The first time 16-year-old Brooke Reeser saw her horse Cisco, she and her mother Denise had driven more than 500 miles from their Minnesota home and arrived at Open Box Rafter Ranch’s annual production sale in Rapid City, S.D. 

Their presence there was part of Brooke’s acceptance into the American Quarter Horse Association’s Ranching Heritage Young Horse Development Program, which matches youth with donated weanlings to raise and train. 

During a special ceremony, Brooke officially chose Cisco and took him home. The pair have been inseparable ever since. As part of the program, they’ve completed training and husbandry assignments together and competed in county and state horse shows. 

“He was definitely a spitfire as a yearling, but he’s really matured and just loves to learn,” Brooke says. “He's not easy to train, but he’s willing to learn, and it’s been really rewarding to see how he’s grown up.”

Brooke has big aspirations for the young horse, but a rare injury threatened to cut them—and his life—short. 

In December 2024, Cisco began exhibiting signs of lameness in one of his front legs after being turned out with another horse, and the Reesers took him to see their primary veterinarian Selena Young, who suspected Cisco’s cause of lameness originated from the shoulder region and presumptively treated him for a soft tissue injury with prescribed rest. However, Cisco failed to improve over several weeks and still showed significant pain and reluctance to walk. 

The Reesers were referred to Piper Equine Hospital at Leatherdale Equine Center, which is part of the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Medical Center. There, board-certified equine surgeon Jenna Young and surgical resident Maria Granello took on Cisco’s case.

Diagnostic efforts that included a CT scan, X-rays, and an ultrasound finally revealed the definitive source of Cisco’s lameness to be a severe tear in his biceps tendon where it passes over his humerus. His injury, known formally as biceps tendinitis and bicipital bursitis, isn’t one often encountered by equine veterinarians. 

“While people are often quick to blame the horse's shoulder as a cause of lameness, in actuality, more than 90 percent of causes of forelimb lameness in horses is in the foot, so shoulder causes of lameness in and of themselves are fairly rare,” says Young, noting the care team could only find three similar cases in medical literature treated surgically and consulted with an out-of-state equine surgeon who had treated two cases. 
 

There was relief in diagnosing Cisco’s injury for Brooke and Denise, but learning how truly uncommon his condition was also created uncertainty. Surgery was recommended to cut the tendon in half to release the tension pulling on it and, therefore, the associated pain, but given the rarity of the injury, it would mark the first time any of the equine hospital’s current clinicians would be performing the procedure to transect it. 

With the Reesers' concerns in mind, the care team walked them through the procedure’s risks, possible complications and outcomes, and its estimated cost. Fortunately, Cisco’s case qualified for a grant from the Veterinary Medical Center’s Companion Animal Fund, a donor-supported financial assistance fund to help hospital clients with the costs of necessary veterinary care. 

“We just felt overjoyed to know that the grant option was there for us, and it was definitely a sign to take the next step because we weren't willing to give up on Cisco,” Denise says. 

The funds enabled the Reesers to move forward with Cisco’s surgery and also provided another benefit. Piper Equine Hospital is one of three teaching hospitals at the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Cisco’s case represented a chance for learners to see a rare diagnosis and procedure. 

“As a teaching institution, his case provides valuable learning opportunities for many individuals,” Young says. “The availability of such financial resources is vital in enabling us to offer exceptional care and provide these unique educational experiences for all trainees (residents, interns, and students), particularly when owners may not be able to afford the necessary treatment.”

The goal of Cisco’s surgery—known as a biceps tenotomy—was to cut the biceps tendon in half so that it relieved the strain and tension on Cisco’s torn tendon and, therefore, the pain that he was experiencing every time he moved the leg. The procedure was a success, and Cisco remained in the hospital for a week before being discharged to continue his recovery at home. 

There, Brooke works with him every day on exercising and rehabilitation, which involves handwalking him and encouraging him to stretch and flex his muscles in his legs, shoulders, and neck.  

“He's doing really good. He's definitely getting spunkier as he gets stronger,” Brooke says. “He's getting back to his normal self, and we're really hopeful for his recovery.”

Young notes that the success of Cisco’s case can be attributed to the collaboration between all involved—his family, his primary veterinary team, and his care team at Piper Equine Hospital. The Reesers say they are grateful for the care Cisco received from all involved and, in particular, the open communication from the Piper Hospital team members who handled his case. 

“I'd say the communication that we received in all aspects of his care was amazing. It was above and beyond what I expected,” Denise says. “They sent us pictures and videos. They let us visit him when he was recuperating at the hospital. Everything was done in the most caring way for Cisco and for us as owners.”