superted1989
Well-Known Member
Today is the year anniversary of losing my horse of a lifetime, Ted (Penpontbren Superted).
He had been 'rescued' by a friend of a friend, he was booked in the be PTS as the owners were moving abroad within days and had been unable to sell him. The 'rescuers' daughter said she would take him, then dropped him off at her mother's as a companion! Ted was the fattest horse I have ever seen, he looked like a sausage about to burst, and also came across as dull and depressed
He was too 'big' to be a companion and was offered to me. At 17, it was thought he would be able to come back into light work, perfect for me. Lots of careful dieting, and bonding followed. Farrier reckoned he'd had 'low grade' laminitus for years and vet diagnosed false ringbone in front but Ted was a happy chap and managed very light work until he was 20 and I fully retired him.
He was right character, a proper 'bed head' and only liked to be out when the weather was suitably ambient (we had many a 'conversation' in the stable doorway that being out was far, far better than being in). He was right down the bottom of the pecking order in the field and had few social skills with horses as he'd spent most of his youth as a serving stallion and kept solitary (apart from his neck you would never had guessed he was a stallion until his teens). Easter 2010 brought Basil to the yard, another who had spent his youth as a stallion, but was aggressive in company. We tried him and Ted together and they instantly became best buddies, the first time ever that Basil had been able to have turnout company.
Then, last summer, Ted started to show signs of being very uncomfortable in the hock area. He wouldn't load to travel to horsepital (had a travelling accident) but the vet said, with his age and slight unsoundness in front, even with a diagnosis, palliative care would be his only real option. Poor Ted, towards the end, could only put his head down to eat and drink on 5 bute a day. I hate to see animals suffer, so the decision was made.
Ted is buried in the spot in the field, where he and Basil used to stand together, at the top of the hill where they could see the whole yard. I miss him every day.
He had been 'rescued' by a friend of a friend, he was booked in the be PTS as the owners were moving abroad within days and had been unable to sell him. The 'rescuers' daughter said she would take him, then dropped him off at her mother's as a companion! Ted was the fattest horse I have ever seen, he looked like a sausage about to burst, and also came across as dull and depressed
He was too 'big' to be a companion and was offered to me. At 17, it was thought he would be able to come back into light work, perfect for me. Lots of careful dieting, and bonding followed. Farrier reckoned he'd had 'low grade' laminitus for years and vet diagnosed false ringbone in front but Ted was a happy chap and managed very light work until he was 20 and I fully retired him.
He was right character, a proper 'bed head' and only liked to be out when the weather was suitably ambient (we had many a 'conversation' in the stable doorway that being out was far, far better than being in). He was right down the bottom of the pecking order in the field and had few social skills with horses as he'd spent most of his youth as a serving stallion and kept solitary (apart from his neck you would never had guessed he was a stallion until his teens). Easter 2010 brought Basil to the yard, another who had spent his youth as a stallion, but was aggressive in company. We tried him and Ted together and they instantly became best buddies, the first time ever that Basil had been able to have turnout company.
Then, last summer, Ted started to show signs of being very uncomfortable in the hock area. He wouldn't load to travel to horsepital (had a travelling accident) but the vet said, with his age and slight unsoundness in front, even with a diagnosis, palliative care would be his only real option. Poor Ted, towards the end, could only put his head down to eat and drink on 5 bute a day. I hate to see animals suffer, so the decision was made.
Ted is buried in the spot in the field, where he and Basil used to stand together, at the top of the hill where they could see the whole yard. I miss him every day.
