Rainbow

Horses that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge

Over the years you lose horses it is a part of life and the natural order to things. When they are old or hurting it is much easier to accept the loss. When they are young and healthy it is much harder to understand and accept. Each horse in my life has left an impression and I wanted to express it on this page. I hope to find some old photographs and add them

at a later time.

In 1985 I had to shoot my shetland who was in her 30's due to a broke leg. She was down at the pond and could not get up, she valiently tried to several times. A friend was with me and was very upset that it had to be done, I was in my first year of college. Her name was Pokey and she was anything but slow. She was also the greatest diving board a kid could ever want. We still laugh about all the times she would just run to the pond and not come out with my poor brother on her back. I had heard horror stories about shetlands, but she never lived up to them.

In 1987 I found my old gray TB mare who was 32 or 34 no one could agree on the year she was born, she had laid down and never got up. The gelding was standing over like a mare would for a foal doing guard duty. She just passed away in her sleep. Now this mare was just plain mean, her name was Beauty and she was coal black as a foal but turned to a flea bitten gray in her old age. This mare would try to knock you off in the trees, any branch would do, she would blow up and hold her breath and the saddle would slip on you. She bit a cousin by the collar bone breaking it and threw him into a tree, just a mean ole horse. Now a little girl (me) does not understand mean ole horse, she was fast and I loved to ride fast and I could duck. On her I could literally fly and she made all the dreams that little girls dream come true. Now do not misunderstand me I do not miss her but she did teach me to keep a seat, duck my head, protect my knees and to love a horse. Just not gray ones :)

In 1995 on the July 4th weekend, I had to put down my old barrel mare Dutchess she was 33 years old had a foal at her side and severly bowed tendons. She had been under a Vets care during the pregnancy and we just tried to keep her comfortable during the last 3 months so she could deliver her foal. About ten years earlier she bowed her tendons and it was all my fault. We were down in the lower pastures and I was riding her bareback and no bridal or halter and had her running up the hill with the other horses following. Well she came to the top and there was a bull waller (where the bulls dig pits in the dirt... slinging dirt over their backs and bellering at the bull through the fence) and I wanted her to slow

down and sat back on her and she sat back to do a stop, well the back legs stopped and the front legs just kept going in the slick dry grass. I heard pops like a shotgun going off and it was her tendons. The Vet did all she could and the mare was sound again, but I never rode her after that. So got her vetted out a few years later and had three wonderful foals by her, two of which will stay on the property for ever. When it was time to put her down, the colt Willie was three months old and full of energy. I had my brother help me and we loaded her into the trailer, I pumped a some drugs into her and he shot her for me. I could not do it.

2000 we dealt with the loss of Strings who was being leased to a friend. He happend to get a piece of blister in some Costal hay that was stacked next to some Alfalfa; the barn lost several individuals. It just seems that no matter how careful you are or how hard you try to keep the safe; something goes wrong.

In 2005, Valentine a 2 year old died during a routine gelding procedure. The process went well and he just stopped breathing. The Vet did all she could. His grandsire was allergic to Ketamine and we do not know if this was a contributing factor or not.

In 2005, Tar had twins and we lost both of the colts and then a week later Strawberry slipped her foal about 6 weeks before she was due to foal. I was saddend for both mares. Tar had 2 seperate ultrasounds and neither time did it show two embryos. I knew something was wrong at about 9 months into her pregnancy and took her in for a manual palpation. The vet could not detect the second fetus.

In 2006, Monday, December 10

Man this is just hard, but I figure typing about it and talking about it will help.

Fed horses yesterday(Saturday, December 8, 2006) and noticed that two did not come up.. not unusual, the two year old and yearling come up 15 min or so late all the time (fat and lazy), so I never thought twice about it. So I have the gates open in the feed area and am trimming a horse up, finished with her and went to get another one. Saw the two year old eating, never thought about the yearling and caught up the two year old filly and got to work on her feet. After the third horse I was tired and wanted a break.

Called neice and asked her if she wanted to go to movies and after we fed the other critters. She said yes (what 11 yr old does not want to go to moves... saw unattended minors... very cute show and I recommend it). So we fed and she wanted to play with donkey before we left for the movies, so back over to mares pasture. I am fooling with the horses and realized that Treasure the yearling colt was not there. Saw him Thursday night, did a head count after midnight when I get home from work every work night. So told neice to walk around pond one way and I went the other....

We went and got the tractor and headed for the backside of the pond. The pond had washed away on the backside due to heavy rains last month. So I crossed the creek area and was checking the fence line. Saw a big hole next to the tree about 4 foot around and looked down about 7 feet and there he was. He was dead, I hope that he broke his neck going in through it and did not suffer for the day and half since I had seen him last. There was no way I could have gotten him out in any case and was actually glad that I would not have to try. My neice was a bit upset and looked at me and said "Aunt Kim, it was an accident and there was nothing you could do". From the mouth of babes, she must have know all the scenes going through my mind... should have checked behind pond area, they (the horses) never go back there, I was not heavy enough to cave the ground in anyhow, should have checked the back fence line anyhow after the rains, but they never come back this way... no poop or tracks on the ground... lots of thorn trees, they never come back here, the ground is always soft.... it was a litiny in my brain.

I truly liked this little colt and was actually thinking about keeping him as he was by my old mare. I had held him back twice from folks looking to buy him and now I feel that if he was sold then he would not be dead... it was not meant to be and I understand that, just still beating myself up mentally and probably will for a few weeks. Going through the upset/anger at my self stage and I know this will pass....just not quick enough to suit me at the moment.

No one has to respond to this.... it is just my ... vent, grief, depressed, I do not know what to call it stage...

Treasure will be missed, his life was short, he was very people oriented
Treasure; AQHA Colt 08.24.05 Pedigree ; Deceased 12.08.06... due to tragic accident.

12-26-08 A very, Very hard Christmas

Willie was foaled April 1997 PtHA and we lost him on Dec. 26,2008. He was the last foal out of my old barrel mare and just as nosey as he could be. Over time he became my nieces horse and she won a lot of trophies, ribbons, tack on him doing barrels - they really had a lot of fun together. Then he hurt his foot and became a trail riding horse. He loved kids and was very tolerant of women riding him, but men... well it was a tug of war at times. There are so many stories and so many rides and many, many good times associated with this horse.

He was also the horse that I put in with others that were injured or he was the nanny to weanling's and taught them manners, respect and just how to be a horse.

Willie was not a horse that ever showed pain. He impaled himself at 3 years on a post and missed his heart by half an inch. He never let on that he was hurt. Then he tried to rip off 1/3 of his right front hoof a year later- on what we never found out. He walked without a limp, healed up over time and the same day was running like a fool. He never let on that he was hurt. When he foundered the first time, he would come up to you and you knew he was in pain, but he never let on that he was hurting. Then he became insulin deficient... with him it was just one thing after another, but no matter what happened the money and time for recovery was always worth it. He was one of those that just did not show pain.He was also the horse that I put in with others that were injured or he was the nanny to weanling's and taught them manners, respect and just how to be a horse.

On Christmas Day Willie had some gas colic we walked him, good gut sounds and he finally pooped. On the 26th he was up in the back of the pasture and appeared to be perky but I loaded him up anyhow at 7:45am to take to the Vet for a check up, just to be on the safe side. It was not good, he had gut sounds but also an impacted cecum we put in 5 gallons of fluids aka 10- IV bags in under 30 minutes. He had dehydrated himself.. how? the weather changes and just not drinking enough, then we he did want water, it was too late. Got the gas off his tummy and added the oil. Then I walked him and walked him and walked him. He never let on that he was in pain although he was given meds for it just to keep him comfortable. He never stopped walking, he did not want to let me down. When he started kicking his belly the Vet gave him some serious drugs and he went into la la land; then for the first time in 7 hours he went down and he never got up again. Risk of Surgery less than 20% and then had to worry about Peritonitis infection if he made it through the surgery; his outlook was not good. We prayed that the impaction would move. A twisted gut would have been recoverable at least; but with Willie - he had to do things the hard way.

Willie gave confidence to a lot of people and first time riders and he will truly be missed.

2009 Ginger was put down due to COPD complications, she is in a much better place now.

11/28/2009 Tar (hurts to much to say anything right now).

04/27/10 My dad died after 2 years fighting a battle with Cancer - he never gave up nor did he quit fighting.

I hope not to lose anymore for years and years to come.