2026 Giving Trip Day 4: Gifts Beneath Volcán de Agua

Field Report from the 2026 Texas Equitarian Project ~ Sponsored by FullBucket

Photography by Michael Pintar

Santa Maria de Jesus sits at the base of Volcán de Agua, where tall, lush forest rises from the village all the way to the steepest slopes near the peak. The clinic set up in a schoolyard, and throughout the day a brisk breeze rolled through, refreshing relief from the intensity of the high-altitude sun.

Seventy-one animals came through the clinic: horses, donkeys, and mules. Many of the donkeys and mules are truly essential for their owners, carrying firewood and other necessities of daily life up and down the mountain trails.

Recognizing Our Gifts

Liz Franklin volunteered to lead the FullBucket Forum on Day 4, bringing to the conversation the topic of our individual gifts, how we learn to recognize them, and how we express and deliver them to the world. It was a theme that would echo throughout the day in unexpected ways.

The Work Ahead

Many of the animals presented with the poorest body condition we’ve seen on this trip, along with similar hoof trimming issues -or rather, the lack of trimming. There was certainly work to be done and conversations to be had for the benefit of these animals.

And yet, multiple team members, including Jaime Perez, who have been involved with the Texas Equitarian work in Guatemala since we started 14 years ago, have commented on how much better general condition the horses are in compared to when we first began. In the early years, we treated so many saddle sores on the backs of working animals. While we still see many working animals during our clinics, we now see and are required to treat very few saddle sores. Body condition scores have greatly improved over almost a decade and a half of work.

Several long-term associates in the program have noted that the year-round continuity of care has been greatly impactful, helping local horse owners remain mindful of and integrate, to the extent they can, what they learn through these clinics and through year-round consultation with Dr. Jacquelyn Garabito.

There is still much work to be done, as evidenced by the horses who come to see us in poor body condition. But this is also testament to those animals’ owners being open to growth and improvement. They show up because they want to learn.

One small donkey presented for lameness in its hind end that had the owner quite concerned. The animal had long hooves with curved, inward growth and very tight, sore lower back muscles, likely a result of saddle fit and uneven weight distribution from the firewood it normally carries for its family.

Concho and his team of farriers trimmed the feet into proper balance, providing immediate biomechanical relief for the donkey while walking and working. A more normalized walking motion with properly trimmed feet is likely to contribute to relief in the animal’s lower back soreness as well. The case also invited conversation with the owner about saddle fit, padding, and distributing the weight of the animal’s load differently to alleviate point pressure on those muscles.

The goal was to progressively alleviate discomfort while working within the owner’s necessity to continue using the animal. Understanding the cultural context was important, ensuring the best outcome for the donkey while honoring the owner’s ability to provide for his family with his partner.

Eastern Medicine on the Mountain

Dr. Robby Schwyzer spent a career working with Thoroughbred racehorses, which led him to explore and become an expert in eastern medicine and medicinal herbs. Over the past several days, he has spent hours teaching each rotating group of students about the foundations of acupuncture and eastern medicine.

Day 4 provided the perfect case. A 19-year-old horse presented with osteoarthritic changes in its left front fetlock, an animal with no opportunity, given local limitations, for ongoing management of the issue. Dr. Robby applied laser therapy and acupuncture, demonstrating alternative medicine as a modality for relief. The students looked on with keen interest, many of them witnessing these techniques for the first time.

Full Circle 

One of the students from the earliest giving trips to Guatemala, Dr. Stephanie Tunay, joined the team for the day. She is now a professor at the veterinary medical school where the students attending our clinics are training for their degrees.

It was amazing to see how much Dr. Stephanie has grown professionally from the time we first met her as a veterinary student to the competent, confident veterinarian she has become, joyfully and kindly guiding her own students through the examinations and procedures of the day. Like Luis Martinez, she embodies the sustainability of this program: students becoming teachers, knowledge passing forward.

Gifts Delivered

With Dr. Stephanie joining the intake team, Liz Franklin transitioned into a support role, available wherever she was needed. Liz spent a career as a school teacher, and that gift found its expression in an unexpected moment.

She encountered a two-year-old boy and immediately went into playful teaching mode, helping him learn his colors, counting his fingers, playing catch with a soft, colorful koosh ball she had brought from Houston. One day she’s interpreting English to Spanish for veterinarians on the intake team; the next she’s teaching a joyous toddler to count. What an example of our opportunity to engage with everyone in a positive, supportive way - delivering our gifts wherever they’re needed.

A Fond Farewell

Day 4 was Michael Pintar’s last day with the team. Throughout the trip, he played a significant role on the intake team while splitting his time documenting all of our work through his skilled photography and videography. As a professional rodeo photographer, we were fortunate to have his keen eye for detail, and his positive energy that lifted the group dynamic all week.

At dinner last night, the team reflected on the incredible chemistry we’ve shared, and how that positive, joyful interaction with one another becomes an inclusive offering for everyone we meet. The gifts we bring, recognized and expressed, ripple outward.

Gratitude

We are grateful to all of the corporate partners and foundation partners that continue to make our giving trips an increasingly impactful and sustainable program within Guatemala. They, along with the 30+ volunteers from international teams who participate each year, are truly the foundation for our culture of being good, doing good, and creating positive impact internationally for horses and their people.

Tomorrow brings our final day of service. The work continues.

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.