khalswitz
Well-Known Member
Hi all. I know it's been a while since I updated last with Geoff's condition. Up til now, he's been just tootling along, been turned out, wound not quite healed but getting there.
Today I got a phonecall from my yard owner saying he looked very unhappy and very lame. Went up to the yard, and he was breathing very rapidly and heavily, and walking on three legs. The wound seemed fine, the leg wasn't swollen. I wondered at first if he was colicking, or tying up, but it didn't fit the symptoms.
Vet came out, and we decided to X-ray the leg, worried maybe he had done something stupid and fractured the leg. He hadn't, but it turned out the bone injury had never healed, and had sequestered. Unfortunately, without thousands of pounds more surgery, and six months or more of box rest, there was nothing we could do.
He got a mouthful of fresh grass before he went, and gave me a long cuddle. But, unfortunately, he's gone.
I don't really need to say how special he was. Even the vet said he was a wonderful, genuine, one-of-a-kind horse. I know we did all we could, gave him a fighting chance, and I also know that today was the first day I've seen him really unhappy since he first injured himself. So whilst I'm broken hearted, I know we did all we could.
I regret that he never did get to event after all that trying. But he taught me so much, and gave me so much confidence. I'm going to miss him so, so, so much: the way he Neighs to me every time he sees me, the way he cuddles me, the way he could be so daft but was so brilliant in a crisis. I can't imagine hacking down a main road, past cars, lorries, motorbikes, tractors, trailers, snowplows and bicycle pilotons on any other horse.
But I'm so, so glad he's not in pain any more.
Today I got a phonecall from my yard owner saying he looked very unhappy and very lame. Went up to the yard, and he was breathing very rapidly and heavily, and walking on three legs. The wound seemed fine, the leg wasn't swollen. I wondered at first if he was colicking, or tying up, but it didn't fit the symptoms.
Vet came out, and we decided to X-ray the leg, worried maybe he had done something stupid and fractured the leg. He hadn't, but it turned out the bone injury had never healed, and had sequestered. Unfortunately, without thousands of pounds more surgery, and six months or more of box rest, there was nothing we could do.
He got a mouthful of fresh grass before he went, and gave me a long cuddle. But, unfortunately, he's gone.
I don't really need to say how special he was. Even the vet said he was a wonderful, genuine, one-of-a-kind horse. I know we did all we could, gave him a fighting chance, and I also know that today was the first day I've seen him really unhappy since he first injured himself. So whilst I'm broken hearted, I know we did all we could.
I regret that he never did get to event after all that trying. But he taught me so much, and gave me so much confidence. I'm going to miss him so, so, so much: the way he Neighs to me every time he sees me, the way he cuddles me, the way he could be so daft but was so brilliant in a crisis. I can't imagine hacking down a main road, past cars, lorries, motorbikes, tractors, trailers, snowplows and bicycle pilotons on any other horse.
But I'm so, so glad he's not in pain any more.
RIP Geoff.
