why? just why?! :(

mturnbull

mturnbull

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Today a horse at my yard who was owned by a close friend of mine and who I helped with regularly was put to sleep after being at the royal dick vet (in edinburgh) for a week battling with collic. I am glad she is now pain free but i can't help thinking why? My friend has owned this lovely genuine sweet natured mare for 6 years and it has just been one thing after another between lameness, box rest, abscesses, x rays and trips to the royal dick vet.

I'm feeling really disheartened and with only 4 weeks until i get my new foal which I have been waiting months for this is the last feeling I want. I really am wondering why we put ourselves through all this?

Any words of wisdom and *hugs* would be appreciated because at this moment in time I just want to say no more horses and no more heartache!
 
Well certainly you can have hugs (((o))) ....... as to words of wisdom, well none really. Just to say that when you make any sort of a relationship, whether its and animal or another human you never know whats in store.......... you can have a life full of the ups and never give the bad stuff another thought or you can have a struggle with lots of not so good stuff, its a chance / fate / luck whatever you want to call it.

but you cant plan it and you cant hide form it ....... if you dread having the bad re taking on a foal you might miss out on a wonderful life experience


There is a song called "the rose" I think and its about this kinda stuff .... basically saying without taking chances you never get to achieve dreams ;)
 
mturnbull said:
Today a horse at my yard who was owned by a close friend of mine and who I helped with regularly was put to sleep after being at the royal dick vet (in edinburgh) for a week battling with collic. I am glad she is now pain free but i can't help thinking why? My friend has owned this lovely genuine sweet natured mare for 6 years and it has just been one thing after another between lameness, box rest, abscesses, x rays and trips to the royal dick vet.

I'm feeling really disheartened and with only 4 weeks until i get my new foal which I have been waiting months for this is the last feeling I want. I really am wondering why we put ourselves through all this?

Any words of wisdom and *hugs* would be appreciated because at this moment in time I just want to say no more horses and no more heartache!
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I'm so sorry to read about your poor friends loss and understand how heart breaking it has been for you too. I can sympathise.

I lost a gorgeous labrador when she was only 2. She had really altered my life and made me laugh after my dad died, so it was devastating. I vowed never to have an animal again. After pressure from my husband and kids I finally gave in 6 years ago and got another labrador, and yes you've guessed we have gradually added to the collection and also have a springer spaniel, chickens and my gorgeous cob.

All I can say is time does heal, and you have to remember the good times, the hurt does fade in time.

As for her horse having had lots of problems, I think you just have to accept that some animals are more needy and less robust than others. My current labrador is fed on cheap as chips food, goes to the vet once a year for jabs and is low maintenance, low hassle. The springer on the other hand has food that costs £90 per sack (eek!) due to having tummy problems, has broken several teeth, one of which was crowned at a horrendous cost (thank goodness for insurance!). He is completely accident prone and has had to be stitched up and bandaged on several occassions.

I think these things are sent to try us, but the bad times make you appreciate the good times even more.

Best wishes.
 
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thank you all for your messages :)

I just feel a little bit 'lost' tonight is the only word I can think of! I then read another post on this or look at some pictures and see all the wonderful things that myself or others have achieved. I seem to be seeing everything in a new perspective tonight.

I believe a saying to do with ''swings and roundabouts'' might be fitting for me just now?
 
I bet you keep your horses in the best of condition. Secure fencing, worm regularly, cool off after exercise, groom, have the farrier regularly. Rug your horses when it is cold, muck them out, have well fitting tack and probably go without yourself so your horse has what he needs?

Now. if you kept your horse in a field with sagging barb wire fencing, preferably with a set of unused harrows left out there and one or two rusting cars, visited when the fancy takes, gallop the heck out of the horse - whether it has one two three or four shoes on - and just chuck it back out in the field. Never worm it, then it will never go lame be sick or sorry!
 
Foxhunter49 said:
I bet you keep your horses in the best of condition. Secure fencing, worm regularly, cool off after exercise, groom, have the farrier regularly. Rug your horses when it is cold, muck them out, have well fitting tack and probably go without yourself so your horse has what he needs?

Now. if you kept your horse in a field with sagging barb wire fencing, preferably with a set of unused harrows left out there and one or two rusting cars, visited when the fancy takes, gallop the heck out of the horse - whether it has one two three or four shoes on - and just chuck it back out in the field. Never worm it, then it will never go lame be sick or sorry!
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life just isnt fair?! I really would like to talk to 'luck' and 'fate', I feel we could have a rather heated discussion and lots of bribes to keep my little filly safe!
 
Anyone who says life is fair hasn't lived!

Half of my answer was cut off because today was a **** day for me too.
A lovely three year old home bred gelding struck into himself and severed the superficial tendon and into the deep flexor. There was nothing we could do so I had to call the Hunt.

This was a wonderful horse that I birthed and was about to start breaking. With him at the start and with him at the end.

Believe me I do not keep my horses as above - but people who do seem to get away with it all - and more!
 
Foxhunter49 said:
Anyone who says life is fair hasn't lived!

Half of my answer was cut off because today was a **** day for me too.
A lovely three year old home bred gelding struck into himself and severed the superficial tendon and into the deep flexor. There was nothing we could do so I had to call the Hunt.

This was a wonderful horse that I birthed and was about to start breaking. With him at the start and with him at the end.

Believe me I do not keep my horses as above - but people who do seem to get away with it all - and more!
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I'm so sorry for your loss and I agree I see horses at our liveries or in fields in our area who are literally LEFT and yet me and others a like are up there twice a day putting a lot of time and effort into everything we do for the horses and seem to get all the sh** of the day thrown at us!
 
Frankly, this could almost be me (except - touching every bit of wood - the colic).

My boy has been up and down with just about everything you can imagine in the 3 years that I've had him. Even now he's not level again, and there seems to be some issue in his back, so we take 1 step forward and 2 back.

I have had some awful times, just wondering why, why, why. I waited a long time to have a horse of my own (always shared) because I wanted to make sure that I could keep him properly financially and in terms of time. So, it was like buying my "dream horse" but boy, much as I love him (and I really do) the stress and distress at times have definitely left me asking why I do this to myself. Then again, I just can't seem to see my life without horses.
 
Sorry for the loss :( time is a healer... But yeah I agree life is very unfair. I too visit my boy daily, worry sick about him, provide him with the best equipment/ care I can afford and still it's a kick in the teeth... Yet other people I know literally put their out to fend for themselves, never check on them and then are always fine. Still I'd rather have a loved horse who knows human affection :)

Sounds like this mare was genuine and lovely, hope she rests in peace x
 
I wish I knew why we lose horses or anyone when we do. I had my mare 2 years and she had no illnesses at all. Then out of the blue her chest swelled up, she wasnt breathing properly. She had a trip to the dick vet and never came back :( She was diagnosed with a tumor in her chest that was in a place they couldnt operate and was pts a year ago. I wish I knew why that had to happen to her when she was a 9yo healthy beautiful horse.

I now just make the most of everyday I spend with my current horse because you just dont know how long you'll have with them.
 
sweetheart we give our hearts and souls to our loved horses but nature sometimes says ok my turn - its so so so hard to come to terms with but remeber everyday our horses have on this earth with love and care is a bonus - be brave look to the future you have with your baby and think good thoughts not bad - your baby - given the odds - will go on to live a great happy life - be positive and think god ( and im not religious ) decided your friends horse was needed in heaven for the angels to play amongst the stars :) xx
 
thank you for sharing your experiences, at least i know im not alone or being silly over all of this!

I am starting to see that the good outweighs the bad and as much as i feel sick with worry about something happening to my filly I know i couldnt imagine life without her or any other of the gang!
 
JoJo_ said:
I now just make the most of everyday I spend with my current horse because you just dont know how long you'll have with them.
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Having lost the last 3 horses that I bought for myself, all prematurely from varied and completely different illnesses, although also having kept several into old age (including one in particular who lived on 'borrowed time' for 12+ yrs), I have learned that there is neither rhyme nor reason in their allotted lifespans. We just have to make the most of the time we have with them.

I will certainly send you and your friend 'hugs'. I will also say that I wonder if so many horses are bred nowadays that many are not as hardy/robust as they once were.
 
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Hugs, I wish we had the answers, but we dont. We had a lovely horse die on our yard about 3 weeks ago. He was healthy and happy, and he became ill for what seemed no reason. He did peacefully in his sleep, vet found him in his stable, there had been no struggling, and he had been doped up. It was cancer. It rocked the whole yard. When I grumble about getting up early to muck out, or walking down the lane to our turnout and up the massive hill, I stop myself feeling fed up and think of this lovely horse and his poor owner, who was devastated. It sounds mushy, but I really treasure every minute I spend with my 2.

Why? I dont know, but we do it because we love them.
 
Many years ago when we lost a foal, an old farmer friend very calmly said, 'when you have livestock you have deadstock' Harsh but true, but if we never had them we would never have the affection, the fun, the freedom etc that we do. The deaths are the price we pay for the life it gives us.
 
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