Jennie Brannigan

I’ve been told that I picked a really tough sport to make a living in a couple of times…I remember once was at Bramham after I had a run out on cross-country.

The most recent time was when Phillip gave me a hug after Cooper got injured at Fair Hill this fall. The past few months have been an emotional roller coaster for me, but far more important is what I have put Cooper through in an effort to save him.

The past few weeks have been a bit up and down, and I have to apologize for not keeping up on my blog. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how to put into words my current situation.

I guess it would be appropriate to talk about what has been going on with Cooper...

Cooper, who has now been through everything under the sun, is going through yet another hurdle on his road to recovery.

Unfortunately, foundering is something that is quite common in situations when a horse can’t put weight evenly on all four limbs. Cooper had a serious acute case of laminitis come up last week.

Well everyone, it’s been a hectic week getting Cooper back on the road to recovery.

I am thrilled to say that about two hours ago I was lucky enough to go pick Cooper up from New Bolton Center.

I would like to thank the vets, students and everyone involved with Cooper’s recovery and stay at New Bolton. Things really couldn’t have been much more problematic for Cooper. There were so many bumps in the road that we have been through to get him to the point that he could come home.

Horses are heartbreaking aren't they? Everybody hears or talks about tales of this all the time. The stories of, “I know this one horse that...” circulate around barns all over the country no matter what discipline you do.

I appreciate the people who have reached out and shared their own stories. I think these incidences can bond people together. No matter what level or sport you and your horse do, everyone still sits in the same waiting room.

Hope this message finds everyone well. It is amazing how many people seem to be reading this to keep up with Cooper, and I really appreciate that. I have gotten quite a few emails and messages that, to be honest, have made me cry. (I seem to be a little emotional these days.)

Cooper continues to struggle through the challenges that colic surgery is putting him through. I got a call from Cooper’s vet at New Bolton Center today telling me that she had good news and bad news.

The good news is that Cooper is really looking good, and that his temperature has returned to normal. But the bad news is that Cooper has tested positive for an initial Salmonella test today. He has to have three negative cultures for it to be deemed that this is a false alarm.

Waking up this morning wasn't easy. It's funny when you wake up, and there are those few moments when you’re not really up, and you forget the problems in your life. It's weird walking into the barn and not seeing Cooper in his stall. I keep looking for him in his pasture when I'm hacking.

Jennie Brannigan’s talented international three-day event horse Cooper had an unfortunate accident during the show jumping phase of the Fair Hill International three-day event on October 18, 2009. The resulting injury required surgery on his tendon and a subsequent colic surgery. The goal is a full recovery, but the expenses for these procedures are daunting, and insurance will not cover everything.

I think the ups and downs of horses are something that we all know about. We either learn before getting into the sport or shortly after. Any rider or trainer is willing to hand out stories of horses that have died or come back from awful situations.

It has been quite the busy past week preparing for Fair Hill and competing at the Morven Park Horse Trials. I am currently in Middleburg at the training sessions with Capt. Mark Phillips this week. Morven had its ups and downs with Cooper finishing third in the advanced and looking ready for Fair Hill.

Cambalda unfortunately had quite the spill cross-country when he misjudged the landing on the backside of a jump re-entering the water. He was jumping around like a champ too, so I was quite upset about this.