2026 Giving Trip Day 2: Life and Death on the Hilltop
January 31, 2026 | Read Time: 4 minutes
In This Article
Field Report from the 2026 Texas Equitarian Project ~ Sponsored by FullBucket
Photography by Michael Pintar
As the van climbed toward Santiago Sacatepéquez, a concrete arch came into view. Beyond it, a winding concrete road with stairsteps led upward, lined with horses and their owners waiting for the team’s arrival. The road through the arch opened onto something unexpected: a beautiful hilltop cemetery with sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and farmlands.
The clinic set up in a flat area adjacent to the cemetery, a municipal gathering space with a covered stage at one end. It was an interesting contrast: caring for the health of working horses just steps from a place where life is so highly celebrated for those who have passed.
Starting the Day with Intention
Before leaving the hotel each morning, the FullBucket team gathers for what we call the FullBucket Forum, an intentional conversation to set the tone for the day ahead. Yesterday’s Forum focused on mental scripts: the internalized narratives we all carry that often become self-limiters in life. It was an extension of Day 1’s conversation about vulnerability.
The Forum offers team members the opportunity for conversation in areas they may not have space for in their day-to-day lives. It also serves as a launching point, setting the right mindset and heart space for the service work and team dynamic that follows.
Finding the Rhythm
The team hit their groove on Day 2. Setup was quick, and everyone fell into their positions and roles with the ease that comes from a day of working together. About 40 horses came through the clinic, an initial surge of those waiting at the arch, followed by a steady flow throughout the day.
Body condition was variable. Some horses arrived with quite low scores, inviting conversation about nutrition and the possibilities that come with small improvements. Others were in excellent condition. The team saw foals and adult horses alike, each presenting their own needs.
A new group of veterinary students rotated in from Guatemala City, a different cohort than Day 1. This rotation model is intentional: it exposes each group to different communication styles among veterinarians, different ways of interacting with farriers, and different approaches to working with horses and their owners. As these students develop their clinical skills, they’re also developing their own style as healthcare providers.
The Man Who Does the Castrations
The team performed two castration procedures, a service often handled locally by one or two men who time the procedure with the new moon. The castration and surgical packs used for these procedures were generously donated by Dr. Scott Meyer and Desert Mountain Equine Hospital in Queen Creek, Arizona. What made the day remarkable was who showed up: the man who typically performs castrations in the community brought his own horse to be castrated by the team.
What followed was an extraordinary conversation. The local practitioner described his technique; he uses a knife while the team shared their approach, including the importance of hemostasis. It was mutual learning: respect flowing in both directions, traditional knowledge meeting veterinary science.
During the procedures, Professor Pablo, one of the veterinary faculty, asked if he could learn the team’s castration technique. It was an incredible display of vulnerability and willingness to learn, made all the more powerful because it happened in front of his students. By the second castration, Professor Pablo served as the primary surgeon, teaching one of his own students who was able to participate in and perform the procedure. In a single afternoon, knowledge cascaded from the visiting team to a professor to a student, the mission in action.
Veterinarian and Farrier
One horse presented with a chronic wound on the left hind pastern. The wound had almost entirely healed, but the fibrosis in the flexor tendons now restricted the horse’s range of motion during walking.
The veterinary team collaborated with the farriers to adjust the angle of the horse’s foot, creating biomechanical ease and comfort. For the students watching, it was a real-time demonstration of how important the equine veterinarian–farrier relationship can be for the well-being of horses. Neither discipline alone could have solved this problem.
Hospitality on the Hilltop
Lunch was served under the covered stage by officials of the municipality, a gesture of hospitality and partnership. Across the board, horse owners were appreciative of the additional knowledge and the possibilities attached to small improvements in nutrition for their animals. FullBucket supplements were distributed alongside conversations about what these working horses need to thrive.
The Procession
As the team packed up and prepared to leave, a funeral procession arrived at the cemetery. Hundreds of celebrants walked behind the transport vehicle, making their way through the same arch the team had passed through that morning.
The juxtaposition was not lost on anyone. A day spent caring for life, for animals that carry families’ livelihoods on their backs, ended alongside a community honoring someone who had passed. On the drive back to Antigua, the team found themselves in conversation about that contrast: the care we give during life, and the care we continue to show after.
Tomorrow brings another community, another group of students, another chance to serve. The work continues.
The Texas Equitarian Project is collectively sponsored by FullBucket, the Texas Equine The Texas Equitarian Project is collectively sponsored by FullBucket, the Texas Equine Foundation, and the Foundation for the Horse, with additional support from Boehringer Ingelheim, Zoetis, MWI, Precision and Wickliffe compounding pharmacies, and HDE and Yeti equipment suppliers.
If this work inspires you, please consider supporting equine health initiatives through the Texas Equine Veterinary Foundation or the Foundation for the Horse. Your donations help fund vital programs including student scholarships and volunteer initiatives focused on working horses in developing countries.
