Do you remember the date you lost your horse(s)?

[Baywonder]

I had a conversation last night with my DH, and he asked how many years it had been since I lost my old boy (he was PTS). I gave him the exact date and time, 21 years ago.

He was really surprised I knew this, and I wasn't really shocked at his reaction, as most men I know are rubbish with dates. But this got me thinking - am I just one of those weird people who remember stuff like this, or is it commonplace amongst us horsey people?

BTW, I really don't want to upset anyone by asking this question, as I know some of you have recently lost your beloved horses. I am just genuinely curious.

 

[BeckyFlowers]

24th April 2018 approx 17:00 Lady was put to sleep. It was also the same day I started my new job, so day two was difficult.

My Daisy (cat) was put to sleep 30th September 2019 at 14:30, and that broke me.

 

[vmac66]

16th March 2017 4.20 pm Zac was pts. It was a lovely sunny day. I remember feeing glad that his last day had been a nice one.
20th July 2021 we had our 10 year old malamute Ozzy pts. He was one in a million, still miss him.

 

[Northern Hare]

Hi,

My lovely 28 yo horse travelled off to his lush green pastures a year ago yesterday @ 11am, just at the start of LD1. He had had Cushings for 8 years, and some complications arose which made the decision for us that it was time.

It was my vet's last call before she was furloughed (a big practice) and the sun was shining that day and the YM did a great job with helping with all the arrangements. It was still a very sad day of course, but "a day too early it's better than a minute too late", as they say.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I remember all of mine, including the time.............

One day, perhaps/maybe, they'll all be waiting for us under some tree in the Hereafter. I'd like to think so anyway.

 

[Identityincrisis]

I used to know, but don't want to become 'fixated' on the sad dates. I remember the days (several beloved animals) like it was yesterday, but try not to think about that aspect as it is still too raw many years on.

 

[Flicker]

Less the exact dates. More the memories of the day, the things the yard and I did to make them feel special beforehand and the peacefulness of the process thanks to incredibly supportive and professional, competent vets. Also, the weather has played ball - I’ve never had to PTS in the rain.

Also, humorous little incidents. With one horse, he snaffled half a bar of Dairy Milk one of the liveries had left outside her stable as we were leading him outside. He went across the bridge with chocolate on his teeth. With my mare who I lost at the end of 2019, the yard turned her out in the morning into one of the fresh fields for a bite of grass and then couldn’t catch her. Things were getting hairy, with the vet around 30 minutes away. They finally got her in and she was so pleased with herself.

 

[Gloi]

I never think about dates. I know the time of year but not the date. I'm afraid the same applies to family members. It doesn't mean I don't miss them.

 

[Britestar]

Yes, them all but I smile when I remember them.

 

[cobgoblin]

I only remember the date of one because it was Remembrance Day, so hard to forget. Otherwise, I just remember the time of year, not necessarily which year.
The same goes for other pets and people.
I find keeping dates in mind a bit maudlin.

 

[ycbm]

No, I've forgotten them all, even Muffin last year which was the same day I picked up Deza. I remember the events with clarity, though.
.

 

[maisie06]

I had a conversation last night with my DH, and he asked how many years it had been since I lost my old boy (he was PTS). I gave him the exact date and time, 21 years ago.

He was really surprised I knew this, and I wasn't really shocked at his reaction, as most men I know are rubbish with dates. But this got me thinking - am I just one of those weird people who remember stuff like this, or is it commonplace amongst us horsey people?

BTW, I really don't want to upset anyone by asking this question, as I know some of you have recently lost your beloved horses. I am just genuinely curious.

Best horse ever 21st dec 2015 at 08.30 when we said goodbye, sold the others not long after, heart wasn't in it anymore and my weight span out of control, and dealing with winter and mud got soul destroying.

 

[TwyfordM]

Some of them, I know I got Mysti around Halloween/bonfire night 2009.
Lost Barney (greyhound) 31st October 2016 pretty late on in the evening
Tinkerbelle (cat) 5th November 2017.
Neither were fireworks related funnily enough.

Must be something about that time of year!

The hamster also croaked it on my 11th birthday (timing or what ?) so 30th June 2005.

 

[UnfilteredCowgirl]

None of my personal critters have died (thank goodness! I feel so sorry for all of you that have lost a beloved animal! Hugs!), but I did have to sell my little male donkey, Tim, and that was....painful, to say the least. I sold him, and he was dropped off at the transport lady's truck, on Jan. 10 2021, at about 7am.
I used to feel really down, and sorry about it whenever I remembered him, but then I realized that he had given me so many good memories, that I owed at least that to him, to remember all the good he had done for me. I then began to create a video of him, and all the memories we had together, that made me feel so much better. I still cry every time I watch the video, but they're happy tears, for all the good things we did together, and for joy that he is in a good home, with loving people.

 

[Trouper]

Yes - all of it - date, day, time, weather - every God-awful moment of it.

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

I don't. I know the month but only know what date if my phone shows me an on this day last year photo. Same with my family members I've lost. I can remember the events of the day like it was yesterday but no idea of dates.

 

[mariew]

Nope, I sometimes struggle with the year even though it wasn't that many years ago. I do the remember the peace after she was pts when I sat with her though waiting for the lorry to take her away. The weather, soft breeze and the birds flying in the sky and the fluffy clouds blowing past.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I remember the dates and rough time of both my horses that I lost

 

[JoannaC]

No i'm rubbish with exact dates but do know the year and month just not the actual day. That goes for humans too.

 

[Shilasdair]

No, I deliberately don't remember when I lose my animals.
I loved them, I lost them, I don't want to spend miserable days remembering the day they were PTS.
I do remember all their birthdays, every last whorl and hair of their physical appearance though.

 

[Spotherisk]

I’m deliberately trying not to remember... Tinner was a year ago last month and I can remember what happened and the run up to it but it doesn’t help me to mull over it and kind of wait for the day.

 

[PSD]

Yep. Exact time, date and exactly how the day went. Weather was glorious, but I’ll never get “the moment” out of my head. It haunted me for months afterwards, but I try to remember her in the field grazing happily the day before...and her not letting me catch her despite being crippled with laminitis ?

Can’t believe it’s coming up to a year, what a year it’s been.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Yep. 30th April 2016. I don’t know the time, would have been somewhere around lunchtime. We were out competing, so easy to know the day. I don’t know which I find harder, the weekend the event runs and everyone is posting about going, or the actual date.

 

[splashgirl45]

yes, all of mine but i try not to fixate on the actual day as i like to remember the good times. that goes for people as well, i remember their birthdays not the day they left...

 

[cariad]

I lost 2 of mine on the first day of Burghley, which we were due to go to, 2 years apart. Unbelieveable coincidence. The first we had to have put down as although he looked ok, he was down in the field and just was not going to get up again. He was 34. The second was 2 years later in 2019 and he had died overnight in the field. He was 30. They were both fine until they obviously weren't, both had eaten their tea up the evening before and wandered off up the field, no inkling they were going to go. The second always was an awkward bugger, so I might have expected something like that from him really! Our local knackerman is really good, lovely chap and he had them done and dusted very early- we were up at the crack of dawn to get off anyway- and we were able to get to Burghley for the afternoon. It was a bit of a quiet afternoon though.

 

[Michen]

Horse of a lifetime yes. 12th Feb 2017.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Yes I can remember the animals. Humans? Not a clue! My dad died last year and I know it was March but that's as far as it gets!

 

[Michen]

I don’t remember the exact time but it was around 10pm when the vets called me to say he had stood up from colic surgery and his leg had broken beyond repair. I remembered sitting on the stone tiles, somehow texting my best friend who was an hour away. Then crawling into the shower and next thing I knew she was here.

The week that followed I genuinely don’t remember. I thank my lucky stars my boss was an animal lover and understood, it took me a week before I could go back to work and even then I was a zombie.

So I don’t remember the exact time but I remember the exact moment like it was yesterday.

 

[Michen]

I lost 2 of mine on the first day of Burghley, which we were due to go to, 2 years apart. Unbelieveable coincidence. The first we had to have put down as although he looked ok, he was down in the field and just was not going to get up again. He was 34. The second was 2 years later in 2019 and he had died overnight in the field. He was 30. They were both fine until they obviously weren't, both had eaten their tea up the evening before and wandered off up the field, no inkling they were going to go. The second always was an awkward bugger, so I might have expected something like that from him really! Our local knackerman is really good, lovely chap and he had them done and dusted very early- we were up at the crack of dawn to get off anyway- and we were able to get to Burghley for the afternoon. It was a bit of a quiet afternoon though.

I am reading this and thinking how lucky you are. My biggest wish in life is that Boggle has a long and happy life and grows up with me, and that I don’t loose him before his time. To have two horses reach that age is incredible, what a privilege.

 

[Spotherisk]

I don’t remember the exact time but it was around 10pm when the vets called me to say he had stood up from colic surgery and his leg had broken beyond repair. I remembered sitting on the stone tiles, somehow texting my best friend who was an hour away. Then crawling into the shower and next thing I knew she was here.

The week that followed I genuinely don’t remember. I thank my lucky stars my boss was an animal lover and understood, it took me a week before I could go back to work and even then I was a zombie.

So I don’t remember the exact time but I remember the exact moment like it was yesterday.

I can’t imagine how awful that must still feel, so sorry for your pain.