Angelbones
Well-Known Member
Some of you may remember my post earlier this week about our two horses who were struck down with Atypical Myopathy, and my other horse with cellulitis to his face, and the others...
Today poor old JP, the one with the cellulitis to his face, was pts.
Please allow me to tell you what I know of JP's life story. He really was a horse in a million, and my father's horse of a lifetime. He may have passed away today looking very sad indeed, with a woolly coat, dull eyes, underweight, and with lumps on his face and neck but he only became like this over the past couple of weeks. It was a family decision to help him on his way, he just wasn't fighting his illness (which turned out not to be cellulitis) and was wasting away before our eyes. The vet said she thought he had tumours, and the internal ones were causing his immense appetite and dramatic weight loss.
I found out via this forum that he had been in the Household Cavalry when young, and his farrier from then still remembered him. He was evented very successfully by the soldiers who owned him and was then sold to the Japanese olympic eventing team but due to a heart murmur ended up not flying there. He was then bought by the Swedish (I think it was Swedish) showjumping team but due to yet another unforeseen issue (not regarding his health) he didn't go over. His owner was a Major by this time and he was posted over to the Gulf and JP went to the remount dept in Leics.
My dad was looking for a top notch horse to do team chasing with (this was in the early days of TC when it really was a white knuckle ride and before health and safety really kicked in and spoiled every dare devil's fun
). He was told about JP and the Major asked him to take him on trial whilst he was away. Well, time ticked along and the Major didn't get back in touch for quite some time, and dad was smitten, and JP wasn't going anywhere. Finally contact was made and a price was agreed - a silly cheap price as JP had done a leg in the past and had this heart murmur.
Together dad and JP conquered everything they tried. JP wasn't an easy ride but he suited dad's 'cowboy style'. They drag hunted, bloodhounded, hunted, team chased and point to pointed. When it was time for an easier life he went to a professional retirement home but when visited he really wasn't doing well so came home again and started riding out around the block, obviously having not forgotten all the routes and scary hidden bins. He was allowed to choose which route he'd go on, and often he'd decide to go to the gallops where he'd frequently buck off his jockey and head off home alone.
Then a young lad was looking for a P-P horse to learn on so he had JP for a couple of seasons until he moved up to a younger model and JP came home again. He was fully retired in 2009 and I saw him in the field last Spring and decided to bring him over to my yard where he could get some real one on one attention along with my other oldie. All I wanted to do was give him one last summer. He blossomed and put on weight, and was a real character. Just like one of those grumpy old men in a nursing home who thump the table when their dinner isn't ready, and stick their fingers up at you when their bed isn't made correctly. He liked routine, and was a really happy man. He went through last winter really well and was having a fab summer this year.
But just over a fortnight ago we noticed how much weight he had suddenly lost, and then a week ago he had a hugely swollen cheek which the vet thought was cellulitis. He didn't respond to antibiotics, and was just going down hill really fast. His body was failing him. In the last couple of days the swelling spread around his throat and down his neck. We couldn't travel him for xrays and he was due to be scoped tomorrow, but this morning I went in and he just looked beaten, totally fed up. He wasn't fighting his illness and we didn't want to put him through any more and watch him get worse so as a family we decided to help him along his way.
In true JP style he fought to the very end, and did not go quietly and it was very distressing but I don't regret it and was touched by his spirit.
This horse was very well known in his competition circles and he still got Christmas cards from the girls who looked after him years ago. He literally had a fan club and will be sorely missed and much remembered by very many people.
He was 30 years old, and we had him for 22 of them. Watch out everyone in horsey heaven, JP only does things his way or not at all!
This picture was taken a few months ago.
Oh crikey, sorry, I've just previewed this and its really long. Thank you for indulging me. x
Today poor old JP, the one with the cellulitis to his face, was pts.
Please allow me to tell you what I know of JP's life story. He really was a horse in a million, and my father's horse of a lifetime. He may have passed away today looking very sad indeed, with a woolly coat, dull eyes, underweight, and with lumps on his face and neck but he only became like this over the past couple of weeks. It was a family decision to help him on his way, he just wasn't fighting his illness (which turned out not to be cellulitis) and was wasting away before our eyes. The vet said she thought he had tumours, and the internal ones were causing his immense appetite and dramatic weight loss.
I found out via this forum that he had been in the Household Cavalry when young, and his farrier from then still remembered him. He was evented very successfully by the soldiers who owned him and was then sold to the Japanese olympic eventing team but due to a heart murmur ended up not flying there. He was then bought by the Swedish (I think it was Swedish) showjumping team but due to yet another unforeseen issue (not regarding his health) he didn't go over. His owner was a Major by this time and he was posted over to the Gulf and JP went to the remount dept in Leics.
My dad was looking for a top notch horse to do team chasing with (this was in the early days of TC when it really was a white knuckle ride and before health and safety really kicked in and spoiled every dare devil's fun
). He was told about JP and the Major asked him to take him on trial whilst he was away. Well, time ticked along and the Major didn't get back in touch for quite some time, and dad was smitten, and JP wasn't going anywhere. Finally contact was made and a price was agreed - a silly cheap price as JP had done a leg in the past and had this heart murmur.Together dad and JP conquered everything they tried. JP wasn't an easy ride but he suited dad's 'cowboy style'. They drag hunted, bloodhounded, hunted, team chased and point to pointed. When it was time for an easier life he went to a professional retirement home but when visited he really wasn't doing well so came home again and started riding out around the block, obviously having not forgotten all the routes and scary hidden bins. He was allowed to choose which route he'd go on, and often he'd decide to go to the gallops where he'd frequently buck off his jockey and head off home alone.
Then a young lad was looking for a P-P horse to learn on so he had JP for a couple of seasons until he moved up to a younger model and JP came home again. He was fully retired in 2009 and I saw him in the field last Spring and decided to bring him over to my yard where he could get some real one on one attention along with my other oldie. All I wanted to do was give him one last summer. He blossomed and put on weight, and was a real character. Just like one of those grumpy old men in a nursing home who thump the table when their dinner isn't ready, and stick their fingers up at you when their bed isn't made correctly. He liked routine, and was a really happy man. He went through last winter really well and was having a fab summer this year.
But just over a fortnight ago we noticed how much weight he had suddenly lost, and then a week ago he had a hugely swollen cheek which the vet thought was cellulitis. He didn't respond to antibiotics, and was just going down hill really fast. His body was failing him. In the last couple of days the swelling spread around his throat and down his neck. We couldn't travel him for xrays and he was due to be scoped tomorrow, but this morning I went in and he just looked beaten, totally fed up. He wasn't fighting his illness and we didn't want to put him through any more and watch him get worse so as a family we decided to help him along his way.
In true JP style he fought to the very end, and did not go quietly and it was very distressing but I don't regret it and was touched by his spirit.
This horse was very well known in his competition circles and he still got Christmas cards from the girls who looked after him years ago. He literally had a fan club and will be sorely missed and much remembered by very many people.
He was 30 years old, and we had him for 22 of them. Watch out everyone in horsey heaven, JP only does things his way or not at all!
This picture was taken a few months ago.
Oh crikey, sorry, I've just previewed this and its really long. Thank you for indulging me. x
RIP JP x
) Run free JP xxx
