Howdy there! Name’s Peterbilt, but most folks just call me Pete. Big ol’ draft horse. Built like a rig, heart like a Cummins. Spent most of my years doin’ honest work, plowin’ fields when spring showed up, haulin’ heavy logs when winter came knockin’. Long miles, hard pulls… but I’ve always been the type to clock in and get it done with a steady step and a decent attitude.
 

I rolled into Rise & Ride Ranch in late fall of '25, and at first I was holdin’ my own. They got me settled in, started me on their program, kept an eye on my feed, my comfort and my whole setup. But truth is… by the time I arrived, we were already behind the curve on some of the stuff that’s easiest to catch early. 
 

Then December hit us with that nasty cold snap.. temps dropped like a rock, lower than normal. And that’s when my wheels started wobblin’. The crew here didn’t ignore it. Nope. They brought in extra support, did more therapy, and I even got chiropracted twice in the same month. They were throwin’ everything they could at it to keep me comfortable and movin’ right.
 

But I kept slidin’ backwards.
 

After more testing, we finally got the label for what was messin’ with me... EPM, and mine’s pretty severe.. It’s a nervous system thing, and it can make a horse lose coordination and strength. The cold snap made that disease that was hidin' in me come right to the surface. Right now I’ve got some gnarly sidewinder movement goin’ on.. kinda like my body wants to drift instead of trackin’ straight down the lane.

 

And just to keep things interesting, I also came in with mites. We’ve been treatin’ ’em, but winter puts a big ol’ speed limit on that plan, because you can’t exactly give a horse a proper wash-down when it’s freezin’ outside. So yeah… this winter’s been a bit of a rough road.
 

I won’t sit here and tell you I’m a “solid mount” right now. I’m a big guy with some repairs on the schedule, stuff that should’ve been addressed in the spring of '25, but we’re workin’ with the hand we’ve been dealt in the fall. That means we’re takin’ it slow and smart. Meds, treatments, topical care when we can, gentle therapy, extra bodywork, and lots of careful monitoring.
 

Come spring, when the weather stops throwin’ ice at us, we’ll be able to really dig into the rehab like it deserves. And if all goes the way we’re hopin’, by summer I’ll be stronger, steadier, and ready to start again with gentle miles, good company, and no rushin’ what matters.
 

Till then?
I’m just out here doin’ what a good rig does, one safe mile at a time. 🚛💛