Three-time American Performance Horseman champion Casey Deary shares how Arthramid® has revolutionized his training program and given him complete confidence in his horses’ long-term soundness.
For Casey Deary of Deary Performance Horses, success isn’t just measured in championship titles or prize money. It’s about the deep partnership between horse and rider, built on trust, dedication, and ensuring his horses can perform at their peak while staying completely comfortable.
Casey’s journey to becoming a three-time American Performance Horseman champion has been defined by one extraordinary horse: Down Right Amazing. True to his name, this remarkable stallion has proven himself to be exactly what Casey needed to reach the highest levels of western performance.
A Partnership Forged Through Adversity
The bond between Casey and Down Right Amazing was tested early in their partnership. When Casey broke his neck just a week before they were set to compete at the Reining Futurity in Oklahoma City, doctors ordered him to rest for six weeks. But Casey couldn’t bear the thought of his three-year-old horse missing the opportunity to prove himself at one of the sport’s most challenging events.
“He was fantastic,” Casey recalls. “He was good through the go-rounds and the semi-finals, and then he ended up third place at the Reining Futurity, the toughest three-year-old event that we go to. With me being physically handicapped like I was, he carried me through that deal.”
That moment revealed the true character of Down Right Amazing and set the foundation for a partnership that would see them dominate the American Performance Horseman competition for three consecutive years.
The Challenge Every Performance Horse Owner Faces
For Casey, like many performance horse owners, the biggest challenge was finding the balance between maintaining his horses’ joint health and preparing them to compete at the highest level. Traditional treatments offered temporary relief, but Casey was looking for something more.
“There were obviously products on the market that could make that horse be comfortable for a period of time, depending on what medication we used. It could be a week, it could be 30 days, just depending on how that joint was treated,” Casey explains. “But early on, I didn’t realize that we could actually improve the joint, not just make the horse healthy, but actually increase the longevity of that horse’s joint.”
A Game-Changing Discovery
Everything changed when Casey discovered Arthramid. This wasn’t just another temporary solution, it was a complete shift in how he approached equine joint health.
“When we came across Arthramid, that changed my whole perspective of it,” Casey says. The results spoke for themselves when he used Arthramid on a 19-year-old gelding that had been retired multiple times. “We actually took a horse that was done showing, and through the help of our team of veterinarians and Arthramid, were able to get that horse completely healthy and back in the pen and extremely competitive.”
The transformation was remarkable. Today, Down Right Amazing – now eight years old and with over a million dollars in winnings – remains completely sound and barefoot. “You can trot him on any surface that you want, and he will pass any vet check that you take him to,” Casey states.
The Confidence Factor
For Casey, Arthramid has delivered something invaluable: complete confidence in his horses’ comfort and soundness. This confidence translates directly into performance advantages.
“When my horses are sound and comfortable, they require less work to get ready,” he explains. “If I don’t have to worry about that horse running down and protecting himself when he runs stops, I know I can send him with full confidence and he can handle any of the ground that I put him in.”
When horses are uncomfortable, they protect themselves, creating a cycle that requires more work and adjustment from the trainer. With Arthramid, that concern is eliminated.
“I know that whenever my vets have gone through those horses and I have Arthramid on board, I don’t have to worry about how that horse’s joints are feeling. So, I know I can approach it with full confidence that I can ask that horse to do its job and he’s completely comfortable and happy to give it to me.”
A Professional Recommendation
Casey’s experience has made him a strong advocate for Arthramid, though he always emphasizes the importance of working with veterinary professionals. “I have countless number of times been approached by people, and I give them the same recommendation: talk to your veterinarian. Make sure that you have a plan with your veterinarian that puts your horse’s needs first, but absolutely look into the Arthramid.”
His professional assessment is clear: “I think without a doubt, with a strategic plan with your veterinarian, there’s not a bad place to use it.”
Beyond Competition: A Philosophy of Care
For Casey, the benefits of Arthramid extend far beyond competitive success. As someone who has loved horses since childhood, his motivation goes deeper than belt buckles and paychecks.
“I want to make sure that I make each one of those horses’ lives better,” he reflects. “And so if I can give that horse an advantage in the fact that it has zero joint pain or it’s completely comfortable there, that’s part of my goal, too. I want to make sure that I’m improving that horse’s life.”
When asked to describe what Arthramid has meant to his program in a single word, Casey’s answer is immediate: “Confidence. I know that I’ve done the very best I can by my horse. My veterinarians have treated him with the best product on the market, and so I’m confident that that horse is comfortable and sound and that I have the confidence to go ask that horse to give me all it’s got.”