A good news story about Black Betty
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (326354)
Rockingham, Australia
August 2, 2022 7:42pm CST
Last season, the horse in the photo was almost unmanageable to the point where the rider sold her float (horse trailer) and was just about ready to give up endurance riding. She is a retired trotter/pacer/Standardbred but hadn’t raced for some years.
Her behaviour had been getting slowly worse and worse for some months. Someone suggested the owner have her checked for ulcers which are relatively common in performance horses. It turned out the mare did have ulcers and would have been in a lot of pain, hence her behaviour. She is now back ‘on track’ and is a different horse. This season, she has only competed in short rides but she looks a million dollars and is obedient and altogether a different horse. Everyone is thrilled for the owner and Black Betty (that’s her stable name).
The top photo is mine and the lower one Vince’s. In the top photo, you can see one of the lovely old trees that I wrote about last time.
24 people like this
24 responses
@moffittjc (118629)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Aug 22
Hi Judy! I haven’t chatted with you in quite a while. I hope you and Vince are doing well!
It’s often difficult to know exactly why an animal behaves the way it does, because they can’t always communicate to us what is wrong with them.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (118629)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Aug 22
@JudyEv Glad to hear you're doing well. I surely hope you and Vince are still living the good life. At least you're still doing the photography at the endurance rides, so that's a good thing!
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
3 Aug 22
I'm glad she got the medical attention she needed so she's feeling better now.
Both photos look good! 
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
3 Aug 22
@JudyEv I'm sure he is. He thought he was going to lose her or have to sell her.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326354)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Aug 22
@DaddyEvil And if it's behaviour is bad, it's not so likely to get a good owner.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (95934)
• Marion, Ohio
3 Aug 22
@JudyEv A horse acting out can be a scary thing to deal with. Especially if the owner is inexperienced.
1 person likes this
@oahuwriter (26778)
• United States
3 Aug 22
Poor Black Betty, but you're ok now. Glad they found her problem and got her better!
2 people like this
@celticeagle (159606)
• Boise, Idaho
3 Aug 22
So glad someone took the time to let the owner know about the possible malady that the horse could be suffering from. I bet Black Betty is happy too.
Love those old trees.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130216)
• India
4 Aug 22
That is the sad part. Often animals are not understood. Happy for Black Betty. This took me to a memory and it is about a baby We were in a train and there was this little baby howling away. The mother just could not stop her when my husband noticed her footwear and pointed out to her that could be they are very tight and yes that was the problem.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130216)
• India
4 Aug 22
@JudyEv I get to know all is not well with our pets when their behaviour changes.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62517)
• United States
3 Aug 22
Oh, I’m so glad it was an “easy fix” for the horse.
“Black Betty” is also the name of an old blues song that was remade as a hard rock tune in the late 1970s. I like it better on a horse. 
2 people like this
@LeaPea2417 (36527)
• Toccoa, Georgia
4 Aug 22
I never knew horses can get ulcers.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40632)
• United States
3 Aug 22
She is a beauty. So glad they found out about the ulcers, poor thing.
2 people like this
@Beestring (13409)
• Hong Kong
3 Aug 22
I'm glad that the horse's ulcer problem was cured. Great photos.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (170708)
• United States
3 Aug 22
It is always nice to hear good news.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326354)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Aug 22
She was about to sell the horse because she couldn't work out why it was misbehaving so badly.
@jobelbojel (34730)
• Philippines
6 Aug 22
Good story for Betty. Come back is real for this rider.
Very nice photos.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326354)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Aug 22
Thanks. The lady is so pleased that there has been a reason for the horse's behaviour.
@aninditasen (15776)
• Raurkela, India
3 Aug 22
Very pathetic that animals can't speak about their pains, we have to guess by their behaviour. The horse however looks healthy in the photo.
1 person likes this
@aninditasen (15776)
• Raurkela, India
4 Aug 22
@JudyEv That's something nice to hear. Wishing both the horse and the rider happy rides forever.
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
4 Aug 22
That is so great that they found the reason. No one wants to be good when they feel terrible.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326354)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Aug 22
I can imagine the poor rider wondering what the heck was going on and why the horse was behaving that way.
