About Our Programs

Horse First Initiative develops programs that place equine welfare at the center of every decision. Through education, advocacy, and innovative approaches to care, we work to build a culture where horses are respected and protected. Our guiding principle is simple:

Putting the horse first, always.

Horse First Decisions

Our flagship program, Horse First Decisions, takes on the difficult choices every horse owner, trainer, or rider will face over a horse’s lifetime. Some are medical, including when to do advanced diagnostics, surgery, or palliative care. Others are just as significant, from training approaches and management routines to competition plans and end-of-life care.

Too often, these choices are made under pressure, without enough information, or with human goals overshadowing what’s best for the horse. Horse First Decisions exists to change that.

Through case studies, the program follows horses at major crossroads, showing the options considered, the reasoning behind each choice, and the outcomes. By sharing these journeys, Horse First Decisions demonstrates what it means to put the horse first, even when the path is hard.

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CASE STUDY: GAMBIT'S JOURNEY

The Dream Colt at a Crossroads

By Kaila Watters, Co-Owner, Meadow Brook Stables

Gambit was born in March 2023 — he was a long-anticipated foal. He was exactly what we had been dreaming of for more than a decade. He wasn’t just another foal; he was the result of years of planning, hard work, and hope. When we bred Kee and Cruz, our best mare to our best stallion, they gave us the perfect colt on their first try. It felt like all the pieces had fallen into place. From the very beginning, Gambit was everything we had wished for: bright, eager, endlessly curious, and full of personality. He even carried on one of his dam’s most endearing traits: he would smile for treats.

For two years, he filled our days with laughter, pride, and a deep sense of fulfillment. Then, in August 2025, everything changed. One morning, Gambit came to breakfast not with his usual eager stride, but with a subtle head tilt and a swelling along the left side of his neck. At first, we hoped it was something minor — maybe he’d just played too roughly with his pasture mates. But radiographs confirmed what we had feared deep down: his cervical spine wasn’t normal. Where there should have been a smooth, gentle slope from skull to vertebra, there was instead a sharp, unnatural angle. He had dislocated his C2-C3 — a cruel twist of fate.

Diagnosis

Specialists at the Atlantic Veterinary College determined that Gambit has a luxation (dislocation) of C2–C3, with collapse of the disc space and severe narrowing of the vertebral canal. In plain terms, two of his neck vertebrae are badly out of place, putting his spinal cord at constant risk. Left untreated, he will face neurological decline, including incoordination, weakness, and possible paralysis.

We have spoken to several surgeons who believe there is a chance to correct this misalignment. The procedure would be a cervical fusion of C2–C3 using a spacer and plate. Surgery typically takes 2–3 hours, and the surgical team at New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania performs more than a dozen equine cervical fusions each year. Even with that experience, the prognosis is only about 50/50.

Options We Face

Surgery — costly, complex, with guarded prognosis, but the only path that could restore normal alignment.
Wait and See — Gambit is pain-free and playful today, but the risk of progression remains. He will not get “better” on his own.
Euthanasia — the hardest choice, but one that must always be considered to prevent future suffering.

Next Steps

The most promising path is to send Gambit to New Bolton Center for advanced imaging and a surgical evaluation. Their neurology and surgical teams are among the most experienced in North America with this type of case.

If he qualifies, the procedure will follow immediately. But the journey from Nova Scotia to Pennsylvania is long and demanding. We cannot justify hauling Gambit until we know we can follow through with surgery if it’s recommended. For his sake, the next step must be a one-way journey toward treatment, not an expensive detour.

That means raising the necessary funds first. Once funding is secured, Gambit will be shipped to New Bolton for diagnostics and, if appropriate, surgery and recovery.

Anticipated Costs

To be fully transparent, these are the estimated costs we anticipate at each stage:

Commercial Shipment (NS → PA, air ride) — $3,000–$5,000 USD *TRANSPORT BY NORTHERN HORSE TRANSPORT
Advanced Imaging & Diagnostics (CT/myelogram, consults) — $5,000–$7,000 USD *FUNDS RAISED.
C2–C3 Cervical Fusion Surgery — $10,000–$15,000 USD *FUNDRAISING in process.
Initial Recovery & Hospital Aftercare — $5,000–$7,500 USD
Commercial Shipment (PA → NS, air ride) — $3,000–$5,000 USD *TRANSPORT BY NORTHERN HORSE TRANSPORT
Ongoing Rehabilitation & Rechecks — $5,000–$8,000 USD

Total Anticipated Range: $25,000–$37,500 USD

What It Means to Put the Horse First

Gambit is more than a foal. He represents twelve years of our lives, the best of our breeding program, and the dream of what Meadow Brook could become. To us, he is priceless. But putting the horse first means facing reality with clear eyes: the costs, the risks, the odds, and the welfare of the colt we love.

There is no easy answer. Only the promise we made when we chose this life — to do right by every horse, even when the path forward breaks our hearts.