2026 Giving Trip Day 9: Smoke, Soccer, and the Long View

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

Today we returned to Sumpango El Rejón, a community we have visited many times and one that always meets us with altitude, wide sky, and a kind of beauty that does not soften the reality around it.

The clinic site was a large soccer field perched high in the village. Cultivated fields stretched behind one side, while the other three dropped away sharply. Volcán de Fuego and Volcán Acatenango stood in the background like sentinels, watching quietly over the work.

Getting there is part of the story. The large van cannot make the tight hairpin turns and narrow passageways near the summit, so we disembarked below and climbed the rest of the way in the bed of a truck. Along the drive up, horses appeared tucked behind sheet metal and improvised shelters, tough animals living alongside families doing everything they can with what they have.

In many homes, garbage and refuse are burned for heat and cooking fuel. The smell is impossible to ignore. Dust and exhaust layered with thick black smoke drifted across the village as we arrived.

The Clinic Takes Shape

When we reached the field, more than thirty-five horses were already waiting. Many were tied loosely along the edges or secured to goalposts. Farriers were on site with some equipment, and the rest of the clinic came together quickly. Tents went up, supplies were unpacked, and stations were assigned.

Mares with foals at their sides moved quietly through the crowd. Pregnant mares stood with the steady fatigue of animals who still have to work.

Intake was set at the entrance where the road meets the field, with dentistry placed beside it so tent space could be shared. Farriers worked along the right long side of the field. The center became the heart of the day, physical exams, handling, and the constant balance of keeping people and animals safe in an open, high-energy environment.

Setting the Tone

The day began with a FullBucket Forum led by Pete Christianson, reflecting on Matthew 25:35–40. The message centered on serving those with less as an act of faith and love.

In a village where so many families have so little, the theme did not need to be forced into the day. It was already there. In the smoke. In the worn shoes. In the way owners showed up anyway. In the quiet responsibility these horses carry for the people who depend on them.

The Work

Sumpango was high-energy all day long. 

Dust devils spun up in gusts, whipping grit through the tents. The soundtrack was layered and constant. Hoofbeats on hard ground. Horses nickering. Dental equipment humming. Farriers calling instructions. Owners sharing what they had observed at home and asking what signs to watch for so they could recognize problems early.

Children were everywhere. Kicking soccer balls behind us. Laughing. Running. Watching.

A few younger owners rode in and, at times, galloped across the field to show off their horses and their dogs with proud speed. Dogs sprinted and barked and played. Throughout the day, we had to hold two truths at once. The joy of a community gathering and the seriousness of a clinic where one wrong movement can mean injury.

By the end of the day, we had seen eighty-one horses. Most were working horses, many were older, and many carried the physical cost of their labor. Pack wounds. Unbalanced feet. Significant dental disease, especially in senior animals with advancing attrition.

We recognized a number of horses from years past. It is in those repeat visits that the mission’s real markers become visible. Not just what we treat, but what a community learns, repeats, and passes on.

Cases and Continuity

A local contact named Julio brought his mare, one he has brought every year for the past three years. He was visibly proud of her condition and thanked FullBucket, Dr. Ciera Guardia, and the team for returning again and again with practical help his community can build on.

Clinically, the day held several standout cases. One horse arrived with an incisor that needed removal. We were able to extract the tooth intact, treat a significant pack wound, and send the owner home with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication, and needed minerals.

That same owner also brought a mare who was underweight and blind in the right eye. She received dental care and a plan moving forward.

Another stallion tested everyone’s handling skills. He was strong and difficult, but when we looked back at photos from prior years, the contrast was striking. He was stronger this year, a reminder that consistent care and better nutrition can change what normal looks like over time, even in hard conditions.

Education in Motion

The students were a bright thread throughout the day. Several joined from the same private veterinary school and were especially drawn to dentistry.

Dr. Lindsay Deacon and Dr. Ciera Guardia taught students how to recognize senior dental wear patterns and how to interpret early clues before even looking deeply into the mouth. Asymmetrical feed packing often signals a problem side. Six or seven students palpated carefully, felt what those words actually mean, and later recognized the same pattern in other horses, successfully explaining it to owners.

They were also present for the incisor extraction and learned about EOTRH in a grounded, practical way. Not every tooth needs to be removed, but a loose, painful tooth with gumline erosion can be life-changing once the site heals.

Human Moments

Midday, a small kindness found its way into the clinic. Children gathered under the tents to color and watch. A local vendor arrived with ice cream, and we bought cones for many of the kids, and for a few farriers and team members too.

Watching a child’s face light up over something so small and universal was a reminder that connection does not always need translation.

Closing the Day

As the sun stayed warm and the dust kept rising, the work took everything it asked for.

The ride back down in the truck bed was quiet at first. Exhaustion and grit settling in. Then the van filled with stories and photos from years past, and the tone shifted into something gentler. Laughter. Memories. Gratitude at the visible improvement in horses we have met before.

On the way down, we saw some of the horses we had treated recovering and rejoining family life. We waved to villagers walking home from church. It was Sunday. Women in bright, sparkly Sunday best and heels navigated treacherous roads with steady determination. Faith carried in the middle of scarcity.

Tomorrow, we return to Sumpango in a new area on another side of the village called Urbano. We are curious what we will find and how much learning we can continue to pass hand to hand.

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.