On Sunday we said Goodbye to Little Lad

[MrsMozart]

Merlin the Magic Surprise.

He let me know he'd had enough. Liver issue. Arthritis in all leg joints. He was losing the sparkle that made him him.

He went with the sun on his back, cuddles, apples and carrots, with people that loved him. It was quick and painless.

 

[Spotsrock]

Condolences. My mare has same issues I may join you in making that decision shortly. Well done being brave and doing best for your boy

 

[Meowy Catkin]

RIP Little Lad.

 

[Vodkagirly]

Sorry to hear, brave decision. X

 

[DressageCob]

RIP little pony. At least he left in comfort and amongst friends

 

[4faults]

So sorry to hear that :-( my condolenscences to all of you. Rip Merlin

 

[dafthoss]

Hugs, thinking of you and your family.

 

[milesjess]

So sorry. It's amazing how they tell us. Mine seems to be at that point now with his artiritis

Thoughts are with you x

 

[Snowysadude]

Awh so sorry Mrs. M. I saw a status on facebook and I wondered if that was your boy. RIP - he looked like a right character! x

 

[Trinity Fox]

He looked like a lovely boy bless you all at this sad time.

 

[Ebenezer_Scrooge]

Oh no sorry to hear this Mrs M .....R.I.P Little Lad.....he had the best life with all of you and you did the right thing by him xx

 

[MrsMozart]

Thank you all.

He was lying down in the field a lot, something that he rarely did before. When the other horses ran and played near him, he just stayed on the ground, oblivious. For a pony with a unique sense of self preservation, he was losing it - picking up kicks and bites.

In the field just over a week or so ago, he was following us around, which was fairly normal, but always he follows, head butts, then is head down and eating. This time, he kept his head low and just looked tired. Friend gave him a cuddle and LL stood, with his head in her arms, and went to sleep.

He's never done anything like that before. We've seen him in pain, ill, tired, weak, but always there's been the spark that kept his head up and his eyes alight.

Vet came Sunday and we mooted all possibilities, but really the decision was made and it was the right one at the right time.

Still bl00dy hurts though.

Miss his little face.

 

[maisie06]

Sorry to hear this RIP little lad and well done for making the right decision. XX

 

[Holly Hocks]

So sorry to hear this - you did the right thing - you know when it's their time. xx

 

[rhino]

Oh MrsM I'm so sorry. Your love, respect and care for your horses really shines through on here, they are so lucky to have you, and you them.

x

 

[PippiPony]

((hugs)) MrsM & family
xx

 

[quirky]

Sorry to hear this

How are the girls? Have they been okay with it?
We have 2 old dogs and I dread the day we lose them, the children will be gutted. The eldest one goes to PGL in September with school and she has already said about "what if one of the big dogs die"

 

[touchstone]

Best thing for Little Lad, but hardest for you.

He looks as if he has left many memories behind though!

 

[Black_Horse_White]

So sorry for your loss, RIP little man thinking of you & your family x

 

[Ladyinred]

Bless you for making the right decision at the right time. It's never gets any easier..

Run free Little Lad xx

 

[Emilieu]

I'm so so sorry for your loss and for the terribly hard and brave decision you had to face. RIP Little Lad xx

 

[elliefiz]

Oh MrsM how terribly sad. My thoughts are with you and your family- the right decisions can be so hard to make. RIP wee fellow.

 

[MrsMozart]

Thank you.

The girls have been surprisingly understanding. He was such a part of our lives and his character has shaped so much of what we do and who we now are, that to see him fade and start to fail, well they didn't want that. They've both had their moments. D2 is away this week so I had to check with her, as he was originally her pony, but she said she couldn't make him wait for her to get back, that it wasn't right for him. I've saved his headcollar and leadrope and she'll have those and no doubt one of his stable rugs. D1 was with him to the end. Her view was the same as her sister's. I lay with him for a while, then D1 lay on the grass in the sun, talking to him about times gone by.

He was a character and a half!

I bought him for D2. I hold my hands up and admit that he was the wrong pony but I was tired of looking and he needed someone. His owner was scared of him. He lived alone in a field for a year and did nothing and went nowhere for the vast majority of that time.

He was desperately overweight, as rude and bolshy as they come, and we all fell in love with him.

He had no respect for people. Running through, barging, bobbing off either under saddle or in hand. The number of times we had to lead him out in a bridle and a pressure halter, a lead rope and a long line.

Under saddle, if one could ride then he was a star. Moved like a little dressage horse. Anyone less accomplished and he was an absolute g-i-t. Buck, rear, drop a shoulder, spin, you name it, he could and would do it. D2 gave up riding after the last time he dumped her (stood on her in passing that time - quick trip to A&E to check kidney for damage and a hand for breaks). D1 learnt to stick on just about anything!

He could jump like a stag, but was scared of it. We think that as he had such a sloping shoulder, a high wither, and was generally just difficult to fit, the points of the tree had dug in behind his shoulders on landing . He would come into a jump, then slam his brakes on within the last stride. D1 took some interesting fliers! We stopped the jumping, it just wasn't fair on him.

We could hack him out with just about anyone on him though . He'd often lead others past all sorts of scary things

Over time he had bouts of laminitis, one lasting three months. Some rotation that time, but he came through it okay. At one point he moved as though he had stringhallt. That was when we decided to retire him.

He was happy to be in a field with his friends and to eat.

For a friend to stand and cuddle, groom, lean on his back and just watch the world go by he will be sorely missed. His neigh and whinny when he saw one of his people, the little head butts if he thought you weren't going fast enough, his teeth that always managed to slip out and just catch a passing thumb.

 

[Nicnac]

Sorry to hear of your loss; thoughts with you. RIP little man & run pain free over the rainbow bridge

 

[*hic*]

He was a lucky boy to find you to understand and love him and work with his quirks and then finally to recognise that he was tired and had lost his spark and needed the end.

So sorry for your family and his other friends, RIP LL.

 

[Natch]

Bless him, what a loved pony.

Sleep tight little lad.

 

[Honey08]

Sorry for your loss, but sounds like he had a wonderful home - especially one who made the ultimate decision at the right time.. Hugs to you all.xx

 

[Always_A_Moody_Mare]

So sorry for your loss, RIP LL, gone but not forgotten xx

 

[tikino]

so so sad gone but never forgotten

 

[Pearlsasinger]

So sorry to hear this.
It's never an easy decision but I know you've thought long and hard and been waiting for him to tell you when he'd had enough.
He obviously found the right family who listened to him throughout the time he was with you, right until the end.
RIP Merlin.