Those of you that have lost horses...

Swift08

Swift08

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What did you do after? Not only with all your horses things but in regards to riding. Did you take time off or carry on?
The reason I ask is because Pharaoh's eye condition took a turn for the worse 5 days ago. The bute is not working on the standard dose and his flare ups have gone from once a year down to 3 months and it will only get worse (he suffers from equine recurrent uveitis). My mum has been in contact with the AHT who are going to look at his case because his symptoms are apparently unusual... it also means that having the eye out is a no go area and it's likely the other operation is aswell :( We have decided that if they come back with no suggestions that will help him long term then he will be put down in the very near future at the young age of 7 :(
Now I am devastated, this saturday I have owned him 5 years and to think that he will not be here next year is horrible. I obvioulsy don't want to give up riding completely but i've never spoken to anyone that has lost a horse that wasnt already retired (the owners stopped riding when the horses retired) so if anyone could give me any advice it would be much appreciated.
I don't expect many replies tonight but I can't sleep and will be at the yard most of the day tomorrow doing eyedrops...
 
Oh I am so sorry for you, what a horrid situation.

I think everyone deals with losing a horse totally differently. I lost my beloved horse after 17 years together, he dropped dead of a heart attack at 20, I was devastated he was totally my life and adored everything about him, I cried for weeks, and still cry now talking about him 6 years later, I would give up anything I have just to have one more hour with him, I feel robbed that we didnt have his old age together, robbed that I was never given a decision, robbed that I never got to say goodbye and how much I loved him (he was with my mum at the time and died in her arms), robbed that other people can treat their horses badly and they live till old age, why couldnt mine.

He was and is my horse of a lifetime. We knew each other inside out, I would only have to think it and he would do it, I was a know it all teenager when I bought him at 19 as a 3 year old just backed. He soon brought me down to earth with a great big thump, and made me realise I knew nothing and needed to change both my attitude (with regard to horses and people) and start to learn and listen. I still have all his stuff, I cannot bear to part with it.

I gave up horses for 5 years after he died, and got brought back into them again by a couple that both had real issues that I heard about locally. I adore them both, however they are not my beloved M, and to be totally honest I do find every excuse under the sun not to ride them, as they are just not M and even now I still compare them to him. They are loved, looked after and ridden by others. I would never sell either of them I just think when he died a little bit of me has given up and although I still love looking after them, I just havent the drive to ride like I did when he was stood in the stable.

Hugs to you.
 
Hi Scally, thankyou for the reply :)
You definitely sound like you had a great relationship with him and your story almost set me off crying again! I am very close to Pharaoh, he was my first pony and was only a 2yo when I got him (and i was only 11) probably not the best match on paper but up until now its been fine, bumpy along the way but I was lucky to have the support I've had. I am dreading 'the day' and I am worried I may start to compare other horses to him or not want to have other horses after him, at the moment I want to carry on but I have no idea what it will be like after..
xx
 
I really hope something can be done for Pharaoh, special horses are such a gift.
I lost my beloved mare 4 years ago, she was my soul mate, I lived and breathed her every moment of every day. She was PTS on New Years eve, aged 10 years.
I couldn't imagine ever enjoying riding a horse as much as I did with her, she was fun, sassy and full of character. My YO asked me to ride her mare for her and my OH persuaded me to agree a few weeks later, I didn't want to, but YO had been so good to me that I reluctantly agreed. The horse was great fun, she was fit, keen and opinionated. I realised that perhaps I could start afresh and went out and bought a horse quite different from my former horse.
Since, I lost my girl, I've loved and enjoyed other horses but like Scally, I would give anything to have her back. Remembering our time together still brings tears, but I'm so thankful for what we had together that all the sadness following her death is a price worth paying for having known her.
I love the horses I have now, especially since last year, following an illness, I didn't know if I would ever walk again, let alone ride. By the skill of doctors I fully recovered and being able to ride is wonderful, so I enjoy spending time in the saddle.
Losing a 'once in a lifetime' horse is heartbreaking, but sometimes some people are lucky enough to have a second go with another equally 100% horse.
 
I've lost two horses since October last year and have to say my new mare arrived at the weekend (Lost River in October and Luca in March).

I knew the end was coming with River and had bought Luca as a 'riding' horse and also to hopefully help ease the pain a little - you know having something to do instead of huge empty days. The whole Riv left in my life will never go, but I had two years to prepare for him leaving me, I said my goodbyes to him and know he is with me in everything I do.

Lu injured his back, and was unable to return to being a ridden horse. I decided to let him go, and boy it hurt that he was meant to be my 'proper horse' and my way to move forwards - instead he cost me a knee operation and more heartache.

I knew as soon as I decided to have Lu PTS that I would get another horse... I took my time looking, and to be perfectly honest I thought when Bell came home the two big holes in my heart would magically heal. They haven't - but I do know that love for her will come and make a new space - but nothing will replace the boys, esp not river who I had for 6 years and he was my everything - he really was my world. I needed to get back into it, but then I had been through 2yrs of not really being able to ride, and Luca was in the process of being restarted when we put him down, I knew loosing the summer riding again as well as both the boys would be too much to loose.

So far so good with the new girl and I am loving riding again.

xx
 
What a sad situation for you to be in.

I lost my horse nine weeks ago. Last November he developed A-Fib. There is only one treatment available in this country for this and it is very high risk, highly unpleasant, very expensive and the chances of it being successful were slim.

I carried on riding him for a while, but he gradually deteriorated so I retired him. The last time I rode him was on Valentine's day. :(

I then rode a friends horse on the odd weekend and started looking for another.

I was told by my vet that this condition would lead to heart disease and then heart failure, but could not tell me how long this would take. I expected him to last longer than he did. One day you wouldn't have known there was anything wrong with him, the next he was showing signs of heart failure. My vet told me that there would be no recovery from this and that he would end up staggering and collapsing, so I decided to have him PTS before he got any worse.

As I said before, I was looking for another anyway and a week after losing Bruce I found the 'one', I just couldn't be without a horse. He was delivered to me a week later, spookily on what would have been Bruce's birthday. I am delighted with my new pony.

As for Bruce's things, most of the tack fits my new one, but the rugs are all too big. Some I will sell and some I will put away incase I have another that they will fit in future.

I knew my horse was going to die, so I suppose I was able to prepare myself, unlike Scally. Sorry for your loss Scally.


ETA, I really don't know why I ended up with a 'thumbs up' at the top of my post..????
 
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I feel for you.

I lost my "once in a lifetime horse" a couple of years ago and I still well up even now when I think too much about her.

She was 25, though very well and in full work right up until about 6 months before I lost her. She's had some pretty nasty melanomas and due to their positioning I took a chance on having them operated on and removed. The op went well enough and I even thought for a short while she would recover but I got home from work one day and she was colicking because the positioning of of the tumours had started to affect her ability to poo, so the choice I had to make right there and then was clear.

I stayed with her until the end and then I took myself off into one of the fields and cried my heart out while my OH attended to the more physical arrangements required by the situation (calling out someone to get the body removed, etc). Trust me, you don't want to be there for that bit.

I already had another horse, a 2yo at the time that I was planning to bring on as my mare retired - but my mare's schedule was sadly somewhat ahead of mine.

So, while I did various bits of in-hand work with my youngster (plus he put up with lots of weepy hugs from me) I just had a proverbial itch I couldn't scratch without riding and I have to say that it wasn't long before I bought another horse, who is now also a dear friend to me, but I don't know that any horse will ever replace my first mare. I thought it would be longer before I got another horse but I guess I was kind of on the rebound, and needed something to fill the hole, tho don't get me wrong, to this day I am happy to have him.

Whatever you do after loosing your horse is a very personal thing so don't worry about people telling you what's right and what's wrong, just go with how you feel.

hugs
 
I lost my mare 2 weeks ago yesterday. She was my first horse. I'm lucky, for the time being I can share my son's horse. I want to get another of my own but I'm not ready yet.
Son may be going away to college next year or he may not also OH has been made redundant twice this year & is currently out of work so our situation is a bit uncertain to say the least. But even more than that, if I look at the ads I am always drawn to the ones that look like Pickle & if I buy I want to be looking for a new horse rather than a Pickle replacement. In the meantime I have asked around if anybody has a horse/pony I could loan for 6 - 12 months until I know how things will pan out.
 
In October 1999 I made the decision to have my mare Ginger PTS. She was only 7 but had such bad DJD in her hind fetlock that she was never going to be sound and she just wasn't "right" in herself. The intention was to wait until the following spring before looking for a nice 15.2hh gelding about 10 years old. Instead, after browsing the free-ads, two weeks later I ended up with a rising 4yo Fell pony mare with "people issues"!!! Nearly 11 years later she is still with me and will always be with me. When eldest daughter's pony died it wasn't long before Ginny came along but a friend had her up for sale and I knew the pony anyway.

I don't know if I'd be so quick to get another though when Rosie goes (really dread that day), it took me so long to get a real bond/understanding with her, she is my "once in a lifetime".
 
So sad to loose then when they are young, fingers crossed he has more time left.

I had a bad year 5 years ago, I had bought a 2yr old lad and in the March he was turning 3 lost him to wobblers, at that same time the farmer organized a loan horse for me as I hadn't had anything to ride for couple of years.

3 months after loosing the youngster I had just bought another 3 yr old, had the loan gelding and lost my first mare to Lami, she had been diagnosed the day the young lad had been pts.

The loan gelding got me through it, he is such a sweetie and having something to ride helped, I laso had the new 3 yr old to start work on and it gave me focus.

I was devastated for months at loosing two such great horses in such a short space of time but knew I had lots of love in my heart so carried on.

5 years later I have the 3ry old, now 8 and the loan gelding now 19 - both stars!

It is hard and you miss them terribly but I will throughout my life have to say goodbye to many animals, they just don't live as long - won't stop me having them as the joy they give you far outweights the sadness at loosing them
 
Just popped on here before i go and do eyedrops again but thankyou to everyone that has replied so far, it is helping alot :) If anyone has any suggestions with how to get bute and antibiotics down him it would also be much appreciated...... tried chopped fruit and fruit jucies which no longer works :( Everything is in place for the day, who will be there, how it will be done (injection) and that I will be the one holding him as he gets silly with anyone else, so basically if the AHT say there is no chance all we have to do is pick a day :(
 
So sorry to hear about your situation. A mare I had would only eat bute etc in marmite and garlic sandwiches as they seem to disgusie everything so that may be worth a try
 
Very sorry to hear your news,since living here have had four horses, three have had to be pts but the one I miss the most even after 10 years is my partbred arab taught me so much and loved her to bits brave as a lion too I think I might have had her cloned if possible!

Hugs to you all who have lost their best friends.
 
Sadly, I've lost quite a few over the years, but one will always stick in my mind - my beautiful Cadbury.

We were made for each other, and he was taken away far too suddenly, and all because he tried his heart out for me at an event (look back through the post "impressive horse injuries" if you'd like to know the story).

I didn't ride for two years after that because I was so terrified, and his things stayed exactly where they were. I wouldn't let another horse in his stable, and I never thought I'd have such a close bond with a horse again. Until I found Roy. Roy isn't Cadbury, and he never will be, but he is just as wonderful in a very different way. I'm sure we were meant to find each other, and five years later he's got me back out competing and confident enough to sit on anything again.

I would say hang on to his things if (god forbid) he does go, it really helped me when Roy moved into Cabs' stable and started wearing his rugs etc. - I knew Cabs wouldn't want me to mope around, and he'd be furious if he knew I'd thrown all his things away! There's a little bit of him in his saddles, and every time I ride in them I smile and remember how lovely he was. It still makes me get a bit teary every now and then when I look out of the window and see a grey head bobbing over the stable door rather than a big black one, but then I remember that the grey head belongs to my Roy boy, and it's all ok again!

Hugs for you sweet pea, it's never easy, but in some ways, having a horse PTS means that you won't have the regrets that I have about our accident, it won't be such a horrible shock, and you'll have time to say goodbye and tell him you love him.

PM me if ever you need to have a good old sob and a talk xxx
 
Yes I kept all my horses things, I think present mare even has part of Cindys bridle unfortunately they were all different sizes Cindy 5.6, Thea 6' and present mare 5.9 some rugs are ok but the bigger ones have been passed onto the Welsh cobs.
 
Swift08 said:
What did you do after? Not only with all your horses things but in regards to riding. Did you take time off or carry on?
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I had 2 horses - Rusty and Sam.

Rusty, very fit (we did endurance riding together!) & well, aged 17, 3 months ago, collapsed and died whilst I out riding. I found it very traumatic - totally unexpected, I had to watch him die and could do nothing to help (except hystrical phonecall to vet).

For me I have found that caring for/riding Sam is very good therapy. For some unknown reason i have found i have lost my confidence riding other horses. This is slowly lessening and i have climbed aboad my friends TB a few times and plodded around the school.

All Rusty's stuff (rugs etc) are still hanging in his stable. I think I will get another horse - but I was made redundant from my job a few weeks after losing Rusty, so its all been a bit up in the air.
Time is good healer but i still desperatly miss him
 
I'm so sorry to hear this: how utterly devastating for you.


I think it's a very individual thing about what you do afterwards: I wanted nothing to do with horses for a while afterwards but then missed having m own so much that I went out and bought one without too much thought.

Wait and see how you feel. Big hugs.
 
Swift08 said:
What did you do after? Not only with all your horses things but in regards to riding. Did you take time off or carry on?
The reason I ask is because Pharaoh's eye condition took a turn for the worse 5 days ago. The bute is not working on the standard dose and his flare ups have gone from once a year down to 3 months and it will only get worse (he suffers from equine recurrent uveitis). My mum has been in contact with the AHT who are going to look at his case because his symptoms are apparently unusual... it also means that having the eye out is a no go area and it's likely the other operation is aswell :( We have decided that if they come back with no suggestions that will help him long term then he will be put down in the very near future at the young age of 7 :(
Now I am devastated, this saturday I have owned him 5 years and to think that he will not be here next year is horrible. I obvioulsy don't want to give up riding completely but i've never spoken to anyone that has lost a horse that wasnt already retired (the owners stopped riding when the horses retired) so if anyone could give me any advice it would be much appreciated.
I don't expect many replies tonight but I can't sleep and will be at the yard most of the day tomorrow doing eyedrops...
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Well firstly, I hope the AHT come back with help.

As for losing a horse everyone is different and every horse is a different loss.

With Ricky I have kept everything as his rugs fit Dozzie and his saddle is too old and tatty to sell.

I lost a pony a few years ago and I gave her rugs away and put the saddle up for sale immediately. It was a sudden loss. I do regret giving the rugs away.

I also lost a two year old who had a nasty field injury. We nursed her for 10 weeks yet still lost the battle. I was devastated and just shut the stable doors for 6 months, maybe longer. I think this one was the one i found hardest. Even though I had had Ricky for 30 years he was old and ill and had been a wonderful friend for a long time. Ellie was just a baby. It felt so unfair.
 
Poor, poor you. I lost my very precious mare at the end of May, she was 7. She was opinionated, horrible in the stable and very dominant but to ride she was the best ever. She gave me so much in the year that I had her and it broke my heart to loose her especially since her injury happened in the field when she was just messing about.

I bought another mare very quickly but she is the total opposite to Lizzie, she is very quiet, eager to please and very gentle in her stable, she is also a totally different shape, colour etc. I knew I would never replace Lizzie so I went for a complete change.

I will pray that the AHT find a way to help but if not, be strong for him, you will be doing the kindest thing and he will thank you for that. Remember him with a smile, be thankful to have known him and be grateful for all the pleasure he has brought you.
 
This is no good reading this at work with eyes welling up, I look a right plonker!! It just brings back so many memories about losing our old girl, miss her so much, and as many have said, to have a last hour with her, I would give anything :(
 
Sorry to hear things aren't great for you.

I lost my 5 year old to wobblers in January, I was totally devastated but wantec to carry on riding.
So I bought a 7 year old TB in March, he had an accident on the yard and was diagnosed with kissing spine last week, he had the op last week and came home yesterday, he has months of rehab ahead of him before I know whether he will ever be ridden again.
I also had to retire my older TB a month ago as he is crippled with arthiritis and bute is no longer keeping him sound.

Before my TB's diagnosis I had put a hefty deposit on a new horse in Ireland, who is arriving within the next week. I am lookimg forward to him coming and starting him but until then I have no desire to ride whatsoever.
 
I haven't read all the replies, so sorry if I'm repeating things here.

Firstly, hugs hun. It's pants, no other words for it. It will hurt like he!!, becoming less so over time; the only thing to hold onto is that at least you knew him.

When I lost Tiggy, well, I won't go into the crying part, but I didn't want to ride. We have daughters ponies, but I didn't go to the yard. I had a lesson on Friend's Big Cob a week after she had gone, I just wanted to get off.

Then suddenly I missed riding so much! I was out looking again very quickly (I can't remember the timings). Looked at so many within a couple of weeks. Saw Dizzy again - I'd seen her when I was looking twelve months before, but didn't like her then - and fell in love.

It took ages though to stop crying when I saw a big chestnut neck out in front of me instead of Tiggy's appy neck and funny mane. Apart from both being mares and being fairly young, the two horses were quite different. I'd had Tigs for a year and we knew each other. I'd spent that year, inbetween the lameness, girding my loins to get on and to learn all over again. Getting Dizzy meant doing it twice in two years.

As to her things, that was hard. I offered her BSJA headcollar and a rug to a friend, but the logistics meant that didn't work, so D1 has the headcollar and I have kept one rug, the last one she wore. The rest of her rugs, bar a turnout rug, I gave to Friend for Big Cob. It was fine seeing him in them as he is a 15.2hh piebald cob and Tigs was a 15hh IDxTB appy.

One of the hardest things was the horse box. The trip to take her back to the AHT was the last one Bessie Box did (failed MOT etc.). When the man came to take Bessie away, we went through her to make sure all was emptied. There was a haynet from our last trip, a pile of poo from Tiggy, and an empty plastic bag that had held the last carrots she had. That was very hard.

D (hubby) mounted Tiggy's last two front shoes on a wooden plaque and had a plate made. I love it, though at times I still cry.

Sorry to go on. Hugs.
 
Hi Sorry to hear about Pharaoh.

I lost my first pony and best friend at the beginning of June. I had had him for 19years. He didnt winter well and I could see something wasnt right he was losing heaps of weight and couldnt walk properly. I made the decision to retire him, and when things still didnt improve I got vet out. It turned out my precious boy had cancer of the gut.

When Charlie was 15 I bought a foal so that I could ride her once he was retired. Last year I put her in foal to a gorgeous stallion with view to sell the foal. Anyway Rosie was 3 weeks late and gave birth to a stunning colt the same day that I was told I would have to put Charlie to sleep.

I still think this was all meant to be (My hubby had said if the foal was a boy he was going to make me keep it this was at 11am and colt was born 4am next morning) Charlie was Rosies older horse for hacking etc and always looked after her. So felt like it was meant to be. She started nickering to me the day he was pts (feels like he told her to do it coz I like it)

Anyway Charlie was pts the following week(like you it had already been discussed so everyone knew what I wanted to happen- injection but had to wait a week due to lorry and vet this was torture). Having the mare and foal meant I had to go to the yard to look after them. It was/is very difficult, I still look for him even go to shout him, but Bailey really helps.
I feel guilty at times coz I feel like I am forgetting him but he wouldnt have wanted me to not look after my other 2, at the mo I have nothing to ride and I do miss not having something to groom easily on the yard but I spend time in the field playing with them both.

I have kept his bridle, saddle,boots, named saddlecloth etc they are in the loft, I have kept his rugs for Bailey but at the moment it hurts too much to think of another horse wearing his stuff. Think it might change and will happily let Bailey wear some of it. I made a memory box of all my favourite photos, tail hair, rosettes and got a braclet made out of his tail hair, i look at this but at moment I always end up in tears.
If I hadnt had them I would have found it very hard to go down to the yard. Miss him so so much and still get very upset but he is in the best place possible no more pain etc
 
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I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. I truely hope that things turn out for the best with him.

I lost my mare, Amber in January last year. She was 33 and had to be pts when she broke her leg in the field. A much easier situation in many ways as I had no choice, and she was 33- though in good health. The riding situation wasn't an issue as she had been retired for 5 years and I had another riding horse. What to do with her things though- that was tough. I'd had her for 20 years since I was 11 so she was a huge part of my life. I found it incredibly difficult to even look at her rugs etc.

I made the decision to have her rugs etc cleaned and donated them and any other useful items to an equine charity near to me. I felt pleased that they would still be used, and I don't think I could have used them on Magic, my other horse, even though they would fit him. The charity were really grateful for them and I'm sure Amber would like to see them go to horses that need them. I was so devastated when I lost her and donating her things also acted as therapy for me.

Amber was cremated and her ashes are in a (rather large) box on the sideboard. Sounds really silly but I still talk to her and it is as if part of her is still with me.

Good luck and *hugs* x
 
Really sorry to hear that you are in this horrible position, the one we as horse owners all dread.

I lost my horse just before Xmas a couple of years ago. After he was PTS went home for a family Christmas and to get away from the area / yard etc for a few weeks then came back and started sharing a horse which was on livery at the same yard, that came to an end after a year and then took my time finding my 'dream horse' but spent the inbetween times hacking out a friends horse. Couldn't imagine not riding because I had lost my boy and in my mind thought it would be a diservice to him if I did stop.

The yard very kindly sent all his rugs off for cleaning whilst I was away and put all his stuff neatly into a box for me to collect, couldn't have asked for better YOs at that horrible time. I kept his rugs intending to buy a horse that fitted them, however that didn't happen and so have only just started selling them (2 years down the line). Sold his saddle but have kept his bridle. His boots are now used by my new girl
 
I still remember the day that Pippin went to rainbow bridge. I was only 10 at the time, I remember my Mum's attempt to tell me to go up to the school and go and say goodbye to her for one last time. Pips had recently had an operation to remove her left eye after she got a thorn stuck in it. Although the op itself was a success she developed an infection behind the socket itself and it was basically poisoning her blood. She was 28 years old so very little could be done. So off I went up to the school and I remember opening the gate and seeing my Dad speaking to the vet, Pip was heavily sedated and was laying down. I laid down next to her like I had done so many times before and told her that I loved her more than I'd ever love anything else and she'd taught me more than anyone or anything else ever could. I said sorry for all the times I'd gotten angry when she'd get excited when we went to shows and she'd buck, prance and just be a general show off. She moved her head towards me and gave me this little nuzzle as if to say "I love you" one last time.

I'm crying writing this now. After she died, I got another pony about 3 months after and started doing PC Eventing with him but he was only 12.2hh so I eventually outgrew him. He went to another PC home and the boy who has him atm adores him. I believe his little sister is having him this year as he is getting tall now too. Then I got Sketch - my one and only, truly from the bottom of my heart, my horse of a lifetime :).
 
I bought my horse Solomon as a foal and at the young age of 10 had to let him go due to numerous problems that he had suffered with over the years. Alby came soon after, a lovely ID x TB. I owned him for 3 years before a fractured pelvis was diagnosed together with bone cysts and kissing spine. He too was only 10 when he was PTS.

Having owned geldings all my life and desperate to fill the void and change my luck I bought a beautifull black mare.TicTac. She is opinionated, clever and I love her to bits. I have owned her for 2 years now and she is now 10, has just been diagnosed with kissing spine ( 7 impinging vertebrae) She will have the operation in september and I pray that she will recover to live a useful life as I do not want to loose another so young.

I have said that she will be my last horse as I am tired of all the heartache but horses are my passion and my way of life. My mare is a tough cookie and I hope she realises that I am trying to give her a chance so that we can spend another 10 years together. Give up? I doubt it.
 
Once again thankyou for sharing your experiences, it is really eye opening and i've found i've been thinking of things i hadnt yet thought about with regards to his things etc. Mum and I have decided that we will probably go down to devon afterwards (grandparents live there) to get away for a few days and my YO has said today that I am welcome to ride one of her ponies whilst I sort myself out :) Most of his notes went off to the AHT yesterday and today so mum will ring them on monday to see when we will get an answer.
xx
 
Scally- that made me have tears! ((((o))))

I too lost my beloved horse after about 18 years, He coliced mildly but often and one day it just became really bad and he had to be pts. It was horrendous

I too cried- and i mean really cried as in i couldnt stand up a few times! for what seemed like an eternity. I kept his stuff for ages but eventually sold it to friends except a few things.

I didnt ride for a while but did start almost straight away looking for a horse- not to replace him nothing will ever do that but I was so bored and just really struggled at the times i should have been doing him.

I dont know if i'd recommend going straight out and buying another- My new horse has given me massive problems and was the wrong horse to buy but i was rushing.
That said i still have the cranky old thing and always will have after 2.5 years we are getting somewhere now (when he's not injured that is!)

I'm really sorry about your horse its an awful thing to go through, give yourself time- tacky and cliche i know but time will help as will talking about him. I hated it when people avoid mentioning my horses name but love the odd person who will come up with a "do you remember that time he did whatever" kind of keeps his memory alive!

Big hugs xxx
 
Dear Swift08,

I know this is a long-gone post, but i only just joined the forum and I wanted to tell you that things will get better. I am obviousyly not sure of the situation now and what has happend to Pharaoh, but have recently gone through this twice.

On the 27th July 2010 I had my beloved Treacle PTS, she was only 9 and I'd had her 2 years. Her troubles started in MArch 2009 when she experienced Upward Fixation of the Patella - we did what the vets said and it improved with work, but we never got beyond 23 days before her stifle locked again. This happened 4 times. She had the Op last June and then when se didn't come sound she had a double arthroscopy on her stifles in October 2009. 2010 went well after rehab etc, but in April everythig went wrong again - she had periods of soundness and then come June/July she was lame and couldn't canter. Even walking on a hack was a struggle for her so after further nerve blocks it was decided it was the kindest thing to do for her. She was a lovely, beautiful horse who I miss dreadfully, but we thought that all would be ok and we would channel our efforts in to my other mare Empy.

Empy had a back Op in 2007 which she recovered from but then everything went wrong and she had most of 2008, and all of 2009 off. She had a foal in 09. In 2010 she eventually came back really well and was winning dressage, xc schooling etc until a week to the daty after losing Treacle she was back to square one. To cut a long story short, after physio and a final visit to the vet for scans it turned out she had 4 problems that couldn't be treated - deforming of the tops of the dorsal spine, 6 or 7 holes in the supraspinous ligament, SI pain and stifle problems. Along with this she had no muscle around the Op sight wihich my vet put down to arthritis.

Empy was only 10 and I had had her for 5 years, but on the 31st August we had he PTS. My two best firends both gone (albeit to a better place) in the space of 5 weeks. The stables are empty at home and it's deadly quiet. We are all devastated but even now, only a week after Empy, I can look at pictures of them both and smile (with tears in my eyes) in the knowledge that they are safe, pain free and can look down on us. It is a horrible thing to go through, but I absolutely promise you it will get better, possibly sooner than you think. We are picking up Empy's ashes today and they will be buried/scattered in the field so she is always with us.

Big hugs xx
 
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