Tallahassee, Florida (September 4, 2015) “My horse would not be alive today if a friend hadn’t told me about Sox For Horses,” was the warm story of gratitude that Ray Petterson, president of Sox For Horses, Inc. of Tallahassee, Florida, heard when horse owner Leslie DePodesta of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, called to order more of the pull-on equine leg wear. “We are regularly met by those who come to Sox as their ‘last hope’ and it’s usually accompanied by a healthy dose of skepticism,” Petterson says. “But Leslie’s story about Ardent was different.”
“I hope my story can ease the suffering of countless horses, save lives and help loving owners as much at their wit’s end as I was,” DePodesta wrote. “My horse, Ardent, would not be alive today if a friend hadn’t told me about Sox For Horses Summer (also known as Silver™ ) Whinnys ® .” Ardent, DePodesta’s 21 year-old Hanoverian/Trakehner cross gelding and former upper level dressage horse, had suffered for more than eight months from an excruciating case of mud fever on his three white legs while a fourth, solid-color leg, remained fine. His suffering had been so prolonged, she feared she would have to put her equine friend – who had already cheated death once – down.
“I ‘inherited’ him at age 17 from someone who could no longer afford to keep him and said if I didn’t take him, she would put him down. In his younger years, he reached upper level dressage, not exactly sure what level, but he loves to show off his piaffe any chance he gets! He’s big but has always been a ballerina on his feet,” she says.
Until the mud fever. “Scabs covered every inch of his skin from his hooves to up his legs,” she told Petterson. “He was in pain and developed lymphangitis in one of his hind legs which cost a fortune in vet bills, even before I had spent a lot of money on antibiotics, vet visits and vet creams. I had tried every product I could find at tack stores and everything my friends recommended. Nothing worked. We would make progress and then be back at square one.
“After eight months of no progress, and a lot of time, money and suffering for my poor horse, I was beginning to think I would have to put him down. Then a friend from the barn read about Sox for Horses on the internet and suggested them. I had been disappointed so many times that I really felt this would be just another dead end road. But I felt I had to give this one last try for the sake of my dear companion.
“I looked at SoxforHorses.com and was impressed by the photos and testimonials but still reluctant to believe they would work that well for me. So I called. They answered the phone right away and immediately answered my questions and concerns. It sounded promising, especially when I was told that I could see a big change in a week if I changed them daily. The Sox couldn’t come fast enough. I trimmed Ardent’s leg hair as recommended, cleaned off the vet cream that I had been using, put on the Sox and, while skeptical, said a prayer.
“The results were amazing! After just three days of changing the Whinnys each day I could see his scabs drying up. After five days, they started flaking off to reveal healthy, new pink skin underneath. Within 10 days, his scabs were gone and his legs were rosy pink. A few days later, hair started growing back and within three weeks, all three legs looked totally normal with full coats of hair! Each day, friends at the barn checked in and everyone was amazed. They had seen how hard I had worked month after month without any progress.
“How could it be that in just three weeks we went from Death’s door to healthy and normal? I can’t say enough about this amazing product. It doesn’t just work for mud fever. It works with any wound, circulation or swelling problem. The only sad note is those owners and horses that could benefit, that may not yet know about them, so I just want to pass the word along. I hope others will be inspired to give Sox for Horses a try. I wish I had known about them sooner and good luck to all horse owners struggling with similar problems.”
Petterson’s concluding advice? “People have to be willing to put the effort into changing the Sox daily, and machine washing and drying them each day, so that clean Sox are on the legs every 24 hours. It is definitely worth it. It doesn’t take long to get great results, which just motivates horse owners to stick with the effort.” Just like Leslie and Ardent.
Silver Whinnys™ and Summer Whinnys® represent ideal bandaging science by maintaining a clean environment around legs that is useful for reducing dirt and debris near pre-existing wounds while reducing bio-burden on the knitted contact surface. Sox For Horses, Inc. helps owners better help their equines, supports rescue organizations and adds jobs to American manufacturing. Silver Whinnys™ and its winter line, Whinny Warmers ® are Made In America. Learn more at www.soxforhorses.com or call (850) 907-5724.
News from the horse industry. Sharing today’s information as it happens. The Northwest Horse Source is not responsible for the content of 3rd party submissions.
