Well, I think you just experienced a miracle. It certainly was difficult for me to read, as it brought back two extremely painful memories. The date was March 6th 1995, and my beloved palomino gelding was rolling in what looked like terrible pain. The vet came, diagnosed a blocked bowel. He said it looked bad, but there was a small chance an intervention would work. I said to give it a try. I will never forgive myself for that choice...it haunts me still. He really suffered from that useless treatment...and died the next day. I was really broke at the time, and had to pay the knacker my last $60. to haul him away...and live with the thought of my faithful friend ending up as dog food.
Then, a few days before Christmas in 2002, when I was very ill myself, my old donkey went down and could not rise. There was blood coming out of his nostrils. He had been ailing for a year. It was expensive to call the vet to put him down. I was determined not to call the knacker again. I was thinking if I could get some help to load him in my pick-up, I could drive up into the mountains , and leave him for the wildlife to feast on...anything but ending up as dog food. Then I remembered the neighbors had a small machine shovel. I asked if I could hire them to bury my friend. The young man of the family offered to do it for free. When he was a child I had let him ride the donkey whenever he wanted. I was very grateful.
So those are two horrible stories, just two of many tragic animal deaths I've experienced. Still, I continue to get pets...I can't imagine life without them. I hope this isn't too depressing. It is so painful to remember. I've very glad your story had a happy ending. I think I would have skipped it, if you had not added that reassurance.
I realized as I was writing it that without some reassurance many readers might skip it. Pet death stories are terrible. Most people have plenty of that to deal with in their own lives and don't need to read more. Thanks for sticking it out and reading it through. Sometimes there are happy endings and you're right, it did feel like a miracle. And thanks for sharing your stories.
I think it's a little masterpiece, and I was drawn in from the beginning. It's a story that simultaneously conveys all sorts of things; your relationship with your horse and the land you live on, your sympathies and worries about what will come later if she were to die, your resolve not to be annoyed by her bad habits if she pulls through, your feeling of relief afterwards and your sense of having grown through the crisis, not to mention your observations about the behavior of a horse in distress. I do wonder if the spoiler alert adds anything though. Curious why you started with that.
Thanks Ruben! I hesitated to publish it because it's much more personal than most of my posts. It means a lot to me that you think it's a little masterpiece!
Hi Lynncady. Amazing story. We've been in similar places over the decades and have two horses buried on our holding so far, one from old age and one you could call from a mercy killing.. We've taken it in turns to stay with horses with colics and so far they've survived but that freezing in time, waiting for some change to occur and hoping it will be positive or at least stop their pain- challenging moments that are never ending at the time. Thanks for sharing and so glad it turned out well for you and yours.
Well, I think you just experienced a miracle. It certainly was difficult for me to read, as it brought back two extremely painful memories. The date was March 6th 1995, and my beloved palomino gelding was rolling in what looked like terrible pain. The vet came, diagnosed a blocked bowel. He said it looked bad, but there was a small chance an intervention would work. I said to give it a try. I will never forgive myself for that choice...it haunts me still. He really suffered from that useless treatment...and died the next day. I was really broke at the time, and had to pay the knacker my last $60. to haul him away...and live with the thought of my faithful friend ending up as dog food.
Then, a few days before Christmas in 2002, when I was very ill myself, my old donkey went down and could not rise. There was blood coming out of his nostrils. He had been ailing for a year. It was expensive to call the vet to put him down. I was determined not to call the knacker again. I was thinking if I could get some help to load him in my pick-up, I could drive up into the mountains , and leave him for the wildlife to feast on...anything but ending up as dog food. Then I remembered the neighbors had a small machine shovel. I asked if I could hire them to bury my friend. The young man of the family offered to do it for free. When he was a child I had let him ride the donkey whenever he wanted. I was very grateful.
So those are two horrible stories, just two of many tragic animal deaths I've experienced. Still, I continue to get pets...I can't imagine life without them. I hope this isn't too depressing. It is so painful to remember. I've very glad your story had a happy ending. I think I would have skipped it, if you had not added that reassurance.
I realized as I was writing it that without some reassurance many readers might skip it. Pet death stories are terrible. Most people have plenty of that to deal with in their own lives and don't need to read more. Thanks for sticking it out and reading it through. Sometimes there are happy endings and you're right, it did feel like a miracle. And thanks for sharing your stories.
I think it's a little masterpiece, and I was drawn in from the beginning. It's a story that simultaneously conveys all sorts of things; your relationship with your horse and the land you live on, your sympathies and worries about what will come later if she were to die, your resolve not to be annoyed by her bad habits if she pulls through, your feeling of relief afterwards and your sense of having grown through the crisis, not to mention your observations about the behavior of a horse in distress. I do wonder if the spoiler alert adds anything though. Curious why you started with that.
Oh. I see you answered my question further down in the comments...
Thanks Ruben! I hesitated to publish it because it's much more personal than most of my posts. It means a lot to me that you think it's a little masterpiece!
Personal stuff… that’s a hard one for me too. You’re lucky that horses can’t read. (As far as we know.)
Hi Lynncady. Amazing story. We've been in similar places over the decades and have two horses buried on our holding so far, one from old age and one you could call from a mercy killing.. We've taken it in turns to stay with horses with colics and so far they've survived but that freezing in time, waiting for some change to occur and hoping it will be positive or at least stop their pain- challenging moments that are never ending at the time. Thanks for sharing and so glad it turned out well for you and yours.