Baydale
Well-Known Member
So it's bad enough having another birthday - or it is when you get to my age - but being on crutches for it is rubbish. Then things went from bad to worse with a visit from the vet.
My old boy, William Hill, had had a busy old day last Tuesday: he'd crossed twenty odd dykes/drains (William's speciality) with OH as fieldmaster and been out all day, so was was pretty tired and achey for the next few days, with filled legs and a bit more heat in one than the other, particularly above his huge, broken splint bone, done years ago. He was pottery, but trotted up sound two days ago, legs were down, then came up again after he'd hacked out. Anyway, to cut a long story short he'd done a tendon really badly and the prognosis was not good: maybe sound enough to hack after 12 months, maybe.
So, we made the decision to have him put to sleep, and the deed was done later this afternoon. It was a lovely day with the sun shining, he looked fantastic and at 22 he owed us nothing. Thank you William, for giving me the best years of your life, and latterly for teaching OH what a proper, mannered hunter should feel like and for showing lesser, younger horses how to do it.
My birthday present from you was to remember you today, looking shiny and healthy, hanging over the door with your head on one side whilst going through our pockets on the quest for polos. There will never be another one like you, that's for sure.
Drink to him tonight please, my horse of a lifetime.
Sorry about the huge photos, I'm about as good on Photobucket as I am on crutches.
My old boy, William Hill, had had a busy old day last Tuesday: he'd crossed twenty odd dykes/drains (William's speciality) with OH as fieldmaster and been out all day, so was was pretty tired and achey for the next few days, with filled legs and a bit more heat in one than the other, particularly above his huge, broken splint bone, done years ago. He was pottery, but trotted up sound two days ago, legs were down, then came up again after he'd hacked out. Anyway, to cut a long story short he'd done a tendon really badly and the prognosis was not good: maybe sound enough to hack after 12 months, maybe.
So, we made the decision to have him put to sleep, and the deed was done later this afternoon. It was a lovely day with the sun shining, he looked fantastic and at 22 he owed us nothing. Thank you William, for giving me the best years of your life, and latterly for teaching OH what a proper, mannered hunter should feel like and for showing lesser, younger horses how to do it.
My birthday present from you was to remember you today, looking shiny and healthy, hanging over the door with your head on one side whilst going through our pockets on the quest for polos. There will never be another one like you, that's for sure.
Drink to him tonight please, my horse of a lifetime.
Sorry about the huge photos, I'm about as good on Photobucket as I am on crutches.
