrating reality of treating a bone cyst through surgery, and a bone chip on his coffin bone.

🔬 The Oncology Battles: As if the structural issues weren't enough, we dive into the emotional toll of dealing with recurring sarcoids and fibrosarcomas.

The breakthrough finally came with a diagnosis that connected the dots of Red’s underlying weakness and inexplicable muscle wasting: Vitamin E Response Myopathy. Vitamin E is a crucial antioxidant required for healthy nerve and muscle function. When a severe deficiency occurs, it can cause profound muscle wasting, neurological weakness, and a compromised system that makes recovering from other injuries significantly harder.

This episode is a masterclass in relentless advocacy, leaving no stone unturned, and the power of trusting your gut when you know your partner isn't feeling 100%. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by hit after hit after hit, a medical mystery, or had to fight to get to the bottom of a diagnosis, grab some snacks. This one’s for you.

Email us with your interesting stories. Your horse may be able to help another. [email protected]

www.redmareproject.com

Follow along in IG, TT, YT, FB

Host: Taylor CL Schouten, MS, APF-I

Hoofcare Practitioner

Wild Hoof Equine LLC

www.wildhoofequine.com

What started as a mysterious "warm-up cough" and a boogery nose turned into a massive lifestyle shift for Scooter and his amazing owner, Donna McLean. While veterinary medicine has a few different names for it—including RAO, COPD, equine asthma, and Heaves—the daily reality of the diagnosis remains the same. From the sticker shock of equine inhalers to the freezing reality of winter hay soaking, this episode covers the messy, expensive, and deeply rewarding journey of loving a horse with heaves. If you've ever stood in a feed room covered in soaking wet hay, fiddled with a million different supplements to find the right menu, or worried your horse might be experiencing asthma-related breathing problems, this one is for you.

Follow Donna and Scooter on Instagram and TikTok: scootie.b.and.me

Email us with your interesting stories. Your horse may be able to help another. [email protected]

www.redmareproject.com

Follow along in IG, TT, YT, FB

The Red Mare Project

Taylor CL Schouten, MS, APF-I

Hoofcare Practitioner

Wild Hoof Equine LLC

www.wildhoofequine.com

Join Taylor, and celebrity co-host Leila Moore, for a heartfelt conversation with our dear friend, Hannah Christian Post. Hannah shares the story of her late mare, Tenny, and her struggles with ECVM (Equine Complex Vertebral Malformation). We explore the anatomy of this condition, tracing the subtle and not so subtle timeline of Tenny's symptoms, and the heart-wrenching reality of clinical ECVM. Hannah discusses the decision to humanely euthanize Tenny due to her challenges, the process of composting her bones for further understanding of her presentation, and the stories told in Tenny's bones.

If you're concerned your horse may have ECVM, or was diagnosed with ECVM, or simply want to learn more about this abnormality, this one's for you.

Host: Taylor Schouten, Wild Hoof Equine, North Metro Atlanta, GA

Co-host: Leila Moore, Moore Equine Body Work (IG and FB), North Metro Atlanta, GA

Guest: Hannah Post, Elevated Performance Equine Bodywork, Colorado Springs, CO

Join us for Part 2 of Rory Potter's series. In this episode, she shares the tale of Odin and his struggle with significant sleep deprivation and even more challenging, EDM (equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy). EDM is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting the brainstem and spinal cord in horses, and results in loss of neuromuscular function that presents as ataxia, behavior changes, and cognitive changes. It's a tough one.

If you haven't listened to part 1, check that out.

For more information on sleep deprivation, scroll back to episode 19.

If you're concerned your horse may be struggling with EDM or sleep deprivation, or if you simply want to learn more about it, grab some snacks. This one's for you.

Peace

Settle in for a powerful conversation with the newest member of the Red Mare herd, Rory Potter. Rory is a Wisconsin based farrier, rider, trainer, and Myofascial Release therapist. She shares the stories of her two geldings, Odin and Charlie. Since Rory is sharing two complex journeys, this is the start of a two part series. In this episode, we hear Charlie's story of Wobblers, DSP narrowing, canker, and chronic complex colic. Next episode (Part 2) will discuss Odin's story of EDM and sleep deprivation.

For more information on wobblers, refer back to Episode 11: Teddy's Legacy.

If your horse or if you know a horse struggling with neurological issues, or if you simply want to learn more, grab some snacks. This one's for you.

Peace.

Join the girls and Barbara Hubler for an in depth discussion on the world of endurance. Barbara is a client turned fast friend of Taylor's. Hang out with us to learning about conditioning strategy, hoofcare, nutrition, and what to do if in a pickle on the trail. Barbara gives a fantastic breakdown on the sport from every angle, including some very exciting stories from the trails.

Learn more about endurance: aerc.org

Check out our website updates! https://www.theredmareproject.com/

Email us with your interesting stories. Your horse may be able to help another. [email protected]

Taylor CL Schouten, MS, APF-I

Hoofcare Practitioner

Wild Hoof Equine LLC

www.wildhoofequine.com

Kahlan Ettere

Equine management

Wise Choice Equine Wellness LLC

Follow along on social media

Facebook: The Red Mare Project

Instagram: Red Mares Official

TikTok: Red Mares Official

YT: Red Mares Official

This may be one of our most important episodes to date...

Come join the girls and their new friend, April Schaeffer of Schaeffer Bodyworks, for an educational story time about sleep deprivation and its devastating effects on equine wellness and longevity. April shares her personal experience with equine sleep deprivation. Her sweet Appaloosa boy Ollie, had quite a traumatic experience before he landed with April that ultimately caused him to suffer with long-term sleep deprivation. While sadly Ollie is no longer with us, April learned tremendously from that experience and uses her knowledge to help every horse she meets. April is a motivated advocate for equine sleep hygiene and species appropriate living. Check out her podcast, The Equine Advocate Podcast on Spotify. This is a collaborative episode and is cross-posted on April's show.

How to get in touch with April: https://www.schaefferbodyworks.com/

For more information on equine sleep deprivation, please listen to the following outside episodes. If you're concerned your horse may be struggling with sleep deprivation, speak with your vet. Don't wait.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6aJYBCVSquHrdkkzwLFcdv?si=5424ac1909a74c60

https://open.spotify.com/episode/38KpliutYHnqDXUfpxCfQv?si=oUTyY9tJQDGHx1xmdCaiCw

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5jOtRfDQSQFMr5QmCpg9nZ?si=2LgfQBFwROKvk58Uh7fnyA

Equine Complex Vertebral Malformation (ECVM) is a congenital malformation affecting C6 to T2. ECVM is becoming more common and problematic in today’s equine landscape. In this episode, Kahlan and Taylor sit down with equine osteopath in training, Jessica Rein. Jess currently works as a bodyworker at her practice, Magic Hands Equine, and is the proud owner of two ECVM mares. While her girls have two very different ECVM presentations and associated symptoms, Jess has cracked the code on how to manage these two mares specifically. Join us as we learn how Jess has custom built their management protocol to keep her mares happy and well.

For more information on ECVM, read anything from Sharon May Davis, and the ladies at Equus-soma, Pamela Eckelbarger and Diane Dzingle.

https://www.equus-soma.com

Jessica Rein’s practice: https://www.facebook.com/NHETOfficial1

Check out our website updates! https://www.theredmareproject.com/

Email us with your interesting stories. Your horse may be able to help another. [email protected]

Taylor CL Schouten, MS, APF-I

Hoofcare Practitioner

Wild Hoof Equine LLC

www.wildhoofequine.com

Kahlan Ettere

Equine management

Wise Choice Equine Wellness LLC

Check out our website:

www.theredmareproject.com

Follow along on social media

Facebook: The Red Mare Project

Instagram: Wild_Hoof_Equine

TikTok: redmareproject

Summer is here and so are new friends! Kelly Brann reached out to us via email with not one, but TWO red mare stories to tell. These beautiful ladies have given Kelly a crash course in managing Navicular disease, Lyme, Kissing Spine, metabolic concerns, and some mystery seasonal behavior changes. Join the girls as we hear about Kelly's journey through sight unseen horse purchases, and how she navigated diagnostics and healing her beautiful girls.

Learn more about our showcased foundation, Teddy’s Legacy at https://www.teddyslegacy.org/

Email us with your interesting stories. Your horse may be able to help another. [email protected]

Taylor CL Schouten, MS, APF-I

Hoofcare Practitioner

Wild Hoof Equine LLC

www.wildhoofequine.com

Kahlan Ettere

Equine management

Wise Choice Equine Wellness LLC

Check out our website:

www.theredmareproject.com

Follow along on Facebook: The Red Mare Project

Instagram: Wild_Hoof_Equine

Join your favorite red mares, Taylor and Kahlan, for another double feature episode! Today’s story isn’t just the story of one horse, but the many horses that are helped by Prosix Equine. Founders, Jill McDermott and Lynda Reese walk us through their inspiration for this product and all its different uses.

Prosix is a whole body proprioceptive tool that can help support horses struggling with ataxia due to disease, kissing spine, body lameness from compensation patterns and so much more. They even have dog sizes! This incredible tool helps creatures big and small from training time to rehab to hospice care.

Grab some snacks and settle in to hear the inspiring stories Jill and Lynda have to share., as well as some solid science.

To learn more about the Prosix and purchase one for your horse, visit their website at: https://www.eagleprosix.com/

Link for the research study discussed: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12892970/

Learn more about our showcased foundation, Teddy’s Legacy at https://www.teddyslegacy.org/

📨Email us with your interesting stories.

Your horse may be able to help another.

Taylor CL Schouten, MS, APF-I

Hoofcare Practitioner

Wild Hoof Equine LLC

www.wildhoofequine.com

Kahlan Ettere

Equine management

Wise Choice Equine Wellness LLC

Check out our website:

www.theredmareproject.com

Follow along on Facebook: The Red Mare Project

Instagram: Wild_Hoof_Equine